Traniatial.

Southampton had a gala day on Tuesday. The Hartley Institution, ,pow in course of creed= in the High Street, 'furnished the occasion. Mr. Hartley was a native of Southampton doMiciled for many years in France. Subject to a few, legacies, he bequeated his property to the Corporation of Southampton, in trust, to be applied by them, " in.rtueb manner as may best promote the study and advancement of the sciences of natural history, astronomy, antiquities, classical,and oriental literature, , the town of Southampton, =eh, as by forming a public. library,: bo- tanic garden, observatory, and collections of objects in connexion with the above sciences." Claimants appeared to the estate, and a long liti- gation ensued, which was at last adjusted, a compromise; and the Court of Chancery ordered n scheme to e prepared to carry out the .testator's,views. Originally the property was of the value of 100,0001., but " the law's delay," and costs, and the compromise, reduced it to 40,000/. The scheme:provides for the erection; of a handsome building, (on which 10,000/. is to be laid out, leaving, 30,0001. for its future sup- port and maintenance,) containing a splendid, public library and museum, • - class-rooms, a lecture and music-hall-of great capacity, and all the other necessary accommodation for an institution of this character. This edifice, which will be it great architectural ornament to the town, is now in course of erection in the High Street, on the site of the late Mr. Hart- ley'eProperty and former residence, and its completion is anticipated towards the, end of the year 1862. Tuesday was fixed to lay the foundation atone, and Lord PalMerston was the appointed mason. ,A procession was formed at the Guildhall of the local magnates, accom- panied by the Volunteers, who bore a not undistinguished part in the ceremonial observance§ of the day. The procession having arrived at the site, an address front the Corpoiation was presented to Lord Palmerston, eulogizing his public service2, and _containing allusions to the foreign policy of the cabinet. Lord Palmerston replied. Then the foundation

stone was laid ; prayer was offered ; and Lord Palmerston spoke to the advantages which the Hartley Institution was likely to confer on

Southampton. The Volunteers then presented themselves for the Pre- mier's inspection ; they went through their evolutions in a soldierly man- ner, and Lord Palmerston addressed them in a congratulatory strain upon their performance—

It was an evidence that they not only possessed those qualities which constituted good soldiers, but that they had had the benefit of the services of men who had served their country with distinction in the regular army, and had brought to bear on their instruction that experience which they had gained in honourable service under the Crown. It must be most satisfac- tory to the inhabitants of a maritime county that in the event—he hoped it might be far distant—of their being visited by any unfriendly strangers, they had men so competent by discipline and soldierlike qualities to defend the shores of their country. The men of England had been in all times celebrated for the accuracy of their aim. In the old days of bows and arrows, the bowmen of this land were always formidable ; and he felt confi- dent that the steady eyes and hands of the men of Hampshire would, when- ever called upon, enable them to equal with their rifles the services rendered by their ancestors with the ruder implements of war.

The proceedings of the day were wound up with a ddjeuner. The Mayor proposed the health of Lord Palmerston, who replied—be claimed credit for being the oldest burgess present, having been admitted in 1807. Disposing of all local allusions, Lord Palmerston touched upon questions of general policy—

"Mr. Mr. Mayor, you have been pleased to advert to some questions of public policy, and to express that in which I hope you represent the feeling of the county—satisfaction with the manner in which the Government, of which I have the honour to be a member, have conducted the matters of which they had to dispose. It is true that the autumn which has passed, and the win-

