The Express.
London, England, 1867-09-27 00:00:00

UNITED XINODON RAILWAY OFFICERS AND

SERVANTS' ASSOCIATION.

The eleventh half-yearly ordinary general meet-
ing of this excellent association, the objects of which are
to grant pensions to officers and servants employed upon
or in connection with railway., in case of lengthened or
permanent incapacity for duty, and to give prompt tem-
porary assistance in owes of accident or other emergency,
was held at the London T►vern last night ; the Hight Hon.
Viscount BURT in the chair.

The notice convening the meeting having been read,
The report was taken as read. It stated that the corn-
mittee noticed with pleasure the healthy state of the
society. At no period of its history had it been so satis-
factory, 19 deaths only having occurred during the put
six months. Upwards of 5,780/. had been paid to claim-
ants since May, 1%3. The George Stephenson fund had
been increased by 1001. from donations received
during the past six months, and the annual
May collection included several new donors and
annual subscribers. Meetings had been held at Strat-
ford, Ipswich, Bow, and other places, for the purpose of
adding to the funds and promulgating the objects of the
society ; and the committee acknowledged the kindness of
the promoters of these meetings, and anticipated • good
result from their labours. All the necessitous applica-
tions for temporary amistance had been entertained, and
the committee proposed to increase the two annuities
already granted of 151. to 201., and felt assured that at no
distant period they would be in • position to place more
annuitants on the funds.

The report in;a iinZiMonaly adopted.
Mr. JOHNSON then moved that the annuities of W. each
granted at the last half-yearly meeting to Mr. J. Frost and
Mr. J. Peckitt be increased to 201. He was glad that the
funds of the association enabled them to make this in-
teemed grant. The report alluded to the satisfactory
diminution of the death rates, but it must also be borne
in mind that the mousy they had had to deal with bad
been lees.

This resointiim which was seconded by Mr. Dorr, was
also carried unanimously.

CHATItAM, SEPT. 26.—The following vessels have
been chartered by the government for the conveyance of
mules to be employed with the troops about proceeding
to Abyssinia—viz, the Bolivar, the Empress, the Venetia,
the Parana, and the Counmoundonris. The whole of the
above ships have been inspected to-day by some of the
officers of the staff from this garrison, and they are under
orders to leave the river on Saturday. Each vessel will
convey about 150 mules, for the accommodation of which
number special arrangements have been made on bowl.
The ships will take on board the mules at Gibraltar and
Malta, to which places they will proceed direct from
England. Detachments of the Military Train and the
Army Hospital corps will proceed in all of the vessels.
THE LATE STEAMBOAT COLLISION ON THE
THAMES.—Ms. Carttar yesterday resumed the inquiry
into the canes of death of the two children who were
drowned in the collision between the Metia and Went-
worth. The same legal gentlemen appared as before.
Several witnesses were called by Mr. Fry, the solicitor to
the Woolwich Steam packet Company, and they corro-
borated the view of the matter taken by the captain of the
Yetis. The Coroner stated that he had applied to theßoard
of Trade, but could get no one to attend from that office.
lie then went to Lloyd's, and two gentlemen, perfectly
competent and independent, were in attendance from that
establishment. Captain Fredk. Yorke Steward was then
sworn. He stated that he was surveyor to the Salvage
Association at Lloyd's. He believed the rules of
the road at sea applied to the Thames. Ships
going against the tide kept in shore. They gene.
rally made a side for themselves. The Wentworth
was on her right side, and the Metis was not. He be-
lieved the rule with regard to vessels meeting end on, or
nearly and on, applied to the Thames. in this case there
was nothing to interfere with the rule being carried out.
Captain, C. W. Bonham said he was post captain in the
royal navy. His opinion was that the Wentworth was
on the ngbt shore, and that the Metia ought to have been
in the middle of the stream. The Metis was perfectly
right in stirboarding her helm when she saw that the col-
lision was inevitable. The (Coroner, having summed up,
the jury engaged in consultation for about an hour, when
they returned the following verdict :—" That the deceased
departed this life by being drowned in the waters o f the river
Thames from the collision between the Metia and Went-
worth steamboats, the collision arising from an error of
judgment on the part of the captain of the Metis in not
keeping his proper course in navigating his veleeL"—Mr.
C. E. Lewis, coroner, also resumed an adjourned inquest
at Dagenham, respecting the death of George L'heesman,
the steersman of the Metis, at the time of the collision.
After a number of witnesses had been examined, the jury
returned a verdict of " Accidental death."

LOSS OF LIFE ON THE EASTERN COAST. —The
heavy gale from the N.W. which burst over the eastern
coast on Tuesday caused great damage to the shipping and
the large fishing fleet at present in pursuit of herrings. Two
men were washed from the smack New Reliance, of Great
Yarmouth, and drowned, and the smack Secret :leo hart a
man. A tremendous sea boarded the lugger Glance, sweep-
ing her decks and rendering her almost a onniplete wreck,
washing away her boat, and knocking a boy into the hold
and breaking his leg. The injury done to the rest of the
fleet was very great, and much of the gear was lost. Intel-
ligence arrived at Great Yarmouth, on Thursday, of a very
sad disaster. While riding out the storm about 30 miles
off land eigeals of distress were observed by two smacks,
the Rosa and the Fearnought, both of Yarmouth, flying
from a brig. The smacks at once bore down, and the
master of the brig dated that hie vessel was sinking, and
that hisboats were stove in. Notwithstanding a tremendous
cross sea the smacks launched their boats to the rescue of
the brig. They succeeded in boarding the brig, the Rosa's
boat taking four of the distressed crew, and the Fearnought
three. On returning the Rosa's boat capsized, all the men
being thrown into the raging sea One of the unfortunate
fishermen, William Boulter, was dead when hauled on
board, and another, William Westgate, quite exhausted.
The Fearnought succeeded in saving three of the crew of
the brig, but in what manner is not known, as the smack
had not arrived at Yarmouth when our parcel was de-
spatched.

-
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annul cures Udell bad notated all medfriar, including that of
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