ENGLAND.

Taranaki Herald, Volume VII, Issue 344, 5 March 1859, Page 2 (Supplement)

ENGLAND.

A terrible explosion took place on Saturday, the 11th of December, by which 24 lives have been saciificed. The scene of the calamity was Tyldesly Colliery, near Manchcstei, and the occasion an accumulation of fire-damp. Many of the victims were literally blown to pieces. " The colliery," 6ays the ' Manchester Guardian,' " is not of very long standing, but its woikings have generally been consideied more oi less dangerous to those employed therein. The point weie the calamity is said to have its origin is some 1000 or 1100 yards from the pitt's eye, and theiefore no loud report was heard above ground, but those who wore below at the time of the explosion say that the noise resembled the discharge of a park of artillery, and might have been heard some miles if it had not been stifled in some of the deep caves of the earth. A few, though but very few, of the miners and drawers escaped before the crash came, haiing taken alarm at the unusually dense accumulation of foul gas which was perceptible. One sturdy collier took away himself and two boys to the pit's eye, through a considerable distance filled witli the noxious atmosphere, but not befoie the two youths had become completely insensible, and the man himself was thoroughly exhausted. The lemaindcr of the colliers and drawers who were at work in the different bays and in the levels have been killed. All persons piactically acquainted with coal-getting operations were confident such would be the case, from the features noticeable immediately after the explosion. It was quite evident to them that if some had not been burnt to death, it was quite impossible they could escape the scarcely less horrible fate of being suffocated by the after or choke damp. Three managers and persons employed in the collieiy, having recovered from the first shock to their feelings caused by this melancholy occunence, proceeded with all despatch to adopt the best available means for dealing the mine of the deadly vapour with which it was surcharged. An effective body of stalwart and anxious men were told off to explore the mine as soon as they possibly c6uld, for the purpose of ascertaining beyond all doubt the fate of those poor fellows who had been in such fearful danger. The state of the atmosphere, however, was such as to baffle their attempts to make any incursion up the workings for two or three hours. By laudable perseverence in a judicious use of the ventilating apparatus, in another hour or so they were enabled to traverse a considerable distance of the 'jigbrow; 'but for some time they only succeeded in finding one dead body. Between 5 and 6 in the evening it was reported that seven lifeless bodies had been met with. A numerous concourse of persons assembled in the neighbourhood of the pit bank, some anxious to learn the sad reality as to the fate of those relatives who were near and dear to them. About half-past sit was communicated aiound that in the opinion of the explorers below it was impossible that any of those who had not yet been reached could be alive. Then it might he said that the snuggle between hope and despair terminated on the part of the survivors. Ordeis were i issued that none of the remaining bodies should he brought to the surface until a somewhat late hour[ of the evening, in the liopes that the assembled mul- ' titude would by that time have considerably di-J minished and an unnecessary scene of woe be avoided." The task of exploring the pit was not concluded till the afternoon of the 13th.

The great bell at Westminster spoke on the 18th i of November, for the fust time. It was struck with the clapper, Mr Dcnison pulling the rope. "The first stroke was slight, but afterwards it cimc peal' after peal in a tremendous volume of sound thatj

was actually painful. It seemed to swell and grow upon the air with a vibration that thrilled every hone in the listener's body with a painful jar, becoming | louder and louder with each gigantic clang, till one I shrunk from the awful reverberations as from »omej thing tangible and dangerous to meet. Many went upon the balustrade outside the chamber to avoid the waves of sound that seemed eddying round the towei j but the escape was only a partial relief, the great din seeming almost to penetrate the stone-work of the battlements, and jar the very place in which one stood."

There has been an unusually heavy moitality in London of late. In the first week of November the deaths were 1217, in the two following weeks they were 1319 and 1487, and in the week ending November 27 they rose to 1802. The mean tempew- ' ture of the air in the first week of November was 43 - 3° ; in the last three weeks it was successively SB'O", 35-5 0 , and .37-4°. Without attempting at present an exact appreciation of recent meteorological conditions in relation to health, it is sufficient to btate that the mortality of the month attained its highest point, which was far above the average, in a week in which the thermometer fell 12° below the freezing point of water, and frost was then suddenly exchanged for heat and moisture.

On the 18th of November Parliament was further prorogued to the 19th of Januaiy. It ib snid that it will not assemble until the fiistweek in February, a lather late period for a session which will have on hand the consideration of a now Reiorm Bill. It may be remembered the session 1831-2, which passed the last Reform Bill, began as early as December 0.