ter which is now going on, have produced three events as remarkable, per- haps, as any that have ever been crowded into the same space of time, and in three quarters of the globe. You have adverted to that event which has taken place in Asia—I mean the occupation of the capital of the Chinese empire by the allied English and French forces. Well, if any man twenty years ago could have told you that we could have had English and French troops in Pekin, he would have been laughed at as a visionary. But it has been accomplished, and I trust it will lead to those permanent relations of peace and commerce with China, which will be equally advantageous both to Europe and to the remote portions of Asia." Lord Palmerston awarded the praise duo for the success of the Chinn expedition to Lord Canning, Lord Elgin, General Grant, and Admiral Hope. Speaking of Italian affairs, he said—"Well, you have said truly that the moral influence of England has not been without its effect upon those events, and my noble friend, Lord John Russell, who has been a useful exponent of the generous feelings of the country, and an able organ of the Government of which be is so diain- tinguished a member—my noble friend has taken good care that it should be known in every part of Europe what are the wishes and intentions of the British Government, and what the sympathies and feelings of the British nation. (Cheers.) That which is taking place in Italy is one of the most remarkable—and I think it may be added will be, in its consequences, one of the most important—events recorded in European history. We see people who, for a long course of centuries, have been stripped and divided into different small communities, many of whom have, for a long course of years, been the victims of miserably blind and unenlightened Governments; we see them rising with one common sentiment, determined henceforward to unite; and I trust that that union, whatever temporary difficulties it may experience, may at no long interval of time be converted into an ac- complished fact. NS hen we know the great natural resources of that penin- sula ; when we see the extent of sea coast, the number of excellent har- bours, the natural productions of the soil ; and, above all, when we remem- ber the intelligence of the people, who, notwithstanding the crushing despotism under which many of them have long laboured, have nevertheless produced a great number of men distinguished in every branch of intellec- tual improvement—I say, when we look at these things, when we refer to what the Italians have been at two former periods of history, at the time when the Roman empire was mistress of the world, and when later it became the cradle of reviving intelligence, we are justified in hoping and believing that Italy is destined to playa great part in the affairs of the world, not as a conquering and aggressive nation, because circumstances preclude its falling into those vicious ways, but as a centre of enlightenment, and as a place where men shall be cultivated to the almost possibility. (Loud cheers.) The Italians are about, I trust, to be placed under that which is the best possible form of political government—I mean a constitutional monarchy.

The last question touched upon was the threatened American disruption- " We have too much reason to fear that that Union, which has now existed not much less than a century, which has conduced to the peace and pros- perity of our kinsmen on the other side of the Atlantic, is likely to be broken and disrupted. It is not our business to express, in regard to that event, any other feeling than this, that we wish from the bottom of our hearts that those disputes, whatever they may be, may be settled by amicable understanding, and that whether that Union is destined to remain unim- paired, or whether those States are determined to separate into different communities, our fervent prayer is that the result may be brought about by amicable means, be it for maintaining or dissolving the Union, and that the world may be spared the afflicting spectacle of hostile conflict between brothers and relations."

Lord Palmerston spoke once more in acknowledgment of a toast., "The Right Honourable the Viscountess Palmerston, and the Ladies of Hampshire."

The High Sheriff of Pembrokeshire has fixed the nomination of can- didates for Pembrokeshire, on account of the death of the late Earl Caw- dor, for Monday next. The candidates are Mr. G. Lort Phillips, in the Conservative interest, and Mr. Owen, who avows himself a " moderate Reformer," and a suppIrter of the present Government. The contest excites an unusual amount of interest in the county. and is expected to be very severe, both parties declaring their determination to go to the poll. A contest for the representation of the county is a very rare occur- rence in this district.

Mr. Thomas Fraser Grove, of Fern House, Wilts, a magistrate for the county and a deputy-lieutenant, is a candidate for the vacancy in the re- presentation. In his address, Mr. Grove says-

" Although I do not sympathize with the ultra-Tory party, I am, never- theless, far removed from the so-called Manchester school, whose doctrines I consider both delusive and dangerous. I am prepared to give a general and independent support to Lord Palmerston's Government, believing as I do that it represents the views of the majority of the thinking public, and has deserved well of the country."

A publicmeeting of hop planters and landowners was held at Battle-on Tuesday. Lord Harry Vane, M.P., who presided, stated that the hop- duty combined the maximum of mischief with the minimum of revenue; and Mr. Frewen said last year's collection entailed the services of a large staff of officials, so that after all the duty only produced 60,0001. Lord Pevensey, Mr. D. Barclay, and Mr. Beresford Hope, all urged the neces- sity of united and vigorous action in the coming session. The meeting was composed of members of all parties, and confessions were made all round that there was no such person as a " a Protectionist" in existence now. Mr. Hope recommended the adoption of the tactics of Manchester in carrying free trade, to carry the repeal of the hop duty. They are to show a "bold front," and not be content with waiting in the ante- chambers of the Treasury, memorial in hand.

