The Express.
London, England, 1849-07-27 00:00:00

THUNDERSTORM AND LOSS OF LIFE.

Yesterday afternoon, shortly before 2 o'clock, the
metropolis was visited by one of the most ter, ifie thunder-
storms which has occurred since August, 1816. During the
continuanee of the storm, rain fell in torrents st snort inter-
vals, completely deluging the sewers, and eifec:ing, it is t 3 be
hoped, a thorough purification of them. At ono time a
shower of hail occurred, and mony of the hafistoate were of
vast dimensions, at the same time the wind blest a perfect
hurricane, making it extremely difficult for persons in
charge of vehicles to piss along the streets. Much damage
we' done to the shipping and small craft lying in the river.
In several instances houses were damaged and persons
killed. At 7, Duke.strest, Stunforchstreet, Blackfziars-road,
occupied by Mr. Tucker, the parapet wall was struck by the
electric fluid, and the ceiling on the second titer was much
damaged by breakage, the bill wires belts wrenchtd down
by the lightning, the fluid running along them entirely
throupli the house. Th-re was no tire, but the inmates
were much alarmed by the suddeo alma they experienced.
The house of Mr. A. filiddleton (private), *Rune in
l'uorna,-street, Commercial road But, was also cilia, the
roof was in a great measure stripped off, and the chimney-
puts and side walls damaged. In Rolywellostrett, Strand,
at Mr. flariand's, bookbinder, so forcibly did the electric
fluid pass down the chimney, that it filled the rooms with
soot and escaped through an open window without non%
any injury to the parties in the room. Near to the g 0344
station of the Eastern Counties Railway a young man, appa-
rently about 25 years of age, who had just reached the door
to look at the rain, which was then falling in torrents, was
struck to the earth dead. His shirt bosom was on fire when
he was picked up by a gentleman who was bcfatc standing
within a few yards of the spat. Some injury is said to be
done to the &scion: building of St. Saviour's Church, in the
Borough ; much to several houses in Cheapside • au I it is
reported that a man rending in Spicer-street, Spitaltields, is
killed.

The immense torrents of rain which fell completely over-
charged the main sewers, and at Charing-cross, where several
of the sewers effect a junction, a meat extraordinary scene
we. presented. The vast body of water collected, unable to
find a passage, rushed up the gullys and sewer graiegs,
jets (reale, a height of from ten to twenty feet, inundating
the basements of the adjscent houses, more particularly
Morley's Hotel, the Branch Post-office, &1., the kstenens and
offices of which were completely flooded. On the waters
subsiding, the pre miles remained covered with a filthy black
mud, five or six cart loads of which were collected.

In'West•street, North-street, Whitechapel, severs, houses
were dreadfully shattered, and nearly reduced to ruins. One
fatal and melancholy case occurred in this street. About a
quarter past two o'clock, Thomas Johnson, a cabinet-maker,
21 years of age, was talking at his own door with a /cues
man named Callow, when both parties were struck down
with the eLctrie fluid; Callow crawled a little away trom
the spat, and contrived to gain his feet, but fell again, with a
sensation of numbness all over his body, but particularly in
his legs. An alarm being immediately given, Johnson's
lather hastened down, and bound his son stretched a blackened
corpse. The fluid struck him on the right side, tearing open
the sleeve of his coat, and cutting his shirt as it with a shears.
The inhabitants of the house No. 22, in the same street, had
a Rest providential escape ::be lightning struck the western
gable, shaking the whole edifice and riving the roof almost
in two, at the same time a young woman, named Ellen
Wells, who was sitting by the fireplace on the ground-fioor,
was dashed with terrible violence into the passage, • dial
tanee of about seven yards. The housa was struck in
several places, one stream of the fluid tearing in its way the
parlour wall, within a foot of the young woman's heed.
Another man, who was s'ruck down by the lightning, was
cinveyed to the London Hospital in a state of utter blindness,
from which, however, he soon recovered, but it was found
that the shock had deprived him of reason. In several houses
in the Whitechapel, Mile-end, Stepney, and Tower Hamlets
districts, the destruction of property was immense.

