The Express.
London, England, 1857-12-29 00:00:00

CRYSTAL PALACZ.

Thu experiment of a Christmas revel am tried
yestaday at the Crystal Pekoe, end judging by the number
of visitors it attracted it would man as if the manages' had
judged rightly in projecting it. The whole of the hatielor
wee appropriately decorated with holly and athletes, sal to
micas plaint were displayed mottoes approprisM to the
mom The visitors began to crowd the railway Meths
as lady se 10 o'clock, but the trains which Maned ismer
daddy bike 12 were &Moat unapproachable. Except on •
Derby day we hem seldom seen each smuggling ibr place at
Leadee-bridge. The railway vrangementa were, however,
good, and some how or other an 119/111131111 multitude
got to the Pathos in time kir the dramatic efforts of Pesch
end Jay, who, we used hardly my, peeved immenaly
Mirsolive to • juvenile =dilate. This wee Mowed by the
bast end the coalmine as drapers siege, Intimpereed with
some easelhat old English made hen Mr. Messes bead;
and then acme the guest math to the istradvand table,
the contents of which went demolished by the Witham
=span, with true Christie.. appetites. Mr. Freaptoe's
amoisdiag drug perty:was duly organised sal set a-golag,
but the anxiety of the spectators named than to break to the
rig, sad the ccasequesos wee that the votaries of Terpsichore
were obliged oomiderably to contract, and ultimately to
bring to • premature conclusion, their graoefol gyrations.
'eh concinded with the National Anthem,
'eh was received with much loyal enthusiasm by the omit-
. Ire yeetarday wee the get de re revel, It ma only be
considered is the light et at experiment, mid Oman
ci-
bwesue mast be made exhale altortoreabup is the sewage.
mints, which, under the encouragement which bee already
been glean, will, no doubt, opeedlly be rectided. The
tidbit= meet have more of roach and Judy, and better
regalatiou at the 'wings and roundabouts, es as that one
anthadeetio party of ceneetriene may not occupy the wooden
homes dazing the attire day. The comijarer, too, might be
WA; or perhaps two or three is digerati Mations would
Mese adamant more generally amongst the company.
With attention to the.. few hints., given in the most friendly
spirit, we have ao doubt bat that the Cluietrum remit will
isaisially mist the Crystal Rises treasury.

PUB ON BOARD THE HALM BANDB, SCREIT
(TH41181.011T) STBAXIB.

Wo regret to announce a most foetal catastrophe
by fire happening to the Sarah Bands, trouped steamer, on
bar Damage to India from Portsmouth with the headquarters
and e large portion of the men of the 64th Regiment on
board.