The distress among the Coventry weavers still continues. Lord Leigh has organized a plan for aiding the riband-weavers to migrate to the cot- ton-spinning districts of Lancashire. About 700 persons have already been conveyed into Lancashire through this agency. Altogether about 2200 persons have left Coventry for the Lancashire district, of whom it is estimated that 1500 are actually working in the trade, the remainder being principally children under twelve of years of age. Very bad accounts come from Liverpool ; so bad, indeed, is the state of things that on Wednesday the bakers at the North end of the town apprehended an attempt would be made upon the contents of their shops. Their example was followed by other tradesmen, and the fear spread through the town generally. The Mayor summoned the magis- trates, and took measures to prevent a riot; but, happily, the alarm was groundless, the poor bearing their sufferings with fortitude. There is also very great distress in Nottingham and the lace district.

The London, Chatham, and Dover commenced its career in "accidents" on Friday week ; one passenger was killed near Sittingbourne, and the guard and several persona more or less injured. The tire of a wheel flew off the guard's van. A third class carriage received the greatest injury : it only contained three passengers, but one of them, a Mr. Patterson, a war-

rant officer, was dragged for 100 yards beneath the carriage ; both hie legs were cut off, and he was frightfully mutilated. He died in excruciating agony. An inquest was held on Saturday. The usual evidence was given, showing that no person was to blame. But it happened that Professor Pole, of University College, was a passenger, and he gave some evidence not usu- ally tendered. Professor Pole examined the permanent way immediately after the accident, and found "tome wide gaps between the _joints of the rails, one of which he measured and found to be two and five-eighth inches, and several less ; and the tire of the van was also found wanting. The broken tire apparently consisted of two qualities of metal, the inner part not being of good quality, but very crystallized, having large crystals, and unequal in its texture. That was the part of the wheel on which the safety of the whole would depend when the outer part, which is assumed to be steel, had worn down. He had no fault to find with the quality of the outer portion of the wheel. The old fracture was one of considerable ex- tent, stretching to the outside of the flange. The other fractures appeared to be new, and the metal sound. A piece of the broken tire was here brought into the room, and the defective portions pointed out to the Coro- ner and Jury, Mr. Pole showing that the tire had not been bored through its whole depth where it fitted on the rim of the wheel, as it ought to have been. This point appeared to be satisfactorily proved to the Jury. Mr. Pole also stated that another defect in the construction of the wheel was the insufficiency of the tire-fastenings, in consequence of the bolt being rivetted very slightly, instead of being properly fastened with a nut, which defect caused the tire to give way instantly. In the opinion of witness, sufficient caution had not been used in descending a gradient of this charac- ter the speed being almost the maximum allowed. The person employed to examine the wheels, spoke to the genuineness of the "ring." The Jury returned a verdict of " Accidental death," and added a recommendation that the engine-driver should be enabled to communicate with the guard.

On Saturday night, the same railway had another accident between Sit- tingbourne and Teynham, and near the latter station. The engine was driven by an experienced driver, and there were two firemen with him; one of them being on his way to Faversham to fetch his wife. The engine- driver and firemen were killed, and several passengers injured. A sailor in the train, who was on his way to Canterbury, was discovered lying under the heap of ruins of the carriages apparently dead. After a work of great la- bour, the broken portions of the carriages were removed, and he was res- cued, covered with blood. To the surprise of every one, however, he de- clared he was unhurt, although it was found be could not stand.

