No leas than three accidents of unusual horror have been
reported this week. The first was a fire in Sandwich Street, Burton Crescent, on Christmas Day, in which a deaf woman and five children were burnt alive. The fire, which appears to have been the result of ordinary carelessness in leaving a grate unwatched, rushed up so rapidly, that although the engines and escapes arrived in a few minutes, the poor woman, who had just been confined, and her children were all stifled. They were, however, unwarned, the landlord, Mr. Winnett, having been intent on saving his furniture and a pudding, and having, according to some witnesses, said they had escaped. The jury passed a direct censure upon-his selfishness. The second case occurred at Bristol, where fourteen persons, mostly young lads and girls, were trampled to death on Boxing-Night, in a rush to enter the pit door of the theatre, to see the new pantomime. Two policemen who attempted to keep the crowd back were attacked by the roughs and nearly trampled to death themselves, and the crowd sprang over the bodies, apparently without a thought of human life. The pantomime proceeded, apparently at the suggestion of the police, who feared another panic, but there seems to have been few inquiries from the rear ranks of the crowd. The third accident is as yet only reported by telegraph. It occurred in Limerick, where a furious gale on Thurs- day blew down a chimney, which fell through four floors of the house below, burying sixteen inmates. Other houses would appear to have been blown down, but the details are indistinct.
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