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

THE HURRICANE IN THE WEST INDIES.

Our Southampton correspondent, writing last
night, says :
It is now certain that the Rhone was preparing to start
for England. There were probably 300 persons and pro-
' perky worth half a million sterling on board. In twelve
days she would have been in England. Had it not been
for the yellow fever she would have been lying in St.
Thomas' harbour ; and although she might hove been
driven ashore there by the hurricane, there would have
been very little loss of life. Great complaint is made of the
unhealthiness of St. Thomas, and it is no doubt an
exceptionally bad plain ; but an coal depots in hot coun-
tries are unhealthy. The coal depots of the Peninsular
and Oriental Company in the east are so. In the West
Indies yellow fever prevails at the depots, and in the East
Indies slow fever. The decomposition of the coal pollutes
the atmosphere. The Royal Mail Company have loot nearly
20 ships, worth 2,000,0001. sterling, daring the 22 years
they have carried on the mail service. The service was
originally a more extensive one than it is at present, for
there was a branch line of steamers from the West
Indies to New York and Savannah. It is fortunate that
no mail was due, at the time of the hurricane, from Mexico
and New Zealand, or the loss of life and property would
have been much greater. No fears aro entertained at
present that the Royal Mail Company's ships which
have been stranded will not be got off. It has been said
that we have no proof yet that the Douro had arrived out
at St. Thomas. She was due there just after the time at
which the hurricane happened; say on the 31st ult. Now
it is hardly probable that any ship left St. Thomas for
Havana with the news of the disaster before the 2nd inst.,
because we did not get the news in England before the 7th
inst., and the company's superintendent at St. Thomas,
who no doubt wrote the telegram that has been received
by Atlantic cable, would hardly have said in that message
so positively that the Douro would leave St. Thomas for
England with the mails on the 4th if she had not been there
ready to start on that day. To-morrow, if all had been
well, the Rhone would have arrived here. By the loss of
life on board that ship and the Wye, probably 300 women
and children in this town, who have been maintained in
comfort, are left destitute. The Hampshire Advertiser of
Saturday suggests that the mayor should call a public
meeting at once, and organise plans for the relief of the
families of the sailors of the Rhone and Wye. Winter is
approaching, and the means of support of scores of per-
sons will soon be exhausted.

Sometimes when the Royal Mail steamers stop at Peter
Island coal hulks are sent there, and the interoolonlal
steamers go also and tranship their passengers, male,
and cargo. It is because it is not known whether this was
the ease with the Rhone that there is some difficulty in
understanding what passengers were on board. A hurri-
cane appears to have passed over the Bay of Bengal within
forty-eight hours after the one at St. Thomas, 10,000 miles
distant.

THIS ItEPRIMISNTATION OF STRoVD. —Mr. Hem-
men has issued an address to the electors of Stroud in
which he alludes to certain "secret negotiations" which
he says have been carried on in the borough with the
view of substituting a candidate in his place at the next
general election, and deprecates any attempt to " antici-
pate and usurp the nomination of a candidate "at the
present time. When the dissolution of the present par-
liament draws near and the constituency then registered
has all the materials for a sound judgment before it, it
will be his duty to address them on the then condition
of affairs, and appealing to their well-considered judgment
upon them, he thall, he says, cheerfully abide the result.
We regret to learn (nays the John Bull) that the
Rev. W. J. Butler has been advised by the episcopal
referees, to whom he left the decision, to decline the
Bishopric of Natal, and that he has finally determined to
act upon their advice. Much as we regretted the prospect
of losing the valuable nerviest. of Mr. Butler from his im-
portant work in England, we have felt that no one could
have been chosen who by his ability, wisdom, and experi-
ence would afford is more hopeful promise of reconciling
the discordant elements and restoring peace and unity to
that unhappy diocese. It is, however, fully intended to
send out a bishop, but it has been thought that a lees
marked churchman would under all the circumstances be
preferable, especially after Professor Beurtleys letter
objecting, to Mr. Butler's having signed the declaration as
to the holy communion.

FRIGHTFUL OOLLIERY EXPLOSION
IN SOUTH WALES.