The inquest was held on Tuesday at Teynham ; the Coroner and Jury visited the scene of the accident ; the engine which had been turned over into the adjoining field had been raised, and was standing by the side of the line. It was, however,a complete wreck, the front wheels having been rent off, and the engine itself twisted and torn in an astonishing manner. Of the carriages composing the train all were destroyed, with the exception of a first-class one, but the only portion of this distinguishable was one of the seats, every other part having been smashed to atoms. The witnesses de- tailed the accident ; the cause was inferentially explained by Mr. Martley the locomotive superintendent, who said—" My notice has been drawn to the piece of iron shown to the Jury, which formed the leading horn of the left-hand frame of the engine. That protects the fore-wheels, and keeps them in their place. This being the hinder one of the two, and becoming broken, the effect would be to let the wheels come under the engine. The front of the engine being thus raised, the other wheels would be thrown off the line. I have no doubt that the want of this horn-plate was the cause of the accident." The Coroner said he should want an opinion as to the quality of the iron. " Could the witness speak to that ?" Mr. Medley, after examining the broken portion of the iron, said—" There is no doubt the break shows faults in the iron, but I can't tell whether they are old breaks. There is no doubt that the fault existed before the breaking which caused the accident, but how long I am unable to say. They might have been old, or they might have been recent. The quality of the iron is not, I must say, first-rate, but I do not think the horn would have broken unless it had re- ceived some extraordinary violence, such as is not usual in ordinary travel- ling. I have tried to ascertain what would have caused that blow, but have not been able to do so. The present frosty weather has a material effect upon the metals, and renders them more bnttle. It is a mere conjecture of mine, but I certainly think some foreign substance must have struck the horn; but, although I have searched on the line, I have not been able to dis- cover anything. The corresponding horn on the other side was almost off."

" My reason for thinking that the iron is not first-rate, is because it is crystallized and short grained. I do not think the makers, Messrs. Haw- thorne, of Newcastle, would have put in such iron had they been aware of its quality." The Coroner—" Would iron of short grain be more liable to be affected by the frost? " Witness—" Undoubtedly it would be ren- dered more brittle. In the manufacture of this engine, there have evidently

beeiftwo sorts of iron used, one of which is of better quality. The other born-plate was subjected to rougher treatment than this, and held better. Tbe'firm of 'Hawthorne is next to Stepheneon's, the most eminent in Eng- land. This engine was purchased for the company in September last ; it was built in I855, but the then purchaser could not pay for it. In buying an engine of this sort, we are quite in the hands of the makers, and have to depend on their character." Mr. Joseph Cubitt agreed with Mr. Manley is to the quality of the iron. "There are several fractures of different de- grees, some of which are older than others, showing that the irorimust have gone at different times." The Coroner—" Can you enlighten us as to the cause of the accident ?" Mr. Cubitt—" I shouldhave thought that it would have required a blow to break the horn-plate, but I can find no indications of a blow having been given. No doubt the cold weather is very much against that sort of iron." The Coroner—" Can you tell us anything about the broken connecting rod ?" Mr. Cubitt—" I have seen a great deal better. I can make no other suggestion as to the cause of the accident than I have done." Mr. Aveling, another engineer, confirmed the testimony, but stated that he "had seen a great deal worse iron than that produced." The Jury returned a verdict of " Accidental death from the breaking of the horn-plate of the engine ; but how it was caused, there was no evidence to show."

