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Leader (1850-1860), 12th January 1856, Edition 2 of 2, Page 6, B E E ¦ 30g • TM3 f . AD-3E " ?R- [No. 3...

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      Mr. P. O.Wakd On The Tunnel Question And...

      this ease ^ tue surface de ^ Hvifcy ^ vrassmore thamdauble tteilKrtfcom deonvity ^ ta pipe felling only eight iiidbesy while the iwster -fell ^ seventeen . Iheyare : blind tbi * heHfaatF ~« el £ e * ident 'for me , ' and ; experimentally established by Medworth—that the aceelerationvvhieh thUB diminishes ; by more than half , the bulktof a running' stream ,- makes room - in the channel which eOTHrey » dfc (( wlieth . er-ifcibe a : tube oi ' -a tunnel ) fortribntary affluents . Theydo-not consider that eaoh of these affluents , « s-it enters -the tunnel in its turn > not anly- ' brrngs to tlie main stream its own acquired ntomentum , but also tends to raise tlie water-level ; thereby-increasing the surface declivity ; thus , again , quickening the flow ; and so , lastly , make room for fireshitributaries ; each of which , in its turn , repeats the ; accelerating process , till the velocity reaches sevoralitimestheamountattainable in abranehleastunnel .

      Not * ^ perceiving these principles , they cannot of course-perceive that the larger the tunnel island the smaller itsr rate of declivity , the larger will be proportion of velocity due to the stream itself , and the less willfbe the relative influence of the mere inclination of the » channel . This is why the fallacy of their formula ^ becomes more and more consipicuous as the tunnels to Which it is applied become larger ; and as © sapors' of calculation involve more serious eo-nv sequences . This , lastly , is why they are unable to compute the velocity of a stream , through a channel on a dead level ; as , for- "instance , through their level aqueduct over the Lea ; the-velocity and discharge of which are ; accordingly not "to be found at the place ¦ Where < they'should have been , set forth ( page 37 of the' * Calculations . Attbis ? point I interposea challenge . !

      M Ichallenge Messrs . Stephenson , Cubitt , Haywood , and Bazalgette , jointly and severally , to state , if they cjm / the velocity with which the water will flow throtign their -level aqueduct over the Lea . Whatever velocity tbey state , I pledge myself to prove it wrong-by-other figures oftheir own . ' 1 am exceedingly anxious to make this'matter plain tfr'th ' epublic—to bring the fallacy of this formula home ? to every man ' s common sense . " For this-purpose let us take an imaginary case liet us suppose that the river Thames , whereit is 500

      feet wide and ten feet deep , had ( if I may use the eSEpression ) to be set up edgewise , and made to flow m ^ a'ravine ten feet wide and 50 O feet deep . Its velocity , according to the formula of Messrs , Stephenson ; 'Gubitt , Hay wood , and JBazalgette , would not be increased -by--the-. change , provided only that the 3 lope © $ the-bottom of the ravine were precisely equal to tireBslope ofthe original river bed . Yet who does fid * see that this altered disposition of-the water would -transform its- quiet stream into a furious toTrent — tearing 'impetuously along , and bursting through every-obstacle in its course ?

      "To ' this formula , however , and to its-extravagant consequences , Me 3 sra . Stephenson , Cubitt , Hay wood , and : Baaalgette are unfortunately pledged beyond retrieval ; as also were the party whom Mr . Thwaites ' election overthrew . So strong were their convictions on'the subject that they actually put one of these colossal works in hand ; and 150 feet of 12-foot tunnel stand , a lasting memorial of error , at the east end-of Victoria-park . That monstrous fragment will never , I am persuaded , be prolonged . The floods of the ; Fleet valley will never thunder "through it ; and no turnip ^ launched , on the Ranelagh rainbrook at Kilburn , will swim , whether at ten miles an hour oritwo beneath-itB' capacious arch . It will : remain what it is —a dry ¦ vault ; the monument , and I hope the tomb ; of an exploded'fallacy .

