The Express.
London, England, 1864-11-12 00:00:00

ASYLUM FOR IDIOTS, EARLSWOOD.

Through the kindness of the Corporation of
London, the friends of the Asylum for Idiots at
Farlswood have availed themselves of the use
of the Guildhall to display a very choice
collection of fancy articled, which have been gratui-
tously contributed by charitably disposed persons with the
• view of extinguishing the debt which still encumbers the
resources of the institution. The bazaar is held under the
distinguished patronage of the Queen, the Prince and
Princes. of Wales, the Duchess of Cambridge and the
Princess Mary of Cambridge, and under that of the Lord
Mayor and Lady Mayoress, and the Corporation
of the City. The fittinp and decorations which
were provided to set off the banquet on
Lord Mayor's day have been retained, so that the public
may at once gratify their curiosity and perform a good deed
for a very deserving charity. Yesterday the charge for
entrance was half-a-erown. To-day the charge is one shil-
ling, and it is to be hoped that between the price of en-
trance and the sale of articles, sutheieot will be realised
to wipe off the debt of about 1,5001. which encumbers the
charity.

Pilaus RYON lc ALL. —lslington, which contrives
to support two casinos, two theatres, two public gardens, a
vast buddies devoted to MiIIOSUA2IIO4II entertainments, and
one or two eo.called " literary institutions" that areas mach
private playhouses as the old Catherine-street theatre was, is
remarkably well supplied with popular music halls. It has
three of theme establishment', all more or less aucceesful, at
the head of which stands the Philharmonic Hall—the first
music ball started in this district. This ball, which is capa-
ble of holding two thousand persons, and which has large
billiard rooms, bowling alleys, and tavern accommodation
attached, is a building of much architectural preteusion,
managed on the same plan as that which governs the
Oxford and Canterbury music halls. The great novelty
now attracting the town is the rope-trying trick—
and two very clever jugglers, who call themaelves the
" Brothers Nemo," have consequently been engaged to bind
and unbind themselves for the delight of a crowded audi-
ence. lb. elder Nemo, who did this trick about thirty
years ago at Vauzhall.gardeus, does little more, at present,
than look on, but the younger Nsmo, who is a slim worn-
looking young man, of no very great muscular development,
is the best rope performer we have yet sees, and we have
seen them all. He jets out of the most complicated knots
in &little more than a minute, end be ties himself up in ouch
a way in three minutes that no person can untie him,
although he can release himself in a minute and a half. The
last part of the performance is decidedly the most iogenions,
and can hardly fail to be an attraction to those who are food
of puzzles. What in dons is done without any aid from
confederates or machinery, although all kinds of collusion
are suspected. _ _

SIR MONTAGU STOPFORD, K.C. pro-
tracind illness, Admiral Sir Jlootagu Stanford, K.C.8., died
at Edinburgh on ThundAy last. He entered the navy Is
1810, on board ON fiwg-ship of his node, the late Admiral
Sir Robert Stolsford. then the naval commander-in•chief at
the Cape of Good Hope. The late Sir Montagu was the I
fourth son of George, third Earl of Courtown, by his mar.
rugs with the Lady Mary Scott, eldest daughter of Henry.
third Duke of Buocleucb. He was born is 1 i 9A, and was '
twice married, first is August. 1t,17, to Caroline. second
daught..r of the late General Sir Henry Whitmore. K.C. H..
which lady died in 1N.51. rod secondly, in September. lieo,
to Lucy. youngest daughter of Mr. John Kay, of the North
Charlton. Northumberland.
COLLISION ON THE EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW
tILWAT. —On Thursday rnorningla collision occurred at the
Helensburgh Juaction of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Rail-
way between a mineral train from Campsie and the 9 a.m.
train from &Hoch, which resulted io eight or ten panes-
gels being slightly hurt, and James Walker, the guard of
the passenger train. and Robert Johnston, the driver of
the mineral train, beim!' more seriously injured. It era•
pears that while a mineral train was being brought from
Campsie the coupliogs gave way between Catopaie Junction
aid Cowleirs, and the train parted is two, the one half
being left behind. The driver and the first of the
two guards finding that they bad sot all their train, sent
hack the fireman to tell the guard who had been left behind
that they would return from Cowlairs for the remainder.
This they were about to do, with an engine and guard-van,
when the accident occurred. They left the Sighthill branch
junction, which is directly opposite that of the Helens-
burgh line, when the a.m. train from Balloch approached,
and before means could be taken to avert a collision they
ran into the Ltalloch train. the violence of the concussion.
as we have already stated, occasioning slight braises
to several of those who were travelling by the
passenger train, and moat seriously injuring the driver
and guard. The sufferers were at once attended to
by Dr. GAM. B. Macleod. some of them being removed to
their own homes, while others were able at oece to proceed
to their ordinary business. A thick fog prevailed over the
line in the morning, BO that signals could not be wee at
any considerable distance. Additional precautions were,
therefore, takes against accident, men being stationed with
fags at various points along the line under the pointeman'
directions. The collision is supposed to have arisen through
some misunderstanding between the driver of the mineral
train, the guard, and the pointaman, and also from the
anxiety on the part of Johoston to get back for the pert of
the train which had bees left behind, in order to clear the
lioe. —Scotsman.
THE SiCrisAYAMEItte•N TELEGRAPH EXPEDITION.
—The Secretary of the Treasury has authorised the transfer
to the Navy Department of the revenue brig Fauntleroy,
at Sae Francisco. which the latter department will arm,
equip, sad fit out thoroughly for service with Engineer
Bulkley's telegraphic expedition oe the northern coast of
Anlerite and Ruffle.—New York Herald.

LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 12, 1864.

THE CYCLONE AT CALCUTTA.

(IZOIII ♦ COI

TrITAGHIIR, Orr. 9.

The mail rid Bombay that closed at the 6th inst.,
it it got away from Calcutta in time to catch the steamer,
will have taker home the news of as awful cyclone that
raged the whole of that day around Chiantis, Barra°kpore,
and our neighbourhood, extending some sixty or seventy
miles W the north of us, ►nd it is believed some two han-
dled to the south, if not Unbar.

The night of TiLeday, the nth, was very wet and stormy ; I
the wind awoke us, sod we had to shut up clone ; in the
mondeg it increased and began to blow in very heavy et"
tatting our house at the north-east corner, the building '
pointer/4 north sod eolith, as most homes do in this country
for the benefit of the southerly sae breezes. I did not
think seriously of it until about 11 o'clock, when some
branches of trees were blown down • at 12 the gusts were
fearful, and shortly afterwards up came the
bore in the river, • read sight ; toe water rose
some twenty feet above the basks, end in the
middles hog curling lies, high as a wall, rushed madly as,
f and tossing like • furious steed ; over went the
native boats like nineptos, some thrown high and dry on the
Lad, others sunk to rise only in fragments; five or six were
dashed to pisoes against thew wall of our garden, which, later
in the day, as the tide rose, s washed away. Our pesosful
river neembled a boiling cauldroa ; huge waves, reminding
oanof Brighton in stormy weather, dashed over the banks,
ianndating gardesis and Mashing everythlag opposed to
thekeitv•Part of ear hank of greseakepiog-es.thosimorsserimit
away to the foundation of our stomp verandah, which gave
way, and down came a massive pillar, parapet and all. On
the other side of the house all one side of an outer room
was blown down, two large brick pillars supporting it
falling with it. Trees were blown up by theroote all around
us. In our garde. one huge mooster quite fifteen feet in
circumference at the base, and fifty to sixty feet high, came
down with • mighty area, the roots on end being quite
twenty feet high ; but this was only one out of haadreda.
At two o'clock up to three o'clock I coated. I was alarmed
for the safety of the house. News cams-1 don't know
how—that Mr. bowie was unroofed, and it proved
to be true. But I was not so much surprised at this, as it
was made of thatch. Our house is a solid work of masonry,
though very old, ant is some parts decidedly shaky and
weak7larnis cracks appeasing hers and there. I was aimed
the windows would go ; but by dint of great care and barn-
ceding with every bit of furniture we could get against
the windows and doors, ,thank God we saved the
house. It was • very near thing indeed with the
drawing room ; • large wooden partition with a door is it,
separates this room from the laser verandah, which rum
all along the back of the house, excepting that sod of the
drawing room, and when the wind shitted to east the whole
force of it blew against this partition, it began to give at
once, and down mine large lumps of plaster. 1 sung out to
the servants to help me, seized • round tab* off with the
top, jammed this against the wooden partition on top of •
huge old fashioned sofa, weighing I don know what, but
it was nut half enough. Other heavy tables and chairs,
piled one on top of the other, and then six men pressing
with their whole weight for fully two hours, &lose saved
the drawing room from utter .deetruction ; in fact
I thought it must go, and so got down all
the lamps, picture., ornaments, he., and packed
them in another room. The noise of the wind was
awful, the gusts appalling in the extreme ; but in the midst
of our anxiety I did not forget the shipping, and I said to
my wife, "The poor fellows on board the ali.pe in the har-
bour are far worse off than any of us oa land." Too true,
indeed, it proved, but for particulars of what occurred on
the river 1 refer you to the papers I send you. Heart-
rending indeed is the account. The sth was the first day
of our Doorja l'ooja holidays, which last till the llith
October, so I was at home, and thankful enough 1 felt, 1
can tell you, for slums cowardly natives would not have
assisted • bit in my absence ; my wife would have no coma
mead over them, and cot one of them would have moved
hand or foot to bar windows, hold doors, or any-
thing else. I had to stir them up, drag them along,
and stand over them as it was, and it was only the fear of
• broken hoed from my awkward looking stick that induced
them to obey me, save in one instance, my Madras boy. It
is impossible to give you an idea of the same of desolation
that me i our view' the following morning. Tittsghur is
famous for its beautiful trees, anu our garden contained
some of the finest of all. Ido not ezuggerato when I say
that within the space of five hundred yuds from our door,
including about thirty in our own greeter, there are not less
than too hundred magnificent trees, averaging 10 to 20 feet
in circumforroce, lying uprooted and, torn to shred., not •
branch or leaf kilt cm them. Truly the beauty of
Tittagttur bath departed. Half • century will not
replace the trees. Imagine our garden a mem of
breaches and leaves, with enormous trees stretched acres
the dower beda. Our outhouse., which include all do-
mestic othcm, are partly in ruins. Two trees of immense
sire fell right over the cooking-house, smashed in the not,
and there remain, half the budding down.