The Shrewsbury express-train, due at Hereford at 2.40 p. m., got off the line where it runs upon an embankment with a deep dyke on either side. The land was inundated for miles by the river Lugg. The passengers were all immersed in the water ; the train was a wreck, and two women were drowned before help could be rendered. The cause of the accident was the breaking of an axle-tree. The escape of all the passengers except two, is marvellous, and is a good deal owing to the courage and coolness of Sergeant Wilcox of the marines, and Watkins of the Flint- shire Militia, who, though both thoroughly immersed in the water, and with their clothes frozen on their backs, saved several lives. Wat- kins got out a lady, her nurse, and child, who must have perished but for his timely-applied courage. Wilcox, after rescuing several, assisted an old man out of one of the carriages, lifting him up cold and stiff by the coat collar. He then assisted a woman to a cottage at a crossing at some distance from the accident, the only site uncovered by water except the -line, over some extent. He returned, and observed the clothes of Miss Lowe floating in the water, and endeavoured to catch her up, but the cold had overcome his strength and he failed. A young girl named Jones having been carried to the cottage, her head was placed towards the fire, and a starved militiaman and a comrade endeavoured as best they could by chafing her hands to restore animation. During this operation, she was observed to breathe once, and then her bead fell back and she was a corpse. Miss Lowe is supposed to huve been quite dead when she was recovered from the water. The inquest was held on Tuesday. Edward Brown, an assistant-guard, described the accident and its cause. To the best of his knowledge, the accident was caused through the breaking of a tire. The carriage, of which Vie tire broke, was the one next the engine. He saw the ballast flying, and applied the break immediately. The train became disconnected from the engine, and the carriage in which the deceased were, and the break- van, were thrown into a dyke by the side of the line. There was a consider- able quantity of water in the dyke at the time—from four to five feet deep. The tire was examined before they left Leominster by the inspector : the mode of examination is by tapping the tires of the wheels. Mr. Jeffreys, the locomotive superintendent, detailed his investigation ; he was satisfied that the accident arose from the breaking of the tire. The tire was broken into four pieces, and there was no flaw or fault at any of the fractures, neither had any of the fractures taken place at the welds. He considered that the frost made the iron more liable to fracture, as they had had frequent in- stances both before and since the accident. A juror—" I have examined the tire ; and, as a practical man, I consider it very bad iron for the purpose." Mr.leffreys—" Considered it very good serviceable iron, and would have 'worn well for a year or two longer. He was quite satisfied that the tire of the wheel was broken before the accident." A juror—" I have observed, that when a train is in motion the rails will bend' to the weight of the car- riage. Do you think that elasticity would in any way be lessened by the action of the frost." Mr. Jeffreys—" Undoubtedly it would. The line became rigid, and that was the cause of the accident." There was no rule as to the length of time which the tire should be used; it depended on the wear and tear. This tire was first used on the 25th of May last. Tho' distance from Dinmore Station to the spot where the accident happened would be about a mile and a half. The carriage in question had been .examined, under his superintendence, at Shrewsbury, last Thursday. An accurate 'recount was kept of all the wheels and axles ; every pair of wheels and axles were numbered, and when anything was done to them an entry was made. The name of the superinten- dent of that department was John Munroe. He selected him as an experienced person, and had had no reason to change his opinion. The carriage was brought into stock on the 26th of December in consequence of the tire of one of the wheels being loose. It was sent out again, under :MUnroe's direction, on the day before the accident. The iron of which these wheels and axles were made was of the same make as that used by the bulk of railway companies, and was not selected for its cheapness. He was quite satisfied that no foresight could have prevented the accident.

The inquest is adjourned for a fortnight.

The inquest upon the bodies of the sufferers at Risen recommenced on Wednesday. Mr. Charles Anderson Harrison was the first witness exa- mined; he described the state of the pit on the morning of the accident. .'At six o'clock, he had descended the pit, and had visited in turn the different in-take and return air-courses on each side of the pit, trying them all with his lamp. At every trial, he found the air perfectly good. On the east side, he met the overman, who reported to him. that all was right, and having ' measured the air at the main in-take, he ascended the pit to breakfast. According to the measurement he then took, 37,500 cubic feet of air were - -entering the pit per minute. After breakfast, Mr. Harrison visited the Rock Vein Pit (another colliery belonging to the same company), and while there - he was informed by the banker of the Black Vein that the " sulphur " had fired in the pit. His answer was, " It can't be ; it couldn't happen ; " the air in. the return courses was particularly good. 37,500 cubic feet per minute was quite sufficient air to make the pit sweet and clean, and quite suffieient for the safe working of the pit. Occasionally, 42,000 cubic feet per minute were passed through the pit, but the average quantity'was from 37,000 to 38,000 cubic feet per minute. The ventilator was Struve's aro- ' • meter, or ventilating pump, with cylinder of eighteen feet diameter, a six- feet stroke, and eight strokes per minute. About 51,000 cubic feet per minute ought to be produced by eight strokes per minute, and the only way -in-which he could account for the difference between that amount and the -amount actually produced, was by attributing it to leakage. He did not think the " drag,"—i. e., the resistance to the current caused by friction (a Cause suggested by the Government inspector)—had anything to do with it. The "stalls " and "levels " (i. e., the places where the coal is worked) were always "bratticed " close up to the faces; the air was brought up to within six yards of the faces, sometimes to within four yards. Mr. Anderson also de- posed to the rules in the colliery against naked lights. In answer to a very pointed question from the Government inspector, Mr. Brough, Mr. Harrison

