The Express.
London, England, 1867-06-22 00:00:00

CRYSTAL PALACE COMPANY.

The report of the directors to the meeting on the
28th inst. has been issued. Since the last ordinary meet-
ing there has been a diminution in some branches of the
company's revenue, as compared with the corresponding
period of last year. This diminution, which has been
shared by other commercial undertakings depending on
public favour, may be accounted for by muses beyond
control, such as the extraordinary inclemency of the winter
and spring, and the general depression arising from the
late commercial panic, muses which acted with great
severity on the Christmas amusements, and exercised a
Trejudicial influence on the general attendance of visitors.
his the directors have endeavoured to meet by using
every effort to keep down the current expenditure. The
sale of season tickets, though not quite equal to what it
was under the exceptionally favourable circumstances of
lttti, has hitherto been satisfactory, and when compared
with the average of the last three years exhibits an im-
provement. The directors are pursuing a similar policy
to that which has hitherto received the approbation of the
proprietors, by using every mesas for keeping the Palace
prominently and favourably before the public.

METROPOLITAN BOARD OP WORKs.—The ordi-
nary meeting of the board was held yesterday, in their
offices at Spring-gardens; Sir Jchn Thwaites in the chair.
A report was brought up stating that they had accepted
the tender of Messrs. Phillips, Turner, and Sawyer for
the construction of sewers rn Bermondeey-street. Mr.
Wainwright had obtained this contract, but he declined
to proceed with it. The new contract was taken at
6,14 W. 10s. Mr. H. L. Taylor hoped that for the future
every one tendering for their works should he called upon
to deposit a certain amount of mmiey, as a bona fide gun-
mitre that he intended to cony out the works, and thus
prevent the board from being played with as they had
been by Mr. Wainwright. The recommendation was
put and agreed to. A report was brought up from
the Fire Brigade Committee recommending "that the
board do from the Ist of July next undertake the duty of
the protection of life from fire within the metropolitan
area, and submitting for approval the ternis of an arrenge-
meat with the Royal Society for the Protection of Life from
Fire for the transfer of the whole of their fire escapes and
other plant, &c., to the board. Subject adjourned for •
week • and after some other business had been disposed of
the board adjourned.
THY GROUSE DISFAME.—TIRO Lim-tiers Courier
rays :—" The singular immunity which this county and
the north Highlands generally have enjoyed from grouse
disease threatens to come to an end. The moors of Spey-
side have been attacked, some of them very badly, and
there are rumours of disease in parts of Boss-slii,e. As
to the latter, we have no authentic information, but
' there is no doubt that grouse have perished in great
numbers along the lower reaches of the district of the
Spey. Where the birds are healthy they tut. however,
numerous and strong—more so then usual at this stage of
' their progress."
STRANGE PROCEEDING/I.—Some strange circum-
stances have come to light through an inquest held by Dr.
Lankester at Hammy. IThe body on which the inquest
was held was that of a man unknown. It was taken out
of the New River on Friday morning last and bandied
about from place to place until at length it was allowed to
be buried and re-boned from time to time in the church-
yard. The neoessery post-mortem examination was made
while the body was lying exposed on a toudereine in the
presence of several women and children, among others, who
had been attracted to the churchyard by so miesuul a
scene. The following evidence was taken :—Police-con-
@table Walton said that on Friday morning last he sac on
duty in Tottenham-lane, Hornmy. Abour four o'clock he
saw the body floating in the water and succeeded in draw-
ing it out. He obtained the assistance of another coo-
st.tble, when they took the body on a stretcher to the Rail-
'say Med. They knocked up the proprietor, who re-
fused to allow the deceased to be placed en his premises.
They then went round the parish to other
public-houses, and found on each application •
refusal to iske in the body. Nut knowing what
to do with it, they conveyed it to the borne of the
coroner's officer, where it was laid down in the front ear-
den, and concealed from observation as much as pos ibis.
It remained there till nine o'clock, when it was taken is
the churchyard. The witness went on to relate how it
was put in • hole, and taken up again for the post-mortem
examination, and how he tried to keep spectators linclud-
iag women and children) away but could not. The body),
it was further stated, had not been identified. The jury,
in accordance with the medical evidence, found an open
verdict, to which they appended the following exprosaiou
of opini• n :—" The jury empanelled at the Compasses,Hornsey, on view of the body of • man unknown, hay-
ing heard from the police that the said body was carried
from lace to place without being received, and further
that the post.inortera examination of the ...rid leely took
place in the open churchyard, are of opinion that the
vestry of the parish of Hornsey should iioniedistely pro-
vide • public mortuary to which the bodies of the un-
claimed dead should be removed whilst awaiting inter-
ment or the inquiry of the coroners court."
NARROW EscArE OF A I'•sSENtiSll TRAIN.—An
accident of an alarming character, but fortunately mist-
Vt. by any serious casualty, happened uL Thnualay to
a passenger train on the Severn Valley (Greet Western)
Railway. The train from Shrewsbury for Lon. on, vii
Worcester, had just left llridgnorth, and when tearing the
bridge over the turnpike road the engine suddenly left
the rails, and proceeded in a slanting direction towards the
embankment of the bridge. The driver and stoker, per-
ceiving the imminent danger of the 'engine falling over the
bridge, shut off steam, and, jumping down, essortd with-
out injury. After proceeding to within about six feet of
the edge of the embankment, dragging the tender round
till it at red almost broadside on the line, the engine fell
over on its aide, and remained stationary. It fortunately
happened that the train having only just left the statics
the speed attained did not exceed the rate of four milers
an hour. Had it been going at its usual rate there is so
doubt that the train would have been dragged over biro the
road. Yesterday the district engineer of the theist
Western Company visited the scene of the evident with
the view of ascertaining the cause, but it did not very
clearly appear. The line was in good order, and the talk
in gauge, and it is enpposed that the fault lays in the
engine, which had y just come out of the workshop,
after undergoing repave. The Severn Valley being •
single line the accident blocked the road throughout the
day, but the traffic was carried on by means of trains moo-
ning from both ends, and exchanging passengers at Mids..
north. The ordinary traffic was resumed yesterday.
CRYSTAL PALMY'S. --OKI SHILLING DAY. —FRI-
DAY, Jena 21.—Admissions ea payment, 3,006; ditto by
sorsa titbits, 1,841 Wel slaters, 4,841.