The Press. — London, England, 1855-09-15 00:00:00

SEPT. 15, 1855. 4ttibtnts nnb Offtatts. A MOST LAMENTABLE ACCIDENT took place on Sunday evening on the Versailles Railroad, - left bank. The passenger-train returning from Ver sailles came in collision with a luggage-train quite close to the Paris station, which actually cut it in two. Several carriages were broken to atoms, and several lives have been lost ; nine killed on the spot, and seventeen badly hurt, are admitted by the direc tors. It is supposed, however, that the number of killed is at least fifteen, if not more, and over thirty persons wounded. Two young girls, sisters, had their legs cut clean off, and among others the body of a man was found with both legs cut off, and a child stifled in his arms. To whose fault the accident is to be attributed is not clearly made out. The Imperial Procureur proceeded next morning to the spot, ac companied by the Juge d'lnstruction and the ad ministrators of the line. The procis-verbal was made out, and the dead bodies deposited in one of the buildings of the station, in order that their friends should claim them. All were recognised. The wounded were, at their own desire, conveyed to their homes. A child only eighteen days old was killed in the arms of its mother, who bad a leg fractured. The father was on the roof, and at the moment of the collision leaped on the ground, and only received some contusions. Some hours after the accident the road was cleared of the remains of the carriages, and the two locomotives were dragged away by horses. A strict investigation will be insti tuted into the cause of the catastrophe. ON SATURDAY an inquest was held by Mr. Waltley, upon the body of Mr. Matthew Wood, aged forty. two, who committed suicide by taking a large dose of poison. It appeared from the evidence that the de ceased, who had held a lucrative post in the mail department of the General Post-office, had applied to be elected to the head of that department, which bad become vacant some months ago. The result of the application was, that he was placed on probation for six months. During this period the unfortunate gentleman became very desponding, as he found out that he was not fitted to fill the onerous duties of the situation. As the time passed on he became more and more depressed, and several times exclaimed, "It must be either success or prussic acid." There was nothing beyond depression of spirits, however, that could induce his fnenda to suppose he would commit suicide. At the expiration of the probationary six months, upon going to his office, he discovered that he was not confirmed in the appointment, not being considered sufficiently competent. He returned home to his house at St. John's-wood completely broken-hearted, and retired to his bed-room about half-past five. His non-appearance afterwards in duced his housekeeper to go up, and upon the door being forced the deceased was found lying on his bed hi a sleeping posture, but quite dead, life having been extinct for some time. A glass and a bottle, which had contained cynide of potassium, used by the de ceased for photographic purposes, was found by his bedside, and from the medical testimony it would ap pear that he had taken five or six ounces, a quantity sufficient to kill fifty men. Verdict—" Insanity." A DREADFUL CONFLAGRATION broke out on Tuesday morning in Lambeth, attended with great loss of property. The premises on which the fire com menced were some extensive erections belonging to Messrs. Baker, builders, near Lambeth Palace. The premises covered several acres of ground, and com prised sawmills, iron-planing mills, joiners' shops, carpenters' shops, and at the extremity were immense piles of mahogany and other timber, worth several thousand pounds. Flanking this property were up wards of a dozen lofty houses in Paris-street., eight of which became ignited, and narrowly escaped being destroyed. The conflagration began about one o'clock, and, by dint of great exertion on the part of the firemen and police, the flames by five o'clock began to succumb beneath the great weight of water that was scattered upon them ; but, nevertheless, the fire was not entirely extinguished for many hours afterwards. The amount of damage, at a moderate calculation, must reach to nearly, ii not exceed, 50,000/. The workmen employed on the premises have also lost upwards of 2,0001. worth of tools ; and it is understood that none of the men were in sured. The whole of the iron planing mills are burned down, the sawmills destroyed, the joiners' shops and masons' shops also consumed, a valuable stock of marble completely splintered, and several stacks of Spanish and Honduras mahogany, as well as Dantsic wainscoting, are reduced to ashes. The greater portion of the valuable trees in the park ad joining the Archbishop of Canterbury's palace was set on fire. Fortunately the palace did not receive the least injury, but the alarm amongst the domestics was exceedingly great. The firm was insured as far as the contents and stock-in•trade were concerned. The eight houses in Paris-street, which are