The Express.
London, England, 1849-10-26 00:00:00

FALL OF A RAILWAY VIADUCT.

Yesterday afternoon an occurrence of a moat
destructive ut tore, 115 far as property ie concerned, though
happily unatten ted with less uf lite, took plate at Preston.
Daring the lost nine or ten months some hunt:lees of men
have been employed in Vie c wstre of a viaduct in the
Ribble Valley, forming part et rte Preston extension of the
Rant Lancashire Railway—a branch by which it is
intended to form a connexion wi.lt the main
line at Ledo& jaaction (some two or throe miles
from this town), so es to render the company inde-
pendent of the North Union. The viaduct is he er.ded to
consist of 52 arches, altoriteer about 600 yet& it leezth.
The arches (which are built upon piles) era cow:rue:ea of
trick, with stoue springers."
The following paliculera of the eccident have been fur-
nished by one of the workmen, an eye witness of th 7 cata-
strophe. In e•nirqueuce of the wetness of the weather,
the bricklayers were net at work at the time of
the occurrence—an extremely fortunate circumstance,
es had it been other sire a Portal sacrifice of life must in-
eviti.bly have taken place. The only men engaged at the
viaduct at the time of tne fall were 7.csme half domes, who
t writ makins perorations for the resumrtion of work by U2q.
bileklayeea gebiut half-paat one o'clock oar informant
heard a noise, which he desesibm as resembling" tha report
of a gun," and immediately aft/maids 13 of the arches fell
in with a tremendous creels. The whole of the centres with
the exception of three seta, had beers removed, for the erec-
tion of other arches. Of the thew remaii ing in, two sets
had been "slackened," preparatory to recnov7l. We need
scarcely state that these cater. a were smashed to sterns.
Fortunately no one was owl, Tenth the arches at the time
of the accideat, and no i -.jury was sustained by any of the
workmen.
With respect to the precise Cause of the fall, no satisfac-
tory informati,7n his yet been obtained. The only opinion
hamrded upon the subject is that the foundations of the
•r
Asa have given way in cenutputtee of bciog surrounded
by
The amount of Ilea consequent upon this work of demo-
li' carr.ut at present be ascertained, but it must be vary
consi!.erablo.

CHANGES AND REDUCTIONS IN THE Goyim-
DEPLIITYPIITS. It it Strotlifiy reprisal, end.
although we have no official cot tirmation, we be-
lieve there is sub tantial foundation for eke ru-
molt, that the steam department of the Admiralty
at Somerset House is to be abearbeel In the department of
the Surveyor of the Hwy. The effice of comptroller of ma-
chinery is to be abolished, and eudain Ellice, wlO now
betels the appointment, is to be transferred to the Coast
Guard Service, as cemptr filer general, Captain Houston
Stewart, C.B , who now holds that office, being transferred
to the Board of Admiralty, in the room or ;,aptaia Lord
John Hay, C.B , who SUCC2efla Sir John Louis, Dart., as
superintendent of Devonport Dockyard.—Morning Paper.
ASYLUM FOR IDIOTS, PARK HOUSE, HIGHGATE.—
Yesterday a oeneral mrntih g of the aulneribere of this insti-
tution, founded in 1817 for the can and education of idiots,
especially in the radii r periods of life, was held at the Lon-
don Tavern, fur the purpose of s lectiog into the asylum 12
applicants, trom the list of 163 &intend candurlates.—The
children now in the allain number C 9, exe'dnive of those
elected yesterday. Trot proportion of males to females is es
four to oce. Of the patients about 40 have been admitted
by election, and the remainder pay on a graduated scale of
25, 60, and 100 guineas. The r. port for the present year
states that the biard of dircctora have it in contemplation to
erect a model institution. _

REBUILDING OF ST. RAIN% NEWPOUNDLAND:-.•
By a law passed in the late session certain acts of the legis-
lature of Newfoundland, respecting the building of St.
John's., which town it will be remembered was d. stroyed by
fire, were confirmed, and power conferred on the legislature
to make further provieon respecting the r. building of the
place. Atter confirming mvcral acts of the I.rslsture of the
colony, permission is granted to that body to make such
provision as to such legislature eLell seem meet concerning
the rebuilding or building of the town of S. Jchn's, New-
foundland.

THE MYSTERIOUS AFYAM AT CHELSEA.—UNEX-
PiCTED APPEAENNCII OP THIS MISSING MAN.—Between
six and seven o'clock hat evening Tiranu ageon,,,,-an,
or M'Guire, whose mysterious disappearance since the 25th
ult. has ere +tad on much excitement, was brought Into the
station-Loose of the B or Westminster division of polies, in
Rochester-row, by Serge .nt Loom, who had received infor-
mation that he was at a pubic-houso in the neighhourhoud,
accompanied by a man and woman, who had troughs him
considerable &casco. The circumstances that led to his
ncexpeetet appesraece ate Vein Between twelve and one
yesterday afternoon Mary M'Carthy, the wife or a labouring
man residing at 8, Mill-:one, Deptford, who formerly lodged
with tl'Gowran at Mrs. Donovan'c,l, Queen's-place,Chelsea,
was proceeding along near LtunberVe Brewery at Deptford,
when she observed Dl•Gueren coming In &contrary direction,
and immediately accosted him. She then invited him to her
house to take some reiteshment, and having stated the cir-
, cur stance of the M•Donalds b ins in custody upon the charge
of rohting him, together with its being strongly suspected
that he hid been murdered, with the whale of which cir-
cumstances he appeared toles perfectly ignorant, she prevailed
upon him to come to London, in order to allay the sensation
caused by his disappearance; and having brought him to
within a short durance of the station, as ;.hove. &nether!,
gave information of the circumstance. Mr. Russel!, the au-
perinundent of the B. division, questioned M'Ouire with re-
weft° the robbery end his sudden disappearance from Chelsea,
when he stated that the robbny was committed by Mrs.
M'Donall, and that when he discovered his less he rushed
from the neighbourhood in a rate of frenzy, and cared not
where he went or what became of hltn. Tee thought of
hie loss drove him almost mad, and determined to forget it if
possible, he went down into Kent, and had remained there,
' sleeping at various nialrly !wiping-home at Woolwich,
D-ptford, and their vicinities, and mutely); a miserable sub-
sistence by hawking eon,- little paroph.ets (a number of
which mere found up n him) Urn beirrh.wn the Jorge PPM
Of money which had be- n reeeverrd end hisclot hes he tppeated
much pleased, and expressed his thanks for the exertions of
the police in his b -hall, decteringmost positively that having
determined to banish ell reeolteeticn of the robbery from his
mind, he had made no inquiries about the matter, and was
ignorant of the proceediogs that bed taken place, until in-
formed by Mrs. M'Carthy yesterday. Mr. Russell very
properly directed such arrangements to be made as will
effectually promote the ends of Justice, and insure the
attendance of the prosecutor,