The Express.
London, England, 1868-12-30 00:00:00

RAILWAY COLLISION AT WIGAN.

Last night, a serious railway collision took place
at the Springs branch junction on the London and North.
Western Railway, a short distance south of the Wigan
Famomger station. Just at this point the &cies, Tyliles.
ley and Wigan branch joins the main lbw to the north,
and it was at the spot where the two lines converge that
the accident happened. When the express leaving
Manchester at 4.40 p.m., and due at Wigan at 6.11,
arrived at the junction, a train of laden coal wagons
was moving on an adjacent line, when apparently
it wee out of all danger from the pawing express
Either the engine of the passenger train left the metals at
the points, or some of the oral tracks were off the road,
for a collision °centred of so violent a character that it le
marvellous a serious low of life has not to be recorded.
The engine, after smashing one or two of the Weeks,
and scattenng the owed over the road, appears to
have stuck slow to the remainder of the
for the full length of the train, which consisted of
eight or nine carriages, the occupants of which wore
considerably shaken by the constant bumping. For.
tunataly none were overturned, but the brut carriage,
getting free from the sogmq was thrown across the down
line to which the train at the time of the oolliaion was
shunting. Tbe engine driver, just before this averred,
bad jumped from hie engine, and he was lying across the
rails when the carriage was jerked out of the string, and
both wheels an said to have pawed over hie legs. As soon
as assistance was obtained he was removed to the Man-
chester infirmary. Several of the passengers complained
of serious injuries, but their extent was not known last
night. A large staff of labourers promptly commenced
the work of clearing the line, under the direebon of Mr.
Taberners, the station master. It was, however, more than
two hours before one line was opened for traffic, and there
was little probability that both would be in working ceder
before this morning.

FOIMION-OFFICI, Dsc. 28.—The Queen bee been
pleased to approve of Don Francisco (fished as Consul for
Spina in the counties of Northumberland and Durham, to
reside at Newcastle.—Gazette. _ _

WIFDSOH CASTLE, DEC. 12.—The Queen was
this day pleased to confer the honour of knighthood on
John Duke Coleridge, Esq., M.P., her Majesty's Solicitor-
GeneraL—Gareffe.
IRISH ELECTION PETITIONS.—An application
was made to Judge Keogh, sitting in chambers yesterday,
for an order directing the petitioner against the return of
Mr. Whitworth for Drogheda to furnish the names of the
persona alleged to have made inflammatory speeches and
hired mobs, as well as particulars of alleged acts of vio-
lence and intimidation. It was resisted by affidavit,
stating that the effect would be to prevents fair trial.
Judge Keogh refused the motion. Pettioas were lodged
yesterday against the return of Mr. O'Conor and Sir G.
lkoth for the county of Sligo. The Dublin and Carrick-
rgus petitions will be tried on the 2lst of January.
TILE MURDER OP A POLICEMAN AT NOR/LUMP-
- see Kemp, detective of the Northamptonshire
totatuk.ow d yesterday morning, at II o'clort, from
the effetts o. t..e gunshot wound inflicted by Wm. dridge-
ater, who will now be charged with murder. The parti-
culate of the shocking occurrence were reported in our
3estsraley's impreasion.
A Itoeg DANCER ON FIRE.--An exciting scene
occurred the other day at Alcazar. Mdlle. Rose &qui, a
rote dancer, was performing some jugglery feats,
balancing daggers, lighted torches, &c. on the tight rope,
when suddenly the terrible cry. " You are on fire I "
arose from the audience. In reality • piece of burning
stuff from one of the lighted torches had fallen on her
heed, and set her long hair on fire. With one foot on the
iron rope, and another in the air, the woman did not lose
her presence of mind. She passed her hand over her
clothes and felt nothing. " der Merges !" cried the
excited people. Mdlle. &qui understood, and carrying
her hand to her head rapidly stifled the fire. She then
continued her performance as If nothing bad happened.
GRIM CHRISTMAS PRESENTS,—The UAW& has
the subjoined:—"The Christmas festival in Spain gave
rise to some cruel pleasantries at the expense of the mem-
ber, of the Provisional Government. Amongst them
was the presentation to the Countess de Reuss of •
magnificent box, highly ornamented, as a gift of the
~IOU for her husband. On the day when it came there
was • grand dinner at the Marshal's, and his wife had
the beautiful offering brought up at the dessert, to exhibit
it. On its being opened, and a paws of paper at the bot-
tom removed, there was seen below a miniature gibbet,
from which the effigy of Prim, in uniform and remarkably
like, was dangling; whilst beside it was • guillotine,
on which a companion imitation of the same personage
was extended. An inscription in letters of silver was to
be seen underneath with the words:—' Either the one or
the other.' A similar present was sent to the wife of
Marshal Serrano."
TORALT.,O FOR THE ASEINO.—A correspondent
of the Jamaica Roving Journal writes l'here is
hardly a district of our country in which we may travel
that one does not see the tobacco growing in every dueo-
tion. The negroes clear the bushes from around the aides
of their houses, pass a flee over it, sprinkle the seeds over
the burnt soil, and before the lapse of many hours the
plant puts it bead above Found, and enough tobacco is
grown to keep their pipes supplied during the year.
There is no preparation -beyond picking the leaves as
they ripen, and Lunging thorn over the fire, the smoke
from which cures them, and makes them palatable. I
have frequently in my ramble+, when hard up for ' honey
dew ' enjoyed a pipe full of the ' country tobacco,' which
by being rubbed up with a little sugar when cut for the
pipe, does not emote ill by any meens. I think that if
with so little preparation our native growth of tobacco
can be made so palatable to one whose taste has been
educated to the enjoyment of the pure unionise, what
would it be if it should happen to be passed under the
curing proems of the Cuba tobacco I"

WAIMESDI

''t

BURIAL 01 TOa LATR_EIIi NA-r,v4

t;

The Beni of Sir Ititobried Mayne book pleas
this moritiag. It was oondnoted as privately M possible.
The arty eenoisted of a hearse and dire* troarning
metres, the latter esatatriag Mr. Hebert Kays, and Yr.
W. Wales, eau of the doomed, sal Otptain 0.
Barrio and Coked Labalasondiere. anirtautontatala.
abeam of pollee. Several hundred sialahen of tho
Metropolitan Police trot the funeral at the cemetery is
onosl-press.

Sir Rickard% remains are deposited In a grave on the
north side of the cemetery close to Boyer'. tomb, where
Sir Richard's ►rather, Lient.-Colossi Wm. Mayne, was
buried in June last year. The whole of the wiembors of
the police force present at the funeral attended volun-
tarily. The Duke and Duchess of Sutherland, Kiss
Burdett Coutta, and m►ny others applied for their car-
riages to follow as a mark of respect, bat the numerous
oilers were declined by Lady Kam sad family, as it was
11. e particular requestof the lateBir Biohardthat Rushmore!
.hould be conducted in the plainest meaner. Oalgaill
Richard C. Wayne, C.D. (commanding 11.11 S. Nassau),
and another sou of the deeply-lanseated oonamisdoner,
were unavoidably absent, the latter from hisses.

TIM SHORT-TIMR MIWIMENT IN LAN-