consider ably damaged, and the majority of the inmates were also inswed. THE PRESS. NEWS has reached New York of the loss of her Majesty's sloop Wolverine, Commander John Corbett., 12 guns. The following statement on the subject is published by the papers of that city :—" On the night of the 14th a terrific hurricane swept over the Mos quito Coast, involving the total loss of her Britannic Majesty's sloop-of war Wolverine. Her cutter reached San Juan del Sur on the 18th with despatches for the steam frigate Buzzard, lying in that harbour, to render immediate assistance, and she left for the scene of disaster as soon as steam was got up." Some of the circumstances mentioned give ground for hope that the loss of the ship may not be so complete as here affirmed, or at least that all lives are saved. THE Tagus, which reached Southampton on Thursday, with the Peninsular mail, reports the wreck of the transport Canterbury, off Vienna, with sixty-three rank and file, forty-nine women, and fifty-eight children on board, all saved. She came from Corfu bound to Portsmouth. THERE are said to be about five firms of swindlers in London, connected with similar parties in Liver pool and Manchester, constantly employed in ob taining goods on credit. They represent themselves as carrying on every description of trade by turns, and groceries, ironmongery, drapery, agricultural implements, and drysaltery find their way continually out of the shops and warehouses of fair tradesmen into their possession, by means of the ingenious de vices they are able to adopt in making their dupes believe that the orders they receive are from bond fide tradesmen, and persons of respectable means. MR. NICHOLSON, organ•builder, of Macclesfield, has met a singular death. He was " voicing" or " sounding " a pipe, and applied his ear to it, when, from some cause or other, a splinter flew out, en tered his ear, and gradually penetrated to the brain ; after three weeks' illness he expired, suffering great agony. A TAH.OR living in the Rue Chariot, Paris, committed suicide, actuated by almost as singular a motive as that which caused the death of the great Vatel. It, appears that he had been unsuccessful in making a uniform for some great personage, so that it was sent back to him and left on his hands ; and, as it was so spoilt in the cut that there was no possibility of making it fit., be, in a fit of despondency, suffocated himself with the fumes of charcoal. A YOUNG MAN, of respectable family, named Boiron, was on Saturday tried by the Paris Court of Assizes for forgery ; and two other respectable young men, named Seailles and Piquet, were tried with him as his accomplices. The case was rather curious : Seailles and Piquet, who are students, bad to undergo examinations in order to obtain the degree of Bachelor of Sciences ; but, fearful of being rejected, they got Boiron to personate them, and be passed the examinations for them under their names, and was passed in their place. To obtain a degree it is necessary for the candidates to sign certain docu ments, and Boiron, on one occasion, signed the name of Seailles, and on another that of Piquet. The jury acquitted Seailles and Piquet, and convicted Bairon. The court sentenced the latter to three years' impri sonment, and 100 f. fine. Mucu sensation has been created lately in the counties of Somerset, Gloucester, and Wilts, by the number of burglaries which have been successfully perpetrated. An extraordinary and ratber an amusing capture of three fellows gives some hopes, however, that a check will be put to the proceedings of the gang by whom the public have been so long kept in a state of dread. It appears that on Sunday evening the Rev. Mr. Meade, vicar of Wingfield, near Bradford, Wilts, went to church with his family, leaving the vicarage entirely unprotected. About half-past six o'clock a little boy of twelve years of age, named Henry Gilson, the son of the parish clerk and constable, who was playing near the vicarage, happened to have his attention attracted by two strange men, whom he afterwards saw enter the Rev. Mr. Meade's premises. He immediately went to the church and communicated to his father, who was officiating at the time, his suspicion that all was not right at the vicarage. Mr. Gilson at once interrupted the usual formalities of the public worship by declaring his suspicions that the parson's worldly goods were in danger, and after a short con ference the congregation set off towards their pastor's house, which they completely surrounded, thus cutting off all means of escape. Some of the boldest of them then entered, and found there a fellow named Joseph Withy, a returned convict, and two others of the same stamp, whom there is reason to believe are ticket-of leave men. All doubt as to the object of these uninvited visitors was speedily re moved by the discovery that a large quantity of plate had been packed up in a carpetbag, ready for re moval, and would no doubt have been speedily trans ferred to some distant place but for the opportune discovery, as a vehicle was driven from the neigh bourhood by the supposed confederates of the thieves soon after the congregation so unexpectedly emerged from the church. The burglars were secured and handed over to the police. 