The Express.
London, England, 1864-09-20 00:00:00

DEATH OF CAPTAIN SPEKE.

The follewiag Wise appears is the Daily New.

Sts,—My attention has been called to the ac.
count given by your correspondent in Bath of the pooped-
tap of the British Association in your journal of the 17th
init., and in which my conduct on the occasion of the
lamentable death of my dear frised, Captain Spike, bee miss
represented as to have caused me great pain, and 1, there-
fore, hope that you will publish this explanation.
Your oorraposident seems to blame me for speaking in a
feeble tows of voice when I announced the mad catastrophe
to the rosetieg, sod thinks that some 'mistime eulogy
ae the deemed should then sad there hare bees pro-
soneeed. Now. the truth is that the fatal sews was
cosamiusiosted to me a quarter of an hour only before the
meet*, assembled, and I was so overpowered by the aback
that I bad only time to draw up, with my treads in the
committee-room, the meiotic* which expressed our Lear c-
hili:sorrow, sodas offer et condolence to the afflicted family
of the deceased. When I addressed the assembly my
emote* woe so peat that, in addition to the expression of
my proloead sorrow, I said that I could not then speak
coherently on so appalling a subject ; sodomy one pressat
must have sees (the Bath paper, indeed, bus specially
wilted it) that I felt too deeply to solarge apes the
calamity, still less to be able to take that *malice to record
all the merits of hum whom we had bet. Your correspoe•
dent admits that be did not herr what I did say, but if he
lied heard what fell from me, and could have known what I
felt, I must believe that he would not have written what
be did.

Every one knows that I have been the warm eulogist and
trend of Captain Spoke, and it was, therefore, very painful
to me to see my conduct so described. Let me say, that
when the fitting occasion shall arias, as at the neat mini.
Tersely of the Royal Geographical Society, it will
be my earnest eorleavour to reader every justice
to the memory of the Anita', intrepid, and successful Si.
phonic of the head waters of the Sile.—Lien, fir.,

RODERICK J. MURCHISON.
13, arena, Bath, Sept. 17.

IMPORTANT Li FSBOAT SICRVICE. —On Sunday
morels' a brig, with flag dying, canoe to an ■neeor on the
Crusader band Bank off Blackpool. The wind at the time
was 'dowries fiercely from W.S.W. It was a few minutes
before high water, and it wee 'eldest that soon after the
tide hems to ebb, the vessel would strike the bank and
become a total wreck. The sew lifeboat stationed at Black-
pool by the National lastitution a few weeks since. was
thereupon promptly manned and launched awidat the cheers
of an immense coucoutto of spectators. A very high ssa
was rolling at the time, and the boat had to contend with a
heavy surf, but through the exertions of her gallant crew
she got sucomatully into deep water. She was pulled
atralght for the vessel, which she reached in 50 minutes
from the time of being launched. Saturday Minis; been
the regatta at Southport, some sailing boats from Fleetwood
were on their way home ■nd made for the brig, and one of
them neared her just before the lifeboat, but was unable to
effect a communication with her. At this moment the
vessel parted cable, but with the moisten*, of the lifeboat
oat of the mem oat of the sailing boat was got ea to the
brig, which then west on to Fleetwood. The vessel proved
to be the St. Michael, booed from Havre to Fleetwood,
bat the captain was in igeomnos of the coast be bad reso►ed.
The lifeboat safely landed her crew, after they had hoed
the heavy ma for more than thresher'''. They were heartily
welcomed ow ties return by the vast multitude of people
that had magnsated, sad who could see have ennobered
leas than tea thousand. This was the first service performed
by this lifeboat sines she was platted here is July lest, and
her 0011114,11i1l reports that she behaved admirably both cis
her wan to the brig. and under mama Maio Her coat was
proemial to the inetitatios, is meussy of the late Mr. B.
W. Hopkiss, by his widow and daaghter.

GREAT NORTHERN HOWITAL, CALEDONIAN-ROAD.
Number d petWts fa the week *adios Septamber 17. 869,
d which IS were sew asses.

