The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-03 00:00:00

VIOLENT GALE IN THE METROPOLIS.

The gale, which commenced yesterday afternoon,
about 4 o'Olock, gradually increased in violence till
about midnight, when it was at its height
Oa the river • number of coal barges broke away, and
were driven ashore ; two others which were moored in
exposed situations sank in deep water. All night
long men were employed to watch the vowels. In
• collision which occurred between • brig from
Goole and a wailing barge from Rochester, • woman
belonging to the latter fell overboard, but was rescued by
her husband. who only saved himself and his wife by
catching hold of • chain attached to the bows of the vessril
A pilot who was engaged all night, says that he never re-
members the force of the wind being greeter. The captains
who came into the port this morning say that they expo
rimmed the greatest difficulty in navigating their ships up the
river, and several vieient collisions oecurred, in aloof which
two men were drowned, their bodies being carried away by
the rapid tide. The deceased are stated to have been both
seamen, and they were engaged in bracing up the mbg at
the time the collision *marred. In the docks soma vessels
had their top-gallant masts and rigging blown sway.
The roof of a house was partially blown off in the Ken-
niegton.roadt and the house was completely gutted with
the heavy rain. At Battersea an unfinished hones was
almost levelled with the ground.
The guards of the mail trains arriving in London this
morning state at certain periods during the night the trains
were frequently retarded by the fares of the wind.

THE MURDER OF A POLICEMAN.

WlLLsxraAu.,nr!SDY.

To-day the inquest was resumed on the body of
the piminan, Enoch Augustus Hooper, who was anur•
dined in this town at about midnight on the Bth Dees The
inquiry took place before Mr. Phillips, deputy.coroner.
and the local magistrates (the Rev. J. H. Fisher, Mr. R. D.
Gough, Mr. A. A. Solly, and Oapt. Deakin). 001. Hogg,
the chief constable of Staffordshire, and Major Mlinight,
the deputy chief constable, were also there with &perks-
toodente WOres and Gamin, and Inspector Thompson. The
prisoners Patrick and Mary Kane were there in custody.
Further evidence was taken, the chief of which was the testi-
mony of two brothers who live near to the some of the murder,
and who were looking from a window which overlooks the
spot at the time that Hooper must have received his fatal
wound. They deposed that whilst Patrick Kane and
Mary Kane were in the yard, and Mary Kane was trying
to 'oleo s° a prisoner from the policeman Butler, two or
three men came out of the yard at the back of Kaue's
home, and surrounded the deceased, and almost
directly upon it two of them, one of whom wee named
" Patsey," and was the son of Mrs. Kane, ran away put
Butler. Hooper then walked about eight yards, and
staggered to about the spot where he was afterwards found.
Other witnesses naw the two men running away, and they
identified " Patel" as one. At the previous inquiry Kane,
who is in custody because he was found in bed inKana'm home
at the time that Kane was arrested, stated that the names
of the two men who are supposed to have run sway are
Peteey Rowan (son of Mrs. Kane by a former marriage)
and Edward alias Owen O'Donnell. The jury, after
deliberating an hour, found a verdict of " Wilful murder"
against Patrick Kane, Pauly Rowan, and Edward alias
Owen O'Donnell; and they recommended that an appli-
cation should Le made to the Home Secretary for a reward
to be offered for the apprehension of Rowse and O'Donnell.
When the coroner told Kane that he was committed for
trial for wilful murder Kane said, "Mores the pity to put
me down with the vagabonds who went away when I was
in bed. I have been in Willenhall sixteen years, and
never offended a man, woman, or child in my life, and I
am going sixty. I have no part in it further than I was
with them in the Railway Tavern up to eleven o'clock, I
will acknowledge that." All the prisoners now in custody
were then taken before the magistrates, and were under
examination at a late hour.

SUPPOSED MURDER REAR MERTBYR TY DVIL.

Information of a supposed murder of a revolting
character was received at the police station, Merthyr, yester-
day morning and instantly an officer was despatched to the
spot. The locality' marked out is in a secluded wood on the
mountain top distant three or four miles from Merthyr,
and near the residence of Henry A. Bruce, Fag. The in-
formation was to the effect that • body had been found,
its legs tied and bead decapitated, and three or four yards
from the body. This mutilation has not been confirmed at
the time of our despatch, but that a murder has been com-
mitted there is little doubt.

It annum that a farmer named Davies was walking in
the wood on Monday and came upon the body, which was
that of a young man, in an advanced state of decomposi-
tion. There were numerous wounds on the head and
body, and identification was at first difficult.
On Monday evening it was discovered to be the
body of • smith striker named Davies who had been
missing since September. It is reported that he received
bis pay, • large sum, on the first Saturday in September,
and was last seen near a public-house en the borders of the
wood. The police are indefatigable is their researcher, and
a pretty safe trail is said to be in hand. The inquest will
take place on Wednesday.