stated most positively that no worker had ever complained to him of danger, or shown any indisposition to go down to work. The witness was also ques- tioned closely by Mr. Brough as to the expediency of establishing a supple- mentary furnace at the bottom of a third shaft used at present solely for pumping, but he objected to it on the ground that he had "closed" or fallen in at the side, and that, even if it were fenced in, its effect would be over- come by the superior power of the ventilator, and the air would be drawn down, instead of drawn up. When asked his opinion as to the cause of the accident, Mr. Harrison said he believed it to be caused by a "blower," or sudden eruption of gas in a certain portion of the workings (technically called the third and fourth east level), which he pointed out on the map, and the damp was first fired down the fourth east level, among the " rip- Pings." On Thursday, the inquest was resumed. Mr. Harrison was examined as to the air " splits;' the mode of passing the thirty-seven thousand cubic feet of air. Mr. Owen subjected Mr. Harrison to a long cross-examination on behalf of the friends of the deceased, but failed to shake the evidence in chief. Mr. Harrison told a curious story as to the practice of smoking in the pit. There was a man whom he had long suspected, and whom he had frequently watched to catch in the act, but for a long time unsuccessfully, so wary was the culprit. "At length, after lying for six hours on his belly in the dark," said Mr. Harrison, " I caught him fast asleep in his stall with his pipe in his mouth, and he had the impudence to complain that it was not a fair catch.'" The consequence to the miner was a fine of a sovereign (the rules to which each miner subscribes on entering the employment of the company inflicting this fine on the offence) and his dis- charge from the company's employment. In concluding his evidence, which lasted the best part of a day, Mr. Harrison repeated what he had stated frequently—that the pit was one of the best ventilated in South Wales; that the men had actually complained of the strength of the current ; and that no precautions, either as to lamps, amount of wind taken in, and complete diffusion of it in all parts, had been neglected. With regard to the state of the pit immediately before the accident, he again repeated with emphasis that his examination of the state of the "returns" (i. e. of the air passing out of the upeast pit after traversing the workings) at half-past six o'clock showed that there was no perceptible amount of gas present in the mine. Mr. Gray, the chief engineer, was the next witness called ; but an adjournment took place before his evidence was concluded.

The Hetton inquest was reopened on Wednesday. Evidence was given descriptive of the explosion and the recovery of the twenty-three bodies. A very competent and independent scientific witness was called to account for the explosion, Mr. Isaac Lowthian Bell, of Newcastle, an iron master and chemical manufacturer, who has devoted great attention to ventilation. Mr. Bell, at great length, detailed his investigations, and arrived at the con- clusion that the explosion proceeded from a flue which 152 lbs. of fresh coal would fill with a sufficient quantity of gas to produce the explosion. "I find to fill the same flue with another explosive gas (carbonic oxide) 49 lbs. of coke would be sufficient. Supposing, then, the flues were filled with either of these gases, together with the necessary atmospheric air required for their explosion; supposing this flue filled at a time when there was no matter sufficiently heated to cause the explosion—a state of things which might readily occur from damping the coals—then the combustion of the coal at the boiler end, or the furnace at the far end, either one or both, could supply the flame for setting on fire this magazine of inflammable gas. Now, the next question is, supposing that to have taken place, is this da- mage of a character to have ensued from such an explosion ? I may state that in my own experience I had a wrought-iron pipe, three feet in dia- meter and about 100 yards long, filled with an explosive compound, in which the combustible gas was carbonic oxide, the less explosive of the two. In round numbers, it has about half the power of light carburetted hydrogen. That pipe, fired at one end at a lamp, blew the man holding the lamp many yards into the air, breaking every bone in his body, destroyed almost-the whole length of iron pipe, and split the blowing apparatus of metal, three- quarters of an inch thick, at the far end."

The inquest is adjourned.

The accident at the Manston Colliery, near Leeds, is likely to end in a Government prosecution. The Coroner's Jury found a verdict of "Accidental death" ; but censured the engineman and breaksman for not trying the rope with a loaded truck before allowing men to descend. Mr. Morton, the In- spector, said he would advise the Home Secretary to prosecute.