AT THE COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL yesterday
Mr. Gilpin gave notice of the following motion, " That
this court do present an humble address to her Majesty the
qieen, that she will be graciously pleased to direct tee noble
lord, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, to take such
steps as may appear to him desirable (without involving an
appeal to arms) to effect the peaceable settlement of the
question now occasioning so much bloodshed between
Austria and Hungary, and to protest, energetically, against
the occupation of Hungary by the troops of the Emperor of
Russia. (Hear, hear)."
ALLEGED CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD A LOAN
SOCIETY.—On Taesday a case came on for trial in the Gout
of Passage, Liverpool, in which John Oldfield and Wilda=
Kindard, trustees to a loan society, were the plaintiff., and
Mr. James Ward, of the York Hotel, and ono Edward
Smith, were the defendants. The action arose sut of a loan
granted to a person named Kegan, who was since dead, for
which loan it was alleged that the two defendants, and Mrs.
Shepherd, formerly of the Vine Hotel, were sureties. It
appeared that on the loss to Kegan being applied for, and
the names of Smith and Mrs. Shepherd being given in es
proposed sureties, the society refused to grant the loom on
account of the insuffici-ncy, but on the parties giving in the
name of Mr. James Ward, it was agreed to advance the
money on his signature. For the plaintiffs a boy was
called, who said he went to Mr. Ward's and obtained
his signature before the loan was granted. Mr. Jams ad-
dressed the jury for the defendant, Mr. Ward, dealing alto-
gether that his client had ever signed the deed. He con-
demned the proceeding against his client as one partaking of
the character of a conspiracy against him, and charged the
other parties with collusion to defraud him. He then called
witnesses, who swore distinctly that they knew Ward's
writing, and that the signature was not his. The assessor
said that after such evidence, he did not think the jury
would be inclined to say it was Ward's handwriting. A ver-
dict was at once given for the defendant.— Lieerpoo t Courier.
SALE OF TILE ISLAY ESTATES.—A Scottish Asso-
ciation, under the anapicea of merchants and bankers of
Edinburgh and Glasgow, propose to purchase this Highland
territory, and to dispose of it by way of tontine; their plan is
to engraft on the operation (which involves the assurance of
12,000 nominees) the general business of a Life Awuranee
Office. A reserve out of the rental is moreover to be made
as a premium to ensure the repayment of their shares tio
those whose nomineesshall die, and a periodical division of the
balance of the rental, which now amounts to 20,0001. a year,
is to be made amongst the shareholders whose nomnees
survive.

THE PORTLAND BREAKWATER.
LITI3IIO OF TIM YOUXDATION OTOIII ST PIINOI •LIIIrt

On the arrival of Prism Albert at Dorsbarer,
In Maw and Corporatism of Dumbest,' had the honour
of peasant* the foUowisg wither to his Royal Highness at
the railway station :
We, the Mayor, aldormos, b. NS, sad inbahltsats of
the orlon aad lord borough etTwt tester. i tae amosty
of Donut, gladly embrace the opmwtanky allerdoil as ley the
pares of year R ysl Highiew, to hike part is the cow
strucdon of the eoatempla,ed peat national work in tlis
Island of Portland, to pay to year Royal Highs's our du i-
lea end aireetioeste respects, sad this we do ni.t s roiy on
aseenat of the emitted position of your Royal Highness as
the ceassrt of ear beloved Gems, not with • 1.v.17 retal-
iation ef dm great imams your Royal Highnessin
=lseag to UN welfare sad prosperity of this great
I are deeply sensible of the impoitancs of the
great natimal week about to be emanienced under the un-
pins of your royal Ingham's, and war unions hope is, tl•at
whilst ft will afr rd a Wag* and prawn= to our fallow-
mortals is distrese, it may also *sable this *matey to stair
ads her pmemlconce moonlit the maritime nations of the
world. Asa we fervently sod earnaftly pray, that Almighty
God may bier emit protect oar most pros as Qom, and
that him Majesty, wi h your Royal Memos. and you
illaatrious and beloved children, may long live, se yonow
do, in the howls and aft etke of an milted and Lappy
people. Given ander the maws oral of the said borough
of Dorabintor, the 23. h day of July, 1649.
(Signed) Caamttorsaa ASIAN, Mayor,
on behalf of the inhalitaars.