      " Between the extravagant designs baaed on that fellaoy ; and the practical suggestions of ' plain John Roe ' s' experience , the now Metropolitan Board of Works wilt shortly bo called upon to ohooao on behalf ^ of the London ratepayers . They have made a , step iiv the right ¦ direction by declining the presidency of a gentleman who , last month , earned against me , by-two to one , a-vote expressing confidence in tho engineers , and refusing the inquiry I asked . They . have made a- step , better and bolder still , in electing' as their chairman the mean who , with only two'to back him , stood by me on that occasion ; and 1

      ww > , whenout-voted ( not out-reasoned ) , entered hia written protest against the decision ot'thovrnaioxity . In > 'that moment of apparent victory Richard Jobb fell . Inthat moment of nominal defeat John Thwaitea 1 virtually acceded to power . Before an umpire nt anco » eo-impartial and so bold , and ¦ before an assembly itfHioh'has- h « d the sagacity to single him' out aa its M » ader , l am confident truth , will provnil . No juggling wtttodbuble fbvmulro will puzzle their plain common 8 * ttaai They Yjfill'not suppress an inquiry beoaueoof ffi ? ^^ 1611001 * ' ^ ° J nor will thoy sacrifice * 874 } O 00 ito ttwa -preBtlgoof anominont namo . "iltittavortho'honiour to be , sir , & o . " 12 y Corfc-Bti ^ BurUngtoia-gaTdens , Doc . 24 , 1856 . "

      B E E ¦ 30g • Tm3 F . Ad-3e " ?R- [No. 3...

      30 g TM 3 B E E . AD-3 E " ? R- [ No . 303 , Satubpay ,

      A Th'ankkjess' Child. Was : ?Z^ ^^Y Sift...

      A TH'ANKKJESS' CHILD . waS ? Z ^ ^^ y SIft gK ,. about 'fflBfo Jm of ago , waited , « few days ago upon J & . tforton . at the

      Lambeth police-court , to ask his . advice under very painful ezrenmstances . He had carried on business as a . maltster at Elkington in Derbyshire , but had failed , and was reduced to live on the interest of ; £ 1 , 500 , the marriage settlement of his wife , who was a fii & ter-in law of a Member of Parliament . He apprenticed his son to a grocer ; but , when tbe youth came of age , some doubt arose as to whether the property did not belong to him , and Mr . Slagg , to avoid . law expenses , consented to give up all interest in the £ 1 , 50 . 0 , which he yielded to his son , together with a large amount of family plate . A grocer ' s shop at Camberwell was then opened for the latter , and it was agreed that the father was to live with him . But the son shortly began to pay his addresses to a young woman whom , the father did not like . He therefore

      urged his son to make choice of some one else . The marriage , however , took place , and the son was soon induced to turn . his father out of the house , and to refuse a sixpence for bis support . Had it not been for the humanity of the persons with whom he lodged , be would have starved . He had endeavoured , but unsuccessfully , to earn a subsistence for himself , independent of his son ; he had applied to his son for relief ; and he had written to his cousin , who is the

      son of a member of Parliament , to intercede with his child , and endeavour to soften him . But to this latter application , the sou had returned for answer that the union would be the fittest place for his father ; " so that , " saul the poor ma n , bursting into tears , " he would send me as a pauper to the very parish of which I was for many years one of the principal guardians . But I would die of starvation first . "

      Mr . Norton , with many expressions of sympathy with the father , and of horror at the unnatural conduct of the son , placed Mr . Slagg under the care of the second clerk of the office , and referred him to . the chairman of the Newington Board of Guardians . In the meanwhile , he promised to supply him from the poor-box with whatever he might z'equire for his present necessities . Mr . Slagg expressed his gratitude , and withdrew .

      A Blind 8wintjler. Chas. Alfred Rtckaby ...

      A BLIND 8 WINTJLER . Chas . Alfred RtCKABY , a notorious blind swindle ! and James Rickaby , his son , have been tried on t \ yo charges of forgery and fraud . In the first charge , a solicitor , named Justice , accused Rickaby of having defrauded Mm of £ 68 5 s . In the month . of November ^ 1850 , Mr . Justice was visited by Rickaby , who stated to him that his name was Howe , and that he called to request that he would immediately proceed against a man naraed Armstrong , who owed him money to the amount of £ 68 , as well as rent for a house which

      Armstrong then tenanted . As the lawyer really had a client of the name of Rowe , whom he know was blind , but whom he had never « een , he hud no doubt of the truth of Ricicnby ' s statement , and therefore wrote to Armstrong iu tho usual form , requiring payment . Armstrong shortly afterwards called upon him and agreed to pay the £ 68 , and also a half quarter ' s rent ; but he said that bofore he did so be should require that certain deeds relating to property which belonged to his wife , and which he said ha d been handed to the pretended Mr . Rowe , should bo given up , This request was communicated to Rickaby

      who again called at Mr . Justice ' s office , and said that ho was willing to deliver up the deeds , but , as he had placed them in other hands ; and had money advanced him upon them , he could not givo them up until ho was paid the £ 68 . The lawyer therefore at ouco gave tho prisoner a check for that amount , and ho left tho office , promising to bring the deeds that afternoon . ; but Mr . Justice from that time saw no more of cither Rickaby or Armstrong . The whole affair was then discovered to bo a fraud , and Arm - strong was subsequently tried and sentenced to im . prisonment .

      The second caso against Rickaby was one of forgery , a £ 50 bill of exchange having been signed in a false name and uttered . In this transaction he was as-Bisted by James Riokaby , his flow , and ayoungman named William Cox , who also appeared in the indictment . Last September ,. Messrs . Howard and Catty , solicitors , in Angol-court , Throgmortoivstreet , wore called upon by the blind impostor and Cox , tho former of whom Btated that he had been recommended there by a Mr . Thompson , and that ho wished tho firm to institute proceedings against a gontloman living in Connnughttorraco , Edgware-road , named Howard Clinton , who owed the

      prisoner £ 120 . Mr . Howard accordingly wrote to tho address mentioned , requiring paymont of the monoy , and in duo courno ho received a letter acknowledging tho dobt and offering to pay £ 70 down nnd tho remainder by a promissory note nt a month . Tho lawyer upon thin communicated tho proponed terms to . Riokaby , who at onco accedod to them , and eventually Mr . Howard received a lottor from tho » upposed Howard Clinton , containing £ 70 in bank-notes and a . promissory note for £ 50 ; Theao ho shortly afterwards , handed over to Riokal » y ; but some diffioultioa arose . , aa to tho pnymont of tho monoy , Riokaby wanting Mr . Howard to ca » h tho £ 50 promissory

      note . for him , whioh . the lawyer ' ¦ refused to do . As Mr . Howard learnt not . long-after this that Riokaby was in oustodv ) lie made an investigation of the matter , and discovered that the . affair was an imposition ; that no such . person as Howard Clinton lived at the address which had been given , but that young Rickaby had had letters addressed to him in that name , at a stationer ' s shop , for which he bad paid 6 d . The letter to Mr . Howard , and the signature to the promissory note which it inclosed , were ascertained to be in the younger Itickaby ' s hand-writing .

      The only evidence against Cox appeared to be that he had accompanied Charles Rickaby on the first occasion of the viflit to Mr . Howard ' s offices , and tbe Recorder at the close of the case for the prosecution intimated his opinion that there was not sufficient evidence as regarded him to go to the jury . Rickaby was convicted on both charges . His son was found guilty on the second indictment . Both the prisoners asserted their innocence in a very insolent manner ; and the father had the eftrontery to say that if be only had time he would bring Mr . Clinton forward as a witness to prove that ho had paid the promissoiy . note , as he was then returning home from America for that purpose . The Recorder sentenced both the Rickaby s to four years' peual servitude .

      Two Executions. Execution Of Jonathan He...

      TWO EXECUTIONS . Execution of Jonathan Hetwood . —This man , who was found guilty , at the last Assizes , of the murder of a "woman . with whom he had cohabited , was hung at Kirkdalc on Saturday , morning last by the ubiquitous Calcra . fi ; , notwithstanding the efforts of the local agents for the abolition of capital punishment , who prayed for a reprieve . Mr . Thomas " Wright , " the prison philanthropist of Manchester , " paid frequent visits to the prisoner in the condemned cell , and succeeded in inducing him to express repentance for the licentious life he Lad led . Hey wood did not , however ,

      acknowledge tliat he had committed the crime for which he was about to suffer ; and he exhibited great selfpossession to the last , cdmbined , however , with religious devotion . He ate a hearty supper on Friday night , and slept till five o ' clock on Saturday morning . An-immense crowd assembled to witness the execution ; and some missionaries , baulked in their attempts to see the prisoner , dispersed themselves among- the people , and " improved the occasion " by exhorting the young to take warning by the example offered them , and to live in temperance . It is said that their efforts were attended with some good in leading to a greater degree of decorvm .

      Abraham Baker , the murderer of the girl to whom he was engaged , Naomi Eingswell , at Southampton , was hung at Winchester , on Tuesday . He met his end with great calmness . During his last days he completely exonerated tho girl from charges which liad been made against her ' moral character . He wrote a letter to each of his rotations , and left the ensuing paper , addressed to the chnplain , but not finished : — "Jan . 8 th . " Mr . Rogers , —Dear Sir , —May the Lord help mo to leave a few words as my last hero on e . uth—and may tho Lo « rd bless tliom—to every ono of my dear fellowprisoners , and may the Lord blca .-j you , my dear minister—may you be enabled to show the rest of your flock the way to tho fountain openod for sin and

      uncleanaesa—which sin shortoned my life . What luia brought me here ? Pride—short prayers—not read ing my Bible—Sabbath-breaking , and all manner of wickedness , which ended lny dnyH for ahootiug of my follow creature . And may thin be a solemn warning to you all for life . When 1 was brought to prison at Southampton my minister road tho 53 rd of Isaiah , which overflowed my eye ' s with team ; another minister read tho 51 st Psalm , and showed me tho awful condition I brought myself to , and my wicked heart began to open . I questioned myself a « to who made mo , awd where I should go if I wub to die thin night , and began to cry , ' God bo merciful to mo a sinner . I began to road my Bible ; I read tho Now Testament right through , ana seemed to understand it by praying to God for the help of the Holy Spirit . "

      Tho same devotional spirit was exhibited to tho last . Ah ho walked to the drop , hi . s voico waw heard appealing to the Lord to recoivo Inn soul .

      Our Civilisation. Mr. Commibbionku Evans...

      OUR CIVILISATION . Mr . Commibbionku Evans and Mb . Lloyd . ^ - "Wo lmvo receiver ! n visit from a friend of Mr . Commissioner Kvans , who uiulortook to express the dissatisfaction of that gentleman at tho following remark whioh wo appended to tho caso of John Ballad Lloyd , as detailed lastweok under the hoad of " Our Civilisation : ""On tho face of it , tho cn . no Booms ono of groat hard-Huip / ' Wo really do not noo what occasion tliu CommiBBLonor linn for beingoflondod , or for coimootingtlm observation with himself . Lloyd lutsorted before AldoTrnan Copolnnd , nn < l hin nnnortions hnvo not yet boon disproved , that an illegal Heizuro had been mado upon , his goods by nomo person not named ; that tho bod lmd boon takon from under hi « wifo , who had but rooowtly boon ooiifiuod ; t \ nd tlmt tho vory wiudmvfl and doors had boon carried away from hi « dwolIiuB ' It wftfl in tho ¦ doflporation of this poverty aud wrong

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 12, 1856, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_12011856/page/6/