A little before 6 o'clock on the evening of the 6th of December, just when the gloom of one of the densest fogs ever experienced in the north-eastern districts of the metropolis was at the thickest, a collision took place at the Hackney station of the North London Railway. A train was stopping at the station ; the platform was crowded s passengers were getting in and out, when suddenly through the Egyptian darkness was heaid the pant and rumble of a rapidly approaching engine. There was no time for any effectual alarm. In an instant the crash came. The effects were wh.it might have been expected. The hindmost carnage was a second-class, crowded with occupants. This was crumpled up in a moment into a hideous wreck j the bottom, sides, and roof, wore scattered far and wide over the line, and the occupants were lying crushed, battered, and mangled, among the ruins. The next carriage, a first-class, fared little better, nor was the destruction stayed till a third carriage had been destroyed. The instrument of destruction was found to be a pilot engine, which was coming along the London side of the line, immediately in the rear of the passonger train. IRELAND. The barony of Clandonough, in which was the scene of the murder of Mr Ely, was proclaimed on November 24, and a party of 20 police drafted into the parish of Kyle, on the landholders of which the expense of keeping them will bo levied. A magistrate has been removed from Carrick-on-Suir, county of Tippeiary, for special duty in the Queen's County, and is stationed at Bonis-in-Ossory, which is only about two miles from Ballaghmoie, the late Mr Ely's residence. Theie are several rumours prevalent in the district respecting J. Delany, the assassin ; one, that he has started for America ; another, that he is concealed in the mountains, and is determined to take another life befoie he is arrested. It is, however, generally believed that he has never left the immediate neighbourhood of his residence. Upwards of £900 have already been subscribed by private parties, and that sum could, if necessary, be trebled. But in the existing state of things, neither the penalties of the law, nor reward in any shape, will induce the peasantry of the district to assist the authorities. It is necessary to observe that £200 are offered for the apprehension of Delany, JJIOO for the arrest of snch person or persons as may haibour him, and £700 for such information as shall lead to the actual conviction of the murderer or murderers of Mr Ely. In any other country, where the Ribbon code does not over-ride the law of the land, £1000 would be pretty certain to effect the ends of justice. Six times the amount, however, was offered in vain for a clue to the great Norbury murder perpetrated in the Queen's County upwards of 20 years ago, and which remains one of the most remarkable instances on record of undiscovered crime.

Incendiary fires in the Irish farmsteads keep pace with the assassinations. Three have recently occurred.

The Oiange Society has issued its> half-yearly address. This document is very biiof and is signed " Edward Waller, chairman." It consists of a glorification of the Orange institution, whoso extent and influence are greater than ever, and whose royal and " godly " aim is better understood. That aim is to oppose a steady front to the aggressions of the Church of Rome. Orangemen have much to bear ; they are calumniated, but they can live down calumny ; they are most hated because most feared. Then there is a hint to the Derby Government : — Amid these trials, peculiar to their position — trials which shake not their fidelity to the throne because of unsatisfactory legislation, nor lessen their love of the Orange cause because it may be by many extolled and courted only in days of national danger and extremity — Orangemen are resolved to be Orangemen ever — united, resolved, vigilant, and undismayed. Suggestions may sometimes come from men of peculiar statesmanship, or from those who know not the realities of Ireland's danger ; they may idly hope, if Orangeism were to be renounced, the Grand Lodge to be dissolved, and our meetings to cease for ever, that Rome would be less artful, active, and disloyal. They mistake the result ; they vainly expect the concession of the Orange array I SCOTLAND. Alexander Murray was placed at the bar of the High Court of Justiciaiy, Edinburgh, a few days ago, charged with the murder of Janet Tod, or ' Campbell, his grandmother, at her house, Bridge of Earn, Perthshire, on the 21st of August last. The prisoner, who was only 23 yews of age, had been i 10 years a seaman. He had within the past two years had two attacks of delirium tremens, and while suffering from these attacks or from mania, thereby induced, had twice attempted self-destruotion, and ; had been in consequence confined in Junatic asylums both in Paris and London. He had come home ftom a voyage on the 19ch August, Jiaving previously spent some Says at Greenockin a course of excessive drinking, and after having been athome '

two days, suffering from the. horrors of delirium, he/ attacked his aged grandmother with a breakfastknife, and murdered her in the most determined and shocking manner by cutting her throat Mid severing the jugular vein. This act was evidently, committed in a paroxysm of mania, and in the belief that he was destroying a man who lie thought was attempting his capture. The most remarkable fact in connection with this case was that about eight hours after the murder his sanity appeared to return and he became conscious of the dreadful crime he had committed. The result of the case, which lasted two days, was a verdict of " Not Guilty," on the ground of insanity at the time of committing the act. The panel was ordered to be detained in custody during her Majesty's pleasure.

The students of the university of Glasgow some days ago elected Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton Lord Rectoi for the third time. Although not of frequont occurrence, such fidelity is not unprecedented. Loid Cockburn and Thomas Campbell were both elected three times. There were on this occasion three candidates — Sir E. B. Lytton, Lord Shaftesbury, and Mr Chailes Dickens. The first had 21G, the second 203, and the third 68 votes.