The Sarah Sands war an iron ship, upward el 2,000 tons
Wide, and was formerly employed in running Rom Liver-
pool to Meth America, She was darted by the Baal
India Company for the couveyeam of troops to India, sad
en the /oth of last August she Id Part/month tor Cakette,
seder the imenmsad of Capt. J. B. Castle, with a porde et
the 64th Regiment onboard, comprising Lleat.-Cel. Moffatt.
CaptsdasErett, Thenem,and Gillman; LiestathataGalbeatth. I
Rushes, and Crompo; Brigs Weed. Lientanme and Adyn- I
de Rosette, Surgeon Grant, Amistankthugmet Desoma,
Quartermaster Hipkin, Paymaster Daniel, 61 wergesda.
mopeds, 1 1 drunarners,3oll rash aadfile, 8 women, Tabibbon.
and • =saber of ladies, rethibres el the Masa The voyage
wears to hare bean &mental and the Mk el Noraider„
what the ship had noshed 1e.148., lea. 08. Jostle el
480 Win tea the Rearithes). AMk &deka laths Our-
arca et the day the trope berthed sa the ober or lop den!
noticed a Basil al baring, wash apparent* panelled ben
beim& them la the kid. It IMMO iineuelag, the shins
wee ghat to Caged Castle, who at gale id the otter
bold to be smazoined, when the mese *lowed them roved to
be on fee. It was stolid that the balk elf lie came there
oosaisted of gm/emulate Mena Behr slier this was hauled ,
up fa the hops of geetiag at the seat et timid but la a short
time the smoke booms so de re as to fit fg aszr et the crow
ponies farther into the hold, andlltlinttla whobeltbecebbts
with the walloestios fibre* betel the ladies is sorb valid
ow thequeretrisek. By thieftelbeenthowitheame general
throughout the ship. Thee erns w conhaden, however,
and every order was obeyed by the ten with coolness and
courage. The course of the dip was stepped. Colonel
Moffatt was seen in timely oreadallan wok Oarlela Owe*
deciding upon lIICSIONS it seopreasing the IMMO ; Mb&
the crew wars actively aemloped is taidag all sail la end
bringing the ship below the wind, others ran eat knew it
hot' from the ttrovegleas, w were pang down to Mob
below, while hose was she pat ea to the daukay-englas lan
all these exertions felled in abecideg the progress et the id
Tha powder magazine was cleared, with the easegglea, • Is
mapped, of oes or two bead. Tim WWI coat allerimple
burst up through the deck, and, seesies eledk the tides
cabins, speedily set the grids eat are. There was a hem
gala blowing at the time, eta the Alp wee Toning ad 'Mk-
leg. The boats were laesabod without the least aailK the
troops were muttered es desk, then was no reihtethe keen
and the men complied with their commands with as mod
order as on parade. Colonel Mad informed them that
Capt. Castle did not despair of saving the ship, but for Mir
own preservation it had ban doomed advisable to keep the
boat off so as to act in owe of emirgeacy. The ladies, ma
men, and children were lowered into the pert lifeboat, end
the was directed to stand off until further orders. All hinds
then turned to constructing rafts of spare spare. In a dolt
time three were put together, and which mead ham
been capable of saving a large portion of thee,
on board. Captain Cattle "warded in lass dies
two overboard, and the third was left sane the
deck to be lowered at a moment's notice. About aim
o'clock the Moles burst through the upper deck, and ignited
the Dairen rigging. Through the forethought of Captain
Coda in bringing the ship before the wind the fire mad
smoke was swept sternways. However, the bulkhead of the
after pert of the grip withstood the action of the flames, and
herr all efforte were concentrated to keep it cool. Parry
otter party of the troops volunteered for the work ; as It
was several fell seamless from the suffocating intblence of
the smoke, and were dragged up apparently dead. For
hours did this state of affairs continue. Although the men '
kept the Are at bay below, it gained the main rigging,
and was there with great difficulty extinguished.
The dames ware gradually beaten back, and by daylight
oreaghady got rimier. It was not ton then that the herbal
havoc mode by the are wee meshy asseetatetL The after
part et the ship was burnt out, merely he shell eassithiag.
and now another fate threatened her. The gale stilt Fo-
raged, and the ship was rolling and pitching in a homy sea,
constantly chipping considerable water at the port quarter,
which had been blown out by the explosion of some gunpow-
der. She had 13 feet of water in her hold, and steps bad
been taken to prevent her foundering. All the men
were set to the pumps and bailing water out of the hold.
Captain Castle, fearing the stern would fell out, got
two hawsers under her bottom, and made them taut.
The next difficulty was to stop the water, which
wee pouring in through the quarter. There was no
abatemsot is the gale during the morning, and
it was not till two o'clock in tho afternoon that the boats
motaintng the women and children could be gut along-
side. They were got on board, and the other boats which
bad been ordered off during the ragtag of the Ike, returned,
with the exception of the gig, which had been swamped
during the night. The OfIaCCT in charge of her, how-
ever (Mr. Wood) sad the hander, were picked up by another
boat. During the remainder of the dry, the following night,
and succeeding day, the whole of the hands and troops were
engaged working the pumps, and clearing the ship of the
water. By the evening of the 13th the crew enceeeded in
securing the stern, and getting steerage way on the ship.
She had then drifted ea far as lon. 13.12. 8. Captain
Castle then set all sail, and bore up in the hope of making
the Mauritius, end matte that port in eight days. The
of In command of the troops speak in the highest terms
of the conduct of Captain Csetle during the trying occasion.
By the latest meted, the headquarters and men of the
50th Regiment continued at the Manritint, awaiting the ar-
rival of a ship Minks them on to their destination.
The Borah Sande was howl], insured at Lloyds.

Sol= Kinterierrox Muntox.—Dariog the week
ending Dee. 18 the Tinton Imo bear —Oa
Monday, Turley, end fey (tree der), 6.168 ; es
Motedsy. Teeing, sad ereerday (free evenlags), 044 ;
Cel days (elselsien to tie pub% B_4
378; see etillialie evere (Weiresday), 70 ; need, 9,3fiL
I __GUM& PALM ••• OMR *KILLING DAT.

x;;;;;Thici:ii:="4.7Z.7.--- :5;453
Mr.* arm 1111.81, 1.886; Mg sma 14,848.