The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-11 00:00:00

FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT NORTHERN
RAILWAY. - ONE KILLED AND ONN IN-
JURED.

This morning information was forwarded to Dr.
Lankeater, the coroner for Middlesex, of the shocking death
of George Gummer, a railway labourer, who met his death
under the following shocking circumstances :
It appears that last evening, between 6 and 7 o'clock,
the deceased and a number of other men were ed
at the engine-sheds of the Great Northern Railway,g
York-mad, in lifting a powerful engine by means
of a crane, for the purpose of changing the wheels.
All went well, the engine having been lifted to
within an inch of the desired height, when one of the
chains supporting and lifting the engine, a chain the
links of which are about two inches long and an inch and
a half thick, suddenly broke, and the engine fell on the
blocks. The end of the chain struck the deceased with
great force on the face, cutting open his cheek, and swing-
ing caught him on the other aide of the face and broke his
jaw. The unfortunate fellow was at once picked up and
taken to the Royal Free Hospital, Gray's-inn-road, where
he was attended to by Mr. Jeaffresoa, the senior house
surgeon, and Mr. J. D. Hill, the resident medical officer,
but though everything was done that human skill could
suggest it was all to no avail, as life was found to be ex-
tinct. The deceased was known as a quiet steady man.
and has left a wife and six children to deplore his untimely
loss.

The attention of Mr. Jeaffreson and Mr. Hill was next
directed to the case of Frederick Ford, an engine
cleaner, also in the employ of the Great Northern
Railway. He was standing ►bout two yards
from the engine when the chain broke and imme-
dimetly he felt a sharp blow on the thigh near the groin,
which felled him to the ground. He was taken to the
Royal Free Hospital. and on being undressed and
examined by Mr. Jeafferson, it was ascertained
that be had sustained a severe injury of the
thigh. On further examination a hard substance was
found beneath the skin near the knee. An operation
was at once performed by Mr. Jeaffreaon and Mr.
Hill, and a piece of a link of • chain about an
inch and three-quarters in length was extracted from him.
The patient is now going on satisfactorily, and hopes are
entertained of his speedy recovery.
It is stated that about ten months since a similar acci-
dent occurred at the Name mane, but fortunately without
fatal results. It was only • short time before this acci-
dent that subscription lists were put up in the engineers'
shop for the man who bad been previously injured.

AFRICAN STEAMSHIP COMPANY (LIMITED).
(THIS DAY.)

This afternoon the half-yearly general meeting
was held at the offices of the company, in Leadenhall-
street ; Mr. P. D. HADOW in the chair.
The rejport has already appeared.
The CIIILIRMAN, in moving its adoption, observed
that the operations of the year, which had
been somewhat limited, were fully detailed in
the report. He congratulated the proprietors that
notwithstanding adverse circumstances in monetary
difficulties, commercial depression, and storms and
cyclones, which had been so fatal to shipping, they
were enabled to present so favourable a statement.
The Inkerman was fully insured, and the mail service
had been singularly satisfactorily performed, owing in a
great degree to the seal, energy, and skill of the com-
manders and officers. Hs expressed a hope that from in-
creased traffic the line would ere long be self-supporting.
They had contracted on serviceable terms for
a new vessel, the Nana, in order to maintain the efficiency
of the mail service, and lie urged the proprietors to agree
to pay for it out of revenue by periodical pay-
ments—(law, hear)—remarking that although they
had been paying a good dividend for some time,
they should not wholly disregard the possibility of
French or other competition, or loss from falling off In trade
or other circumstances which might interfere with the
receipt. Speaking of the proposition of a proprietor
mentioned in the report, to pay a bonus out of the boiler
and repair fund, he said that the directors were unani-
mously opposed to it. and on consulting the solicitor of
the company, he had given it as his opinion that such a
resolution could not be put under the provisions of the
deed of settlement. (Cheers.)
Mr. J. NURTON seconded the motion.

Mr. HILL said that after the opinion given by the
solicitor be supposed he was put out of court in regard to
the resolution, but he regarded the boiler fund in the
light of a reserve, and contended that as such the
shareholders had a right to deal with it. They had an
undivided balance of 49,870/., and he did not see why,
under such circumstances, they should remain satisfied
with an 8 or 10 per cent. ditidend.
The report was adopted.

CLERICAL RBETITI7TION,—The Echo du Park-
meat has the following:—" The will of his Eminence the
late Cardinal Archbishop of Malines we. placed yesterday
in the hands of M. Dnvivier, the president of the tribunal.
The document, which is dated the sth of this month, is
likely to produce some sensation. By the will of two
elderly sisters, named Seger,, who died some 20 years
ago in Brussels, the archbishop inherited two houses in
Brussels, and a splendid property at Laeken. On his
death bed Cardinal Stercks restored to the natural heirs
this property, with the interest which accrued upon it
during the time it was in his possession."