The folio* lag is the Prieee's reply to the address :
" I have to return my best Omaha t you for the address
which pm have preemed to me, in width you mendoe, in
met kind terms, the interest which I most sincerely feel bt
everything that may tend to the welfare sad prosperity of
this great empire. The work which is to be commenced this
day, I madder, with you, to be of great national impirumes,
and I feel 'unvisited will be also of Ensiderable local ben. fit
to the whole comity of Done. The loyal (mikes yca ex-
press towards her Majesty the Qum*, end your j. fir
the happiness of Ear Majesty, myself, and oar ebildris, can-
not fail to be most gratify imp to me.
The Prince was alerwards moiled from Dircbester to
Weymouth by the Dorset yeomanry, undir the commend of
the Earl of Ilcheste-, and received the following address from
the mayor and corporation of Weymouth :
" May it please your Royal Highatess,—We, the mayor,
aldcrtea. sad burgesses of the borough of Weymouth end
Mideme Regis. hog most respectfully to welcome the arri
vat of your Royal Rightism at thee ancient and loyal bo-
nnet, sad we beg to seeder to your Royal Highness oar
botabte and heartfelt thanks for your Royal Highness's
gneiss. coadmicemaion to our petition to lay the foundation
Mae ofthe Portland Breakwater—a work, when completed,
whisk mash fail to be of great local besefft, a refuge from
the storm to her Majesty's navy sad maritime subjects, and
to the nation one of imeirineipal bulwarks agaic.t the attack
of foreign enemies. WO beg leave farther to offer to your
Royal Highness the assurance of our highest respect and un-
eatable attachment, not only as the illustrious consort of
our blond and gracious Queen, but to: the many estimable
Lail
el do' your Royel Hiehnets so eminently preemies. We
y pray that the Father of all mercies may of his great
goodases protect and pre'. eve her Mint Gracious Majesty,
year Royal Highness, and your illustrious children, in
health and happiness, and long to live in the cffections of
a happy and loyal people."
To which the Prince returned the following reply
It was with mush pleasure that I acceded to the regntat
ormilaised in the memorial which was forwarded to me from
yon. Al anderteking of so great national importaaa as
the building of • breakwater, whlth was to :ma a har-
bour for the protection of the royal and nv treadle navy,
could not have failed to attract my attention, and I most
willingly availed myself of the wished grimil imre y p.sed,
that II should, by li)ing tb foetid& 130 stone, identify
myself with this peat work. I shall not fail to c
ommuni-
oste to the Qum the loyal wishes contained in your ad-
dress for the health and happiness of her Majesty."
Fifa Royal Highness afterwards embarked in the Vic-
toria and Albert royal yacht, and landed at • tem-
rimy landing place erected upon the sits of the in-
leaded breakwater at I'ortlaod island, where he was re-
mimed by Admiral Sir Blades Capel, Lord Frederick Fite-
Marcum, he. His Royal Higbee,' there laid it. first stone
Odds national work. Toe stone weighed nine tons. It was
suspended (by a pair of shears ornamented with evergreens
and flags) immediately over a bole in the platform. In the
upper portion of the stone a hole was cut in which a glass
bottle was plated containing coins of the realm, of the value
of 21., from a sovereign down to a silm penny-piece. This
bottle was scoured by a brass plate beating the fel:owing in-
scription:—" Oa the 25th day of July, c 0.,. 1849. lathe 12th
year of the reign of her Moat Gracious Majesty, Que. a Vla
tar* his Royal Highness Prime Albert, etc ,
sited this stone to record the commencement of the Port-
land Breakwater. James Meadows Rend, I, engineer-ia-
chief; John Cede, resident migimer." There were from
2,000 to 3,000 within the enclosed ground; 2,000 sere, per-
haps, were seen upon the racks above, and there may hays
bean 500 oa the adjoining shore. AU the craft in the road
were fully dressed, and many vessels had their yards massed.
The prince afterwards visited the convict establishment,
where • pug of coaviete were drawn up in lice, end upon
the appearance of the Prises they saluted him ; hie Royal
Biennia bowed in acknowledgment. On pied. g same the
sawdapyard,
_his Royal Highness looked over the channel,
and exclaimed, Ob. the Ries!" He turned to '1:111W, :or
an instant, • body of convicts engaged in sawing stone, end
then pissed into the residence of the governor, Captain
Whitey, where be partook of refreshments.
While at Portland the following address was presented to
the Prince .

