ENGLISH AND FOREIGN.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 828, 29 September 1870, Page 2

ENGLISH AND FOREIGN.

Another terrible steamboat disaster oo curred thirty miles above Memphis (U.S ), at midnight on 31st July. The steamer ' Silver Spray,' of New Orleans, for Cincinnati, exploded her boilers, killing and wounding a number of passengers and crew. She then caught fire and burned up. The flames spread so rapidly that the boat was enveloped almost in a moment, and those not hurt by the explosion were obliged to plunge into the river. The darkness of the night prevented assistance, and many of the wounded were consequently lost. The ' City of Cairo' came up about two hours after the explosion, and rendered every assistance that was possible, taking on board the rescued and bringing them to this oity, where they received every attention. The cargo, which was a full one, is a total loss, including a barge which she was towing. It is now ascertained there were forty-five persons on board the ' Silver Spray' when she blew up. Twenty-eix have been found, two of whom since died. One of them was young Jordon, son of the captain, and one of the pilots. Of nineteen "-.Roustabouts" only seven were rescued ; five of them are in the hospital. Seven were wounded; four who shipped here were lost; also, a German, who got aboard by a mistake and refused to go ashore; two cabin boys and two chambermaids are also known to be lost. The boat left here at 630 j at 11 the Engineers changed the watch, and Ashford tried the water and es ainiued the boilers; he found the steam guage indicating 134 pounds j the "supply donkey" worked free as it had done on the trip. He was oiling the crank wrists when the explosion occurred. In an instant all was in'darkness, and'till the boat took fire nothing could be seen ; the debris of the wreck leaped upon the furnaces and the fire could not be Extinguished. Richard Gage, cook, states the explosion was caused by .the stopping of the donkey engine, by which the boilers were nearly dry and red hot. The deck hands say the fire was caused by a falling lamp from the cabin by the explosion, after which the passengers and all"took to the barge, but, the wreck of the cabin falling over on the barge, it took fire, causing the burned and maimed to rush into the water. The explosion blew the freight toward the barge so that the hawsers could not be cut.

The sale of the effects of Mr Charles Dickens attracted a great crowd of buyers to Christie and Manson's rooms on the 9th July, and the prices which all the things realised were literally enormous. Professional dealers were quite driven out of the competition, except when they were privately instructed to buy certain articles at any price. Dealers calculated, even making every allowance for the desire to obtain momentoes of Mr Dickens, that the upset of the whole sale would not exceed £6UOO or £7OOO. The pictures alone, however, fetched more than 7000 guineas. Frith's "Dolly Varden," executed by the artist when very young, and which, it is said, Mr Dickens bought for £4O, fetched 1000 guineas. Cattermole's two water colors from the " Old Curiosity Shop" brought together 395 guineas ; and a small painting which Dickens bought in New York, 240 guineas. A very small cabinet picture by Hunt went for 320 guineas; and ten very small and barely legible pencil sketches by John Leech, all in one frame, though some were mere scraps which the artist himself would no doubt never have thought worth framing, were run up to 162 guineas. Other things went at like extraordinary prices. A common inkstand brought 11% guineas; a Chinese gong not worth £2 realised 31 guineas; a modern Dresden saltcellar which did no*, cost 10s was sold for 18£ guineas, and so on throughout. The Pickwick spoons, which it was stated in the room originally cost £4O, went separately for 267 guineas, or at the rate of nearly £lO an ounce for silver. The raven, the Grip of " Barnaby Rudge," was expected to fetch £2O or £25. It was a badly stuffed bird, in an empty black wooden case, which was much too small for it. Before it had been offered a minute the biddings rose to 80 guineas. From this point the contest was between Mr Andrew Halliday and Mr Nottage, of the London Stereoscopic Company, and the latter at last got the bird for the enormous sum of £126. Stansfield's " Eddystone Lighthouse " brought 990 guineas, and the two other sea pieces 150 and 170 guineas respectively. When it is remembered that Mr Dickens left these works of art at Tavistock House as fixtures, and that the tenant succeeding him requested as a favor that they might be removed, as they *' were disagreeable to his wife," their prices seem extraordinary. Another burst of applause came from

the room when the full length portrait of Mr Dickens, by Maclise, was put up, and it was seen that Mr George Scharf, the curator of the National Portrait Gallery, "was bidding. Every one seemed to wish that this picture should become the property of the nation, but although it sold for what was, compared with the other prices, a small sum, it fell to the Kev Sir Edward Jodreli for six hundred and sixty guineas. The pictures alone re* alised seven thousand six hundred and ninetyeight guineas. Mr Charles Dickens, junior, bought three of the Pickwick spoons, and thus terminated one of the most remarkable sales on record. It is worth adding that the executors had no choice but to let it .take place when and in the manner it did ; the injunctions of the will being precise and binding that the things specified were to be sold by public auction within a month of death. The other day we witnessed a very curious incident in Mostyn-street, Llandudno. A cow belonging to Mr E. Owen, butcher, was proceeding down the street, when, just opposite a greengrocer's stall, she halted and coolly surveyed the delicious luxuries, after which she very modestly helped herself to a mouthful of cherries. The cow evidently had some idea of dessert after being exposed to the sunshine for several hours eating hay. The incident created much laughter among the spectators, which was increased by the cow " stalking" down the street with a bunch of ripe cherries dangling from her mouth, pursued by the stallkeeper, who shouted " Buy your own cherries." —Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald.