The Press.
London, England, 1856-10-25 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

sound as if a fire•engine were coming. Then the panic
arose. I had not then heard the tinkling of bells, but I
did occasionally the breaking of chandeliers. I assisted
in breaking the glass in the windows to give additional
means of exit. if it had not been done more lives would
have been lost. NI hen I was breaking the glass a person
came up to me and said, " Be quiet, don't do that, but
trust in God." I replied that I quite agreed with him in
that sentiment, but at the same time I considered myself
justified in what I was doing, in giving additional facilities
to escape. Ido not believe the disturbance arose from a
preconcerted measure, but from the foolery of opening
the avenue doors when the hall was full. The panic
arose from an accidental and unforeseen circumstance.

Superintendent Lund saw two men, and a lad about
sixteen or seventeen and consilerably shorter than
the other two, rise up in the body of the hall, imme-
diatAy opposite the grand entrance. One of them
held up his arms and called out what he believed to
be "Fire, tire." The cry was immediately repeated,
and it was impossible to describe the scene that
ensued. He jumped down from the orchestra.
There was a tremendous rushing, and he heard the
greatest noise at the north-west gallery. He saw no
one attempt to arrest the parties who raised the alarm.
It appeared to be a general panic after the first
alarm. The alarm was certainly not caused by the
swell mobsmen, for they were outside the avenue
gates.

Several other witnesses gave similar evidence ;
one, Thomas Fullager, declared that he saw two men
enter and whisper together, as if bent on mischief.
One came out and laughed and went in again, and soon
after there was a mob of people ; there was no rush
inwards. Two men forced their way into the hall,
and he heard one say "Jack has played his cards
well, and has won his bottle of brandy. I wish he had
put the gas out."

- The coroner shortly after summed up, and the
jury raturned a verdict of "Accidental Death."

THE REPORT UPON THE CITY GAS WORKS, by Drs.
Taylor, Hoffman, Brandt, and Carrington, is strongly
in faviur of the company. " The result of our in-
spection (observes the report) is, that the City Gas
Company cannot be charged with the neglect of any
precaution known to science for preventing a nui-
sance to the neighbourhood ; and if a nuisance is
really occasioned, it is one which arises from causes
that cannot be avoided by the means which are at
present at the disposal of gas manufacturers."
THE MONSTER BELt., to be placed in the Clock
Tower of the New Palace at Westminster, has at last
arrived at its destination uninjured. It has been
safely raised from the billy-buoy moored by the side
of Westminster-bridge, and placed on a temporary
erection before being finally placed iu the tower. The
bell was satisfactorily tested one day this week.
BISHOP BuniFIELD has issued instructions for the
disposal of the whole of the furniture and effects of
London House, St. James's-square, previously to
giving the residence up to his successor. Bishop
Maltby has given similar instructions for the disposal
of the furniture and effects of Auckland Castle,
Bishop Auckland, Durham.

THE METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS held a special
meeting on Monday to consider a statement upon
the financial condition of the several parishes and
districts, with the particulars of outstanding loans
and mortgages, and an estimate of the sums to be
raised by the board for the year ending 31st De-
cember, 1856; and to assess such sums as the board
should deem necessary. Atter a lengthened and
uninteresting discussion, an amendment, moved by
Mr. Bristow, that the whole of the financial state-
ment be referred to a committee, was negatived, and
the board adjourned. The board met again on
Wednesday to consider the whole question of the
northern and southern drainage, when the following
amendment to the Sea Reach plan VMS adopted :
That the engineer's plan marked 13 in his report dated
the 26th of September, 1856, be adopted, and presented
to the Commissioners of her Majesty's Works and I'ublic
Buildings; and that it be intimated to them that this
board have also had under consideration other plans for
discharging the sewage into the river below Gravesend,
but that it appearing that such extension would add be-
tween 1,000,0001. and 2,000,0001. to the outlay, and that
this sum would be spent not to benefit the inhabitants of
the metropolis, but to meet the wishes of the people of
Kent and Essex who reside on the banks of the river, this
board has declined to entertain any such scheme; never-
theless, if it shall be the opinion of her Majesty's Govern-
ment that such an extension is desirable, this board will
readily undertake the work, the Government providing
such additional outlay out of the national revenue.

The engineer was instructed to prepare the necessary
plans, and the board yesterday met to consider the
mode of proceeding in laying the same before her
Majesty's Commissioners, and a motion to that effect
was carried on a division.

A GALLANT ACT is related of a poor labouring
man at a fire in Eldon.street, Finsbury, last Tuesday.
An eye-witness writes:—

A fire broke out on the premises of a bootmaker, in the
first floor it was said, and the flames were bursting forth
from the windows in huge sheets—all at once a woman's
hand was seen waving from the second-floor window

SATURDAY,

(which was very small) signing for help. No fire-escape
was there, and a ladder was fetched ; it was not long
enough. Another—it was also too short, it was held up by
fifteen or twenty men in their arms. Up went a man—a
poor workman, through the flames, and un this ladder,
swaying to and fro, reached the window, smashed in the
frame, and rescued the poor woman from a horrible
death. Had he not had great courage lie could not have
done it, for the flames were round him in coming down
again, and if he had but missed a step he must have
been killed on the apt. Ought not such an act to be
rewarded? In a contemporary paper it is said "the fire-
escape came and the aged female was rescued;" but it was
by this man, and she was safe on the ground ere the ma-
chine came. I may mention that the whole of the upper
part of the house was burnt, so that the woman was rescued
from certain death.

THE itEGISTRAR GENERAL'S RETURNS for the week
show a rate of morality indicating remarkable
healthiness in the metropolis. The number of
deaths amounted only to 971. The registrar of the
Borough-road sub-district states that during the last
seven years the average number of deaths registered
by him on the first eighteen days of October has
been thirty; the number this year has been only
three, which, " considering that the population of
the sub-district is about 17,000, is a proof of the
good health which they now enjoy." The births of
1,585 children were registered.

A POOR ARTIST, George Franklin, aged thirty
years, residing at Hackney, committed suicide on
Monday, front starvation.
THE AUTHORITIES AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY have
given orders to hang Turner's works during tho
vacation, and they will be visible to the public, toge-
ther with some other accessions to the gallery, on
Monday next, the 27th inst.
THE DEATH OF A PAUPER LUNATIC in St. Pancras
Workhouse is related this week. He was confined in
the padded room during the entire night of Sunday
last. His confinement took place in consequence of
his excessive violence. It does not appear that he
was visited during the night, and on Monday morn-
ing the attendant found him hanging by his handker•
chief from one of the window bars.