MULTI( AND &IWO= RISTOI.IO without medi-
cine. lacouveatenee, er expense by Du Barry's delicious health.
restoring lhaysleats Arabic' Food, "bleb large etty those la
east la other mardlea mud cores the doasseh, Norm, Wip,
Dyer. sadist/alines of WI throats or Nast disorders. NOON
ewes sonuelly of elepspis (lrsligestlea), coaselpatlea.diarrisoa,
mush. seasussplion. wasting, mobility to eid oe vow* tot
Barr? ma Co., No. 77, Itegestotreet, Loudou, W. is tlas,
5 N.. llib. ths.--tAdrertlesateat

The Hall of the Haberdashers' Company is
irreparably iajured by yesterday's fire. This site el this
beading was bequeathed to the compsey in the year
1178, and the original hall is described se having ben very
spacioes, for is it met the Parbeassat Cocareimioasre
during the interregnum. Its enoromer was bat by Sir
Christopher Wren upon a poetics of the site of the original
stroetare, which wee dedroyed by the great fire of Loudest.
This building wee of brick, a heavy pile, having no particular
preemies' to exterior ornament, bat richly &Aimed sad
decorated in the interior. A short time eines, who. the pre-
mium' of Moters. ?spline sad Co. were erected, • head-
some gateway and passage loading to the Court-
room sad back buildiap were °Destructed is
Gresham-street. Is the ball of the master and
wardrobe, we understand, there were several admirable
paiatinp by early masters, ores especially rare and fins,
called " The Wise Men's (Maria( ; she • small statue of
Henry VIIL, several portraits of benefactor, to the chari-
ties of the company, including one of Hobert Aske, who left
the guild the =nascent sum of 30,0004 to build sod endow
almshouses in Horton, considered to be the finest and most
aorefortably provided of any libeller institution in the me-
Mlatollis. Is the agate within the building were the archives
of the company—at least those saved at the time of the
treat fire is
sad alsoled, Wal
will t, these up book etto the reign ofiwharles
hich
14061Morriped OM= of Si. Katharine, the patrol'
slat of lie ksberdaasea. There was hkewiee a fine por-
trait of ffir George Whitmore, lord mayor of Loudon in
1631, who entertained Charles the First and hie Queen in
his noble mansion of Llamas (or Balms), in the Kiopl•nd-
road, Elextoo....

give aiiything like a correct account of the loss occa-
sional by the fire would be impossible. Some of the sur-
veyors belonging to the insurance companies interested are of
opinion that it will not exceed a quarter of a million ster-
ling, whilst others are of *aka that it will approximate to
half a million. Uequestionably the present is the largest
flre that has occurred since the memorable one at London-
bridge, when Mr. Smallwood was killed. Some idea of the
extent of the mischief dam may be gathered from the sub-
joised official report :
Noe. 1 to 7, Gnehamatnet, City, Messrs. Bellaby and
Co., warehousemen, haberdubas, &G.—Building of four doors
and contents all but destroyed, and roof off. Insurances
unknown.

Ditto, ditto, trotted door and first floor, T. Tapliag and
Co., r.irpet inaorfacturers—First and second doors severely
damaged by fire, water, &c.
8, ditto, sod la, ditto.-Bimilar damage.
Ditto, ditto, Hanoidashen' Hall—Roofs of hall, drawing
sod reception room., burned oil, and contents, including
pictures, severely damaged ty fire, water, Er.
Nos. 101 to 101, Woodotreet, Mr. H. Joins Slanoheatm
warehouseman, kn.—Ground, second, and fourth doors
seriously damaged by fire, and bark part of roof burned oil.
Rest of building seriously damaged by die, water, Ec.
Immured for budding and contents in the Atlas, Liverpool
and London, Royal Exchange, Globe, Plgenix, Mercantile,
Caardiao, North British, and the Royal fire allow.
Nos. 104 to 107, ditto, ditto.—Large building, unfinished
and pertly occupied ; severely damaged by tire, water, At.
Insurance unknown.

Noe. 107 to 109 ditto, ditto.—Three upper doors severely
damaged by fire, roofs burned a, and rest of buildings sail
contents seriously injured by water, &c. Insurance un-
known.

ditto. and 1, Greabareeitreet. Ratcliffe and
Hotchiap, ribbon MAD ufaccurers—Cuateuts damaged by
Water cad removaL 'menace uokoolro.

Noe. 14 to 19, Gresham-street (ooette). belonging to
Memo Irving, fiesang, and Co., end Varlet/I other wan-
housemeo.—Frout• of wareliouars scorched and window.
broken, Ste. . . . . .

Au Loewe of Icems by lire dram that one of the
anifentra was insured for 20,0001., but that hie lota will
amount to 200,0004, ►nd the salvage, judging from the ap-
pearance of the rules, will not amount to more than 1,0001.
or 2,0001.
The came of the fire is at present unknown.

THE LOCH, MOOR, and MOUNTAIN
TOWLES' andThAVELLING NITS, Three Guineas, In
all the new materhth,
Better than ever and more than ever,"

at ALFRED W3lll MILKS, 73, Brook-street, Ilaeovereqoare.
Armored from Boodetreet. Established 1841.