Gossip in the First Decade of Victoria's ReignAshton, John
History
Gossip in the First Decade of Victoria's Reign
Ashton, John
Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
No ribs are broke, but a shattering stroke thy system has sustain’d;
Any other than an alderman had certainly been brained.
And, soon as he had breath to swear, the Knight right roundly swore
That, straight, he’d put down Smithfield, and set up an _abattoir_.
In this year there were sold at Smithfield 226,132 beasts, 1,593,270
sheep and lambs, 26,356 calves, and 33,531 pigs—to deal with which there
were about 160 salesmen. Things went on very much in the same style as
described in _Punch_ until 1851, when the contracted space of the market,
the slaughtering places adjoining, and many other nuisances, gave grounds
for general dissatisfaction, and after an investigation, an Act (14–15
Vic., c. 61) was passed on 1 Aug. “For providing a Metropolitan Market,
and conveniences therewith, in lieu of the Cattle Market at Smithfield.”
A suitable site was found in Copenhagen Fields, Islington; the last
market at Smithfield was held on 11 June, and the first at the new one on
13 June, 1855.
The _Hampshire Guardian_, copied into the _Times_ of 12 Dec., gives us
the story of the first submarine Telegraph: “We are enabled to supply the
following additional particulars respecting the submarine Telegraph laid
down across our harbour. It is now about three years since the telegraph
from the Nine Elms terminus to the terminus at Gosport was first
established. Subsequently, from the inconvenience experienced at the
Admiralty Office here, because of the distance to the telegraph station,
the wires were continued from that place to the Royal Clarence Yard.
With this addition, although the inconvenience was lessened, it was far
from being removed, the harbour intervening, leaving a distance of
upwards of a mile, to the Admiral’s house, unconnected; and,
notwithstanding the wish of the authorities, both here and in London,
that the telegraph should be carried to the Dockyard, no attempt has,
hitherto, been made to do so, because it has been considered almost
impossible to convey it under water. An offer, indeed, was made to the
Admiralty, to lay down a telegraph enclosed in metallic pipes, which were
to be fixed under the water by the aid of diving bells. This scheme,
having been found to be impracticable, has been very prudently abandoned.
Whatever difficulties may have hitherto interfered to prevent the
establishment of submarine telegraphs, appear, now, to have been entirely
overcome, for the time occupied from the commencement of carrying the
telegraph from shore to shore, and transmitting signals, did not occupy a
quarter of an hour. The telegraph, which has the appearance of an
ordinary rope, was coiled into one of the dockyard boats, one end of it
being made fast on shore, and, as the boat was pulled across, the
telegraphic rope was gradually paid out over the stern, its superior
gravity causing it to sink to the bottom immediately. . . . Independently
of the simplicity of this submarine telegraph, it has an advantage which
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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