879 ON Wednesday evening a most fearful accident occurred on the Reading and Reigate Railway, by which three persons were killed, and several more so seriously injured that their lives are despaired of. It appears that the train which left London bridge at four o'clock, not arriving at the Reading station at its proper time, inquiries were made, when it was found that a fearful collision had taken place between the down and up trains, the points having been turned the wrong way. The crash, which happened about two miles from Reading, was described by those who witnessed the scene as most fearful. The first carriage of the down train, a second-class, was coal rletely smashed, and all the passengers either killed or dangerously wounded. Three men were picked up quite dead, one an engine driver, and two passen gers. Surgical assistance was in immediate attend. ance, and every aid was rendered to the sufferers. The names of the killed are : Mr. Christopher Bilton, Mr. Francis Beant, Mrs. Fynmore, and J. Crosley, driver of the pilot engine. The following were injured :—Mrs. Norton, Miss Skinner, Miss Ransom, Miss Banning, Mr. Sowdon, H. Harrison, fireman of the down train, and J. Fergusson, fireman of the pilot engine. An inquest was commenced on Thursday, and adjourned after some preliminary proceedings. ebituart The death of CAPTAIN WILLIAN HENRY CECIL GEORGE PECHELL, 77th Regiment. is announced by a telegraphic communication to have taken place on the 3rd inst., whilst serving in the trenches before Sebastopol. This gallant and promising young officer, the only son of Sir George Brooke Pechell, Bart., and Hon. Lady Brooke Pechell, was born at Castle Goring in May, 1830, and after passing Harrow and Sandhurst College, entered the army in 1848; and sedulously applied himself to all its duties. During the winter campaign in the Crimea he cheer fully shared in the arduous services in which the 77th Regiment has been engaged. The personal re gard and high esteem in which he was held by his brother officers, and his kindness and attention to the men under his command during that dreadful period, will cause his loss to be most deeply deplored by them. After the attack on the Redan on the 18th of June, be was offered by Prince Albert to be placed in his Royal Highness's regiment of Guards, which would have been the cause of expediting his return to England ; but the high position he held in his regiment, and the zeal which ever stimulated him in the conscientious discharge of his duties, induced him at such a moment to decline quitting the post of honour and danger to which he bad so nobly devoted himself. M. EINEAU, the late French Minister of Finance, died in Paris on Saturday last. The deceased was born in 1805, in the department of Maine and Loire. In his earliest years he displayed strength of will and love of labour. He distinguished himself highly in his preparatory studies at college, and subse quently in the Ecole Polytechnique. He was asso ciated to the body of mining engineers, and rose from rank to rank till in 1840 be became engineer in-chief. He pnblished various works that attracted notice. His treatise on the railways of England is suppossed to have mainly contributed to gain for him the honour of being elected to the Chamber of Deputies for Maine and Loire in 1841. From that time he devoted himself pnncipally to the labours of the Legislature, being attached to the ranks of the moderate opposition. He took little part in the dis cussion of general politics, but was recognised as au authority on all subjects connected with his favorite studies, serving actively in all debates on concessions of railways, on the police of railway carriage, on in terval navigation, and on financial questions. In 1848 be was elected member of the Constituent Assembly for the department of Maine and Loire, on which occasion he obtained 120,0(X) votes. M. Bineau was an active member of the committee of finance, and reporter on the budget in 1848. He was one of the first to attach himself to the party of the Prince President, who appointed him Minister of Public Works on the 31st of October, 1849. After the 2nd of December he was appointed a member of the Consultative Commission, and in 1852 Minister of Finance. The principal measures of his admi nistration were the conversion of the Rents in 1852, and the loan of 1854. In the midst of his labours his health gave way, but a desire to accomplish the tasks he had undertaken kept him at his post. A few months ago he snatched a brief interval of re pose, but it was too late, and be died a victim of over exertion. MARSHAL RADETZKY last week celebrated by a fete the fiftieth anniversary of his promotion to the grade of general. He is HO years of age, and has served 71 years. In reply to an autograph letter from the Emperor Francis Joseph, congratulating him on th. restoration of his health, the old general has re+ quested to be allowed to retire,