It appears that Earl Granville was prevented
by gout from being in the House of Lords when Lord
Russell's education resolutions were discussed. In a
reply to a letter from the earl, the Duke of Marlborough
explains that his fear of the conscience clause has been
that a parent might, under its operation, interfere so far
as practically to do away with religious teaching in the
school to other children ; but he is glad to learn from so
good an authority as the earl that such an apprehension is
unfounded.

Snow has fallen of late in such abundance in
some provinces of Spain that the railroads have been quite
blocked up.

THE BOMBAY MAIL.—SOUTHAMPTON, DEC. 11.
—The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamship
Syria, with the above mail, passed the Needles at 11.20
a.m. to-day.
CARRIAGE ACCIDENT AT BOLTON.—YeSLPTCIay,
painful accident occurred at Bolton. Mr. R. H. Ainsworth
and his sister were proceeding along St. George's-road,
when the carriage in which they were riding came into
collision with a coal cart. The vehicle was overturned,
and its occupants thrown into the street. Mr. Ainsworth
and the coachman speedily regained their feet. but Miss
Ainsworth had fallen in an alarming position. The horse
had sprung to its feet, and was plunging and trampling
upon the unfortunate lady. Several gentlemen who hap-
pened to be near held the horse, whilst Miss Ainsworth
was rescued from her perilous position. She was con-
veyed into a shop near the scene of the accident, and
medical assistance obtained. She had sustained severe
injuries, hut no danger is apprehended. Mr. Ainsworth
was severely shaken, but wee not otherwise injured.
HOSPITAL TOR DIREASER OF THE THROAT, 32,
GOLDES-SQUARE, W.—During the week ending ith
December 348 patients were under treatment, of whom 19
Were new Mee,

IN THE DIEPPE CASINO. —We sat there, in the
shade, tinder the arcade, in indolent comfort, a small knot
of us, French and English, working or not, as might be.
the tide coming in at our feet, that moving panorama of
figures and colours passing and repulsing before our eyes,
ever changing, as if it were a living kaleidoscope. " Look
there r' sharply greeted our ears one day, and, of course,
up went all heads in a moment. A lady was pacing the
terrace in the most ravishing white ball-drew Ise to ma-
terial) you ever saw. But the body (if it could be called
one) left off where other people's mostly begin, and there
were no sleeves whatever, unless a strap of inch-wide white
silk, carried up over the shoulder, could be called such.
Over this was a covering of white tulle, thin and slight ;
only those whose sight was very clear could see it at all.
Perhaps she thought she looked well--that the gazes and
glasses directed to her were those of approval and admira-
tion. Perhaps she found out how it really was, and under-
stood the angry hum that went round. "Can the Fr( nth
like that style?" crossed my mind. " She ought to be re-
quested to leave the Casino," exclaimed, even as I thought
it, my dear old French friend of many years, who wan
misted next me. " I'd rather go abroad in my nightgown,"
heartily cried my English neighbonr on the other side.
Who she was, or what she was, nobody professed to know,
but we never saw her emit. Perhaps (poor thing 9 she
only wanted to invent a new sensation—a very difficult
matter to achieve amid those ever-changing costumes.—
A roue for December.
A RowiNa MAN.—When he is not actually
yawing, or running, or conscientiously devouring his
allotted modicum of victuals, he may be picking up gossip,
proving to the satisfaction of his own mew that they did
the course the day before in 8 min. 19 sec. instead of 8
min. 21sec., and that their rivals were at most 2 min. less,
which is not enough to were a success. Or he may be
going through some subtle piece of diplomacy,—perenarling
' some man to row whose friends, or studies, or health for-
bid it, or simply lounging shoat in a dignified manner at
some other resort, with the pleasant unconsciousness that
men are whispering behind his back, "There is the stroke
of the Boniface boat,"—as perhaps in the larger world,
thoogh vanity is no longer so simple or so easily satisfied,
• man may like to be pointed out at a club as the future
solicitor-general, or the best candidate for the vacant
bishopric. Little knots of such enthusiasts gather to-
gether in each other', rooms, when they might he better
employed, and discuss the prospects of the next race as
eagerly as their elders canvass the state of the Funds. And
the day ends, •Nrhaps with dinner and a prolonged chat
with some celebrity of former times, who discourses of
noes won by eighteen inches. of the great struggle when
the losing crew imitated the fabulous feat of the Vengenr,
and rowed till the water reached to their waists, of the
MOM ancient race when the immortal esum-eared crew
defeated their antagonistawith eight, and of contests in still
remoter ages, some of the actors in which have long since
attained to bishoprics or high state °Meas.—St. Pears
Magazine for December.