EIOSPITAL AccOmmoDkriON.--Yeaterday, at the
weekly meeting of the directors of the poor of St. Pancras,
an important discussion arose on the report as to the death
of Mr. John Roberta, the senior surgeon of the workhouse,
from typhus fever ; end on the report of Dr. Hillier, medi-
cal officer of health, as to its prevalence and as to the want
of fever and smallpox hospital accommodation in the metro-
polis. Mr. Churchwarden Lswford was in the chair. Mr.
Churchwarden Robson brought up a report from the
house committee reporting Mr. Roberta's death. In ad-
dition to the report. Mr. Robson moved a resolution
expressing, on the part of the board, feelings of the
deepest regret and sympathy at the loss of so young and
valuable a medical officer as Mr. Roberts, and their high
estimation of his professional services, and of the untiring
energy and attention bestowed by him upon the poor patients
under his charge. Mr. Wright hewing seconded the resolu-
tion, Mr. J. R. Collins said that this was an event which
they most all deplore ; and they might say that it bad arisen
from the want of sufficient fever hospital accommodation for
London. Here was a young man cut down in the very
flower of his manhood in the discharge of his duties, and
such men as surgeons bad a right to be looked upon as mach
in the light of heroes as soldiers who died upon the battle-
field. The time had arrived when fever and smallpox hoe-
pital accommodation should no longer be allowed to be de-
pendent upon private charity, but ought to be maintained
either out of the general poor-rates or some other public
source of revenue. All parties were deeply interested in
this, for while the malignant poison of typhus caged
in a neighbourhood no class of persons, however high,
was safe. He hoped the subject would engage public
attention, and that either the Poor Law Board or wile-
meat would make some law on the subject. Mr. Jenkins
cordially supported Mr. Collins's views, and said three
or four weeks ago they received notice from the London
Fever Hospital that they had no more room, and they were
then obliged to accommodate patients in their own wards,
and hence this sad calamity. Mr. Watson said these remarks
equally applied to smallpox, and some step should beat once
taken. He moved that the matter be referred to the house
committee to report forthwith. Mr. Eversfield seconded
the motion. The Poor Law Board would be going for their
amended eat early next session, and • clause should be put
in it for establishing large fever and small-pox hospital,.
This was carried nem. con. Dr. Hillier, Medical Officer of
Health, said he had conferred with Mr. Butt, the other in-
door surgeon, as to the subject of typhus fever in the work-
house and in various parts of the parish. Two things he
wished especially to call attention to—first, the need for
an apparatus for disinfecting the beadle; and clothes of per-
sons wbo had suffered from typhus. This would be of
service both for the house and outdoor poor. Secondly,
the need for an isolated place to which healthy persons from
infected rooms might be sent. Typhus was very prevalent
in Mary's-place. The effect of turning people out would
be to apreed the infection to other crowded localities. In
one instance it had been so spread, and was contracted by
me of the district surgeons. This was also referred to •
committee at once to report thereon.
EXPLOSION OF A LOCOMOTIVE BOILEIL-011 Mon-
day, about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the boiler of • large
locomotive engine belonging to the Great Northern Railway
Company exploded near the Nottingham station. The
engine had been used for shunting between the passenger
station and the ticket platform, and while waiting for ano-
ther train to run off some wagons on the mime line, the
boiler blew up with a terrific noise, hurling some of the
fragments to a distance of 500 yards. Although the driver
and the fireman were actually on the engine, they escaped
without any injury. They were both knocked backwards by
the concussion, and the latter lost his cep by being hit with
one of the fragments, but he himself was untouched. The
driver of a goods train which had just arrived was walking
towards the engine and was about a dozen paces distant
when the explosion occurred, and was knocked violently
down. Many of the doors of the houses in the vicinity
were violently thrown open by the concussion. Some goods
waggons were standing near, and were shattered to pieces.
Fortunately no fatality occurred.
THE BURNING TO DEATH OF A COLITMBINE.--•
An inquest was held at Sunderland on Monday on the
body of Mies Louisa Richards, alias Ricardo, columbine at
the Lyceum Theatre, in Sunderland, who was burnt to
death on Thursday night by an explosion of gas during the
performsnoe of the pantomime. The evidence went to
show that the deceased and several of the other young
performers engaged in the pantomime were standing at
one of the wing entrances, when en indiarubber tubing
connecting a side pipe with the service pipe coming
through the stage, by accident, probably by the feet of
some of the performers, became detached, the gas poured
out among the feet of the Minders by, and on a light
being applied an instant explosion took place. De.
ceased, who wee the only one wearing a muslin dress,
was set am Sr., and so severely burnt that she died on
the following day. Mr. Champion, the siege manager,
stated that there was no blanket kept at the side of the
wings in the event of accident, but them was ems In his
room ; since the accident both blankets and water were
provided, to be ready if necessary. No means were
takes to render the dresses son-inflammable, though various
means had been suggested ; the profession objected to nee
them on account of spoiling the appearance of their
skirts. The jury returned a verdict of " Aseidestal Death.'