"Hap it please your Royal Highness.—We, the undec-
eived Mathieu of the royal manor of Peeked, beg Par
M approach yJor Royal Highness milk aratiments of loyalty
and fidelity, and we embrace tide opportuaity of expressing
to year Royal Hightess oar deep sentiments of gratitude for
tie distinguished honour whit* you have been pai.el to
water upon at by complying with the pryer cf our humble
mirmorial. We hail your approach to this ()weirs of her
Majesty's domiaioe s, which has often in times put been
legman eel with the pretence of the sovereign of the se r. alma
(her Majesty's royal anceetors), sad the devotion of our fore.
talker to the royal cause has beim marked by the expend=
of rya favour, sad by lasting bemefits conferred upon us.
May it plume Alm'ghty God, the great deep oer of events,
to onstiese to our gracious sovereign, to yea, her illus-
trious consort, and to year met cbildns, r very earthly
bleesirg ; and during the erotica of this structure. of which
you have been pleased this day to lay the foandatioa-
stone, we earnestly hope that we may be to quently
honoured by the royal presence in the progress cf her Ma-
jetity's merino exeursloos; and as this stupendous work,
which is about to be cesameneted ander the patronage of you
=Highness, may shield is its protecting arm the royal
r well as the naval armament of this mighty em-
pie, sod the merchant meek of ell nations, we sincerely
bops fiteappartnaity will be eluded to us, the devoted and
fititbfal suture of bee Majesty, of again uremia( our
loyalty sad &freedom to oar most gracious sovereign, sad to
yea her royal sad illarricas consort."
To which the Prises renamed the following reply
" I *ask yen sincerely for the address which you have
just presented to me. The work of which I am about to lay
the leuadatlon, while it is of great national imp-if:tar, as
forming • enure harbour of refuge for the ships of the
royal navy, ant of the merchant service freighted with tee
allanefte of the whale world, will, I trust, be also of special
INIMMI ill this sisighbourbood, by mere Isiah its trade and
npaoadiat .litirree
t smog( the labouring populetioa.
tan, in peering along this c sot, has al-
ways viewed the island of Portland area the town of tt ey-
earth with particular interest, from the family associations
*collected with them."
A very interesting ceremony was to have followed. Upon
the foudatire walls of the sew chapel a platform had been
created, and here it was intended that tho Prince should
present • Bible and Prayer-bier for the use of the establish.
meat The platform had been covered with blue clot a, nod
a desk and cushion had been constructed, apparently for the
officiating minister. The rain, however, continued to pour
down with merle violence that, when the Prince emerged
from the governor's house, he merely ate tied upon the plat-
form, received a mitten address from Mr. Kuigsaill, and
immediately retired.
The next place visited was the prison itself. Hie Royal
Higher' was coaducted over the building, and shown the
cell/ of the rein:ours. Os passing out again into the stone-
lowing yards, hie Royal Higline,s stopped at an old convict
who was cracking stases and announced that her Majoety
hod wet graciously !redwood him. The old fellow threw
away his harmer, fiat on his hates, and then rho and ea.
pared about with joy. His name was Thomas Gomez, his
age near 60. He had been sentenced, at the Devon 'aim,
to seven years amigo:tetra for stealing two ducks ; and,
the two years and • half that he had serval of his
time, conduct had been so exemplary that he was room-
eamoded as a fittiig object for the exercise of the royal
prangative of mercy.
A grand display of fireworks, ander the direction of •
London artist, and • ball at the Royal Hotel, closed the testi-
cities of the day.
A' 4 p.m. his Royal Highness returned to Weymouth, is
the Vie'oria and Albert y
_olt4_
_attended bI Georee Bathes,
Fri., the Hon. Prederiek and Col. Fre-stun, the
members for Curtail a Mai the Borough of Weymouth;
aad (rem thence was marled IN before by the yeomanry to
Dorchester. After ruin preceding by railway through the
New now to Southampton, his Royal Highness estimated
in the Fairy, and arrived at Osborne at heir-past 7 pia.
We give the following description of the sew breakwater
from the Skeet/erne and Dorchester :
Portland is an island, formed of a mans drone, rising to
a considetablo height tut of the sea, and Is joined to %Vey-
sleuth by • neck ed lend, forming part of the Chesil beech,
and by a bridge 600 feet in length. This Chesil bank is a
aataral breakwater to Portland road on the wen-, and to
protect whipping is the road on the east, the artificial break-
water which was commenced to-day was designed. The'
harbour of r4age is, therefore, farmed by the Chesil high
ea the wee, by the Isle of Portland an the south, by the'
breakwater ea the east, and by the Nothe and Weymouth '
Bay ea the earth. The breakwater springs :rat from the
neck 'lle of the Island about thrregaartere of a
male to the south east of Portland Cait!e. It is'
coextend In • a.rth east direction fur • distance et a
ma* aid a liminte, sheltering an area of 1,622 area
It will be ometractel in two parte, the smaller one
1,(000 :kir bag, the 2,000 feet • between three
tktre will be an entrance feet wile. 'The breakwater
will lea seek shoat seven fathoms below low Water mark,
sod mitts& tea height of tea feet above it. Its base will
al ine average be 160 fine. wide, and is reface 23 feet 6 in.
The serail breakwater points day east, the large one north-
east. The rewire, on the Island will load and bring the
wsgses• to the head of the railways, and the other portion
of the work will be effected by tree labiur. Memos. J.
sod C. Rigby, of Loadon, have entreated for the prelimii

