The Express.
London, England, 1857-11-24 00:00:00

TILE EXPLOSION AT MAYENCE.

The following details are derived from the Cologne
Gazelle The number of hones which have been
completely destroyed by this terrible disaster
amounts, it is now ascertained, to 57 ; but there is
nut a house in the town which has not, more or
less buffered. Up to Friday last, there were 28
corpses found, 11 being those of Prussian soldiers.
The number of Prussian soldiers wounded amounts to
between MO &Ili 90, and for many of these there is
no hope of recovery. The number of Austrian sol-
diers killed and wounded has not been ascertained.
The wounded amongst the civil population amount to
several hundreds. After eight home' labour, a
woman who was seated on a chair beneath a heap
of beams and rubbish, was rescued from a death
that seemed inevitable. An inhabitant of
Mayence, who had been at Darmstadt when
the disaster took place, returned at once on
hearing of the explosion, and found all his
family dead on his arrival. A military banquet,
which was to have taken place close to the powder
magazine when the explosion occurred was fortu-
nately postponed in consequence of the state
of the weather. Were it not for this two hun-
dred Austrian officers would, in all probability, have
been sacrificed. The loss has been estimated at a
million of florins, and it is said that the municipality
will make an application to the Diet for an indemnity.
Within fifty yards from the magazine was a sub-
terranean chamber containing GOO loaded Owns.
The door of this chamber was burst by the explo-
sion, but happily the bombs did not ignite. Had
they done so, the whole town would have been in
flames.

THE TWO BICILIES.

(PROM OUR owl; mazzeroirsurr.)

NAPLES, Nov. 17.
The official journal furnishes us every now and
then with details of the religions " dodges " in
Naples. With all due reverence for religion I can
Had no other term for the exhibitions which one
witnesses at times in this country; and one of the
most remarkable and most recent is that in which
the holy thorn of the crown of our Saviour, pre-
served in Policutzo, was observed to incline to the
left; and for greater consolation to display its blood-
red colour, and to be covered from the base to the
summit with foaming blood. Unanimous, says the
Archbishop, was the wonder. A sacred horror takes
possession of some ; others fall astonished before
the spectacle of this prodigy. The multitude
attest the miracle ; but eight sworn witnesses have
deeded to the imperishable truth of the fact. It hap-
pened under the following circumstances : " Heavy
rains had fallen, threatening most injurious conse-
quences, and a second miracle follows the first. The
whole population of Policastro demand that the relic
should be carried through the city. The regular
clergy, therefore, in a penitential dress, and the
galantuomini with rope& round their necks and
crowns of thorns on their heads, walk in procession
to the sanctuary, about two miles distant, through a
pouring rain. On arriving at the gate the rain
ceases, the air becomes serene. . . I invited
all to penitence (lashing with the rope), showing
them the example. . . In token of grati-
tude a magnificent rnitensuristm is being made for the
more decent repose of the relic. For this purpose I
have sent to the capital a priest to watch over the
completion of the work. Two silver lamps, also, at
my xpense, are in the course of construction, to be
placed before the ostensorium, with the Sardis-
signs spinst." Such is a portion only of
the report of the uchbiahop of the diocese, as
published in the official journal of the Two Sicilies ;
and the object and the direct influence of that church
to which the education of the public mind is com-
mitted is but too evident. A remarkable comment
on this miracle and all the circumstances connected
with it is a portion of a sermon preached last week
in the church of Cesii Vecchio.

A solemn mass had been performed to the Holy
Spirit, and the rev. professor of dogmatic theology
thus holds forth :—" True wisdom is the daughter
of revelation, and the safest and most useful doctrines
are these which are taught under the auspices of
Catholicism, the limpid fountain of truth and of
beneficence. The institutions which are protected
incessantly by the wisdom and piety of our august
monarch are always conducive to the increasing well
being and glory of this most flourishin kingdom."
So rev. professors preach, and ro the official Journal
reports, but where shall we find in the intelligence,
the prosperity, or the happiness of this unfortunate
country, the proofs of such wisdom or beneficence ?

PORTUGAL.

SOUTHAMPTON, MONDAY NIGHT.

The Tagus, Captain Christian, Admiralty agent
Lieutenant Grerille, R.N., has arrived with the
Peninsular mails. She left Lisbon on the 19th inst.,
and has brought nineteen passengers. Amongst her
cargo are specie and bullion to the value of nearly
9,0001. sterling.
Her Majesty's ship Curlew was at Gibraltar. The
steamer Aurora was at Oporto. The Tagus spoke
the steamer Volga on the 22nd. 'lhe mail packet
Alhambra was at Vigo.
Yellow fever was still ravaging Lisbon; about
80 a day die of it. The Cardinal Patriarch has died
of the fever ; he is at present buried in the fever
cemetery, but he will be ultimately buried in the
royal vaults. It is supposed that he will bo
succeeded by the Bishop of Oporto. The opera and
public amusements were suspended for three days on
account of the death of the Cardinal Patriarch. One
of the greatest capitalists of Lisbon, Senhor Igressa,
is dead.

The Lisbon Bank is about to raise the rate of dis-
count, which has hitherto been at five per cent. The
Bank has acted most liberally to the commercial
community, and has alleviated the monetary
pressure.
In foreign exchanges at Lisbon the transactions
have been limited. Exchange on London 54, at 30
days ; and MI at 90 days date.
The stock market continues stagnant.
At Cadiz the inhabitants were in hourly expecta-
tion of news of the Queen of Spain's accouchement.
At Gibraltar the exchange on London was 50l for
90 days.

Letters from Constantinople of November 14 state
that Omer Paehahad left the day before for Bagdad, of which
place he is appointed governor.

A German pamphlet published at Bremen, en-
titled "Scandium-43i= tad the Schleswig-Holstein Quee-
ns.," has been seized by order of the Danish government.
A subscription has been opened in Paris in favour
of the sufferers by the dreadful fever which has boos for
some time past desolating Lisbon.

The Memorial of St. Etienne says that the ma-
anfoctuomi of !bat place have just completed the order given
by the British governmentfor the manufacture of 20,000 gone
end 20,000 bayonets. The guns, says the Memorial, are
beautifully latched, and the total coat emounts to 49,0001.
The value of the row material of thew ann. is not more
than two-tenths of the whole cost, so 1,000,000 fr. (40,0001„)
remains to the profit of our workmen end our city,
LONDON, BIRMINOILAN, AND BUNN RAILWAY.—
Two call* are proposed to be made in this cesm, under the
winding up in Chancery, nee of Ili% on each of the ratiteibu-
toner for debts, and another of 1871. each for the discharge
of other debts end costa.