On Saturday, there was another fearful scene on the Northumberland coast. While thirty sail of Cullercouts fishing cobles were out on the fish- ing ground the sea rose with great fury, and threatened to overwhelm them and their crews before they reached the shore. The village was in a dread- ful state of excitement, and the Percy lifeboat was pulled outside the bar to meet any contingency. This appeared to give the men confidence as they approached the coast, for they dashed at the bar in gallant style, and, though there were many hairbreadth escapes, the poor fellows all brought their frail craft into the harbour in safety.

A singular accident happened on the North-Western Railway on Friday night week. When the Liverpool express arrived at Camden Town station, the ticket collectors missed some of the carriages. An engine was sent in search, and the carriages were soon found, smashed, about forty yards on the London side of Primrose Hill tunnel. Lights were procured, and it was found that the last two carriages and the break-van had broken away. The former had been thrown over on to the line, and broken into fragments, while the break, although it had left the rails, remained on the permanent way, and was uninjured. Moans and shrieks emanated from the wreck, and the efforts of the men were at once directed to rescue the passengers; and it was found that a first-class passenger had been crushed to death.

The axletree of a heavily-laden truck, forming a link in a goods train from Chelmsford to London, broke, throwing the vehicle on the permanent way near the Ingatestone station, on Wednesday. The tire of one of the carriages of the express train from Colchester to London carne off near Brentwood, on Wednesday, and dashed the foot-board of the carriage to atoms. The train was stopped before the carriages could leave the metals.

The tire of a carriage belonging to a train from Hull to Manchester came off, and the wheel followed, about two miles from East Retford. The car- riage was much broken : one man received a cut over the eye.

A few nights since, one of the signal-men employed at the Chatham sta- tion was in the act of moving the powerful iron lever which works the dis- tance signal at the entrance to the tunnel, when, on his attempting to lift the bar, the lever snapped completely in two, as the signal-man described it, like a tobacco pipe. What makes the accident the more astonishing is, that the bar was of wrought iron, and no less than 21 inches in thickness, while it weighed only a few pounds less than 1 cwt.

A pilot engine ran into the centre of a Leeds train, which was crossing to the opposite side of the lines, near Dude Bridge, Manchester, on Wednes- day. The engine was thrown off the rails ; the train escaped with three carriages slightly shaken.

As the Normanton and Manchester train, leaving Wakefield at fifteen minutes past eleven, was passing at a slow rats the engine-sheds at the !Airfield station, a London and North-western train from Wakefield over- took it, and rushed into the Lancashire and Yorkshire train, throwing several carriages off the line, and destroying the buffers, and otherwise injuring the *Heels. Several of the passengers received bruises and contusions.

A waggon of a goods' train left the rails, and parted the train in two, near Essendine on Friday week. The portion attached to the engine went en; but the other portion, consisting of some ten vehicles, left the metals. The line was blocked up for four hours. The cause of the waggon leaving the line was the breakage of its leading tire.

An explosion of gas occurred at the house of Mr. Green, in Birmingham, en Saturday. Mr. Green, in searching for the cause, with a light In his hand, opened the door of a spare store room, when an explosion took place ; he was severely burnt about the face and hands. All the windows were blown out ; one side of the house was forced out of the perpendicular up- wards of four inches; the roof was much shaken, leaving a crack all round the top of the wall. The cause of the gas escape is ascertained ; the chain holding together the parts of the water-valve of the gas bracket had given why.

The boiler of a steam threshing-machine on the farm of Mr. Holmes, at Langton, near Melton, exploded on Friday week, in consequence of the frost impeding the supply of water to the boiler. One man was killed ; another had his skull so severely fractured as to render life hopeless—he has since died ; and four others were wounded and scalded.

The roof of the Colney Hatch station, on the Great Northern Railway, was blown off by an explosion of gas, on Thursday evening. The accident is attributed to the action of the frost on the iron pipes.

Closely following the execution of Johnson, comes another murder of a sergeant by a subordinate, at Malhey Barracks, Plymouth—Robert Hacked, who joined the 61st Regiment at Hyderabad. The victim was Sergeant Henry Jones.

Samuel Twigg, under sentence of death for the murder of his wife at Bilston, was executed at Stafford on Saturday morning.