eery work, and will doubtless be the builders of the break-
water. The chief engineer is James Meadows Bendel, Baq.,
FAA. The resident ..levee is Jame Cootie, Esq., and
the eminent imgineer L Jar. Pepplotoa. The breakwater
will be sosetrueted of seems Boothe inexhaustible quarries of
she liked. no prindpal quarry in situate about a mile to the
south of kftkwater and many Imitated feet above it. The
stows tweveled_ by milreeds, which there are two sets of
Uses, the trusts being sneaked to ropes ensiled wire wound
mead large cylinders. Thome who hem ems the works on
the Blackwell Rsilway will at ones eenpreheed the method
of propelling the trucks. The tics 4 difference between the
Blackwell and the Portland railways is, that on the latter
ino stmer is said, the imams of the railways, which
in same is lis 10, bete sulkiest to propel the trucks.
The loaded trucks draw up the empty ones, sod the speed is
regulated by a wrought iron bead chomped round the cylinder
and acting epos its motions as a drag date upon a waggon.
There are three pairs of these drums (in wooden sheds) be-
tween the quarry and the breakwater. • great quantity of
prelimisary work has already been effected. The cutting of
the incliaes through, in some places 70 feet of rock ; the
facades' of a road from Portland pier to the breakwater,
the erection of • very haudamas nits of engineer's alms,
site., bays already cost about 70,0001. The breakwater will,
it is suppiecd, cost about 600,0001. is addition. The ecatract
is not yet taken.