The morning alter the gale (it lulled about eight p.m.,
sed we had a quiet night, for which we were all most
thankful) I was anxious to get to Calcutta to know what
had occurred then. 1 started—the distance is a rode sod
• half—tram my house to the station. About every three
yards along the main road, which is an avenue of trees,
were large trunks of trees either to be surmounted or the
reverse. From Barraekpore to Coesipore, within four miles
of Calcutta, it is • straight rod, • perfect avenue of maga'.
ficent trees, the distance over ten miles. Imago),
about every third tree down across the road,
a good broad road too, but the tree* reaching
right across, sonic of them 10 to 15 high. Such
our could not climb over ; Otte succumbed and glided under.
This was the way I reached the station : sometimes one,
sometime. the other. The root of the station at Barrack-
pore was partially blown down. I met some of it about
bee hundred yards before I got to the station ; but though
prepared for what I saw there on arrival, I must confess
1 wasstartled when informed that two large trains, with
passengers, had been blown clean off the hoe, right over.
wheels uppermost. I think this will give you a notion of
the force of the tried. Arrived in Calcutta. You know
how food lam of ships. It his beets my custom to drive up
and down the river side, cluenkto which the shipping is moored,
at least twice • week. Only the day before the cyclone, the
nth, a leisure day with me as with almost everyone else, I
inspected the splendid ships laying close to the roadside for
about toree.quarters of • mile, tome anti four abreast. 1
knew the haloes mud moorings of most of the vessels, several
I had selected as splendid specie ens of wooden ship-build.
iog. and it has been my custom to watch the presages to
and fro of my pet ships. Fancy what I telt wheel ap-
proached the river side. Not one at her post, the roadside
was cleared iron cud to end except where here and there •
steamer or ship we. wrecked on the very roadside itself ; but
on the opposite shore and far up and down the river as the
eye could reach what a sight met the eye! Clusters
of ships in all positions, masts gone, yards goo*,
sides stove in, sterns store in. souse laying right over uu
their sides, and some, alas! sunk, their topmasts alone ay-
pealing above the water ; but you will read all about this
in the papers, described far better than 1 can do it, no here
let the poor shippiug rest, but I ensure you 1 could have
shed tears at the sight.
NV 'thin two hundred yards from our house lies, or rather
eonl the morning of the sth of o,tober stood, the village—
that rattle houses therein-- of Tittaghur, now, alas! levelled
with the ground. The huts are toads with mud and bamboo,
and capped Ly thatch, well sod strongly made. Every
dwelling is now a wreck. The poor Datives fled into the
open, 1 fax'', at the first alarm, and there hung on—
to their eyelids, I suppose, for I don't know what
they found to trust in oh terra nnmd. We of course were
hemmed in on every side but the water side by falleo trees,
as well as our few ueighbouns, so two or three of us since the
gale, assisted by a few score of natives, have been easiest
and chopping out way out, and I am happy to say that at
last. after fourdsys' very hard work, we are able to get a
horse along the road itito 13arreckpore lash, our usual ride
or drive, haviug no other place for this sort of recreation
except the Barrackpore road, which. as an avenue, hitherto
was too close for the purpose. Our beautiful park, like en
English one, mud very lovely, is a waste—every second, if
not two out of three trees down, torn up by the roots.
:.-ireh is the state of things with us at the pre-seta moment.
But I am happy to say we tae all in the best possible health,
making the beet of our misfortune. and only too thankful
to God that we hive Lad no loss of life in our pretty little
village. I fear my long scribble will not give you half an
ides of the frightful cyclone that has visited us in this year
of 1364.