The Express.
London, England, 1861-01-04 00:00:00

THE WEATHER AND THE PARKS.

The weather yesterday continued intensely cold,
with a cutting north-easterly. wind, which had the effect of
rendering the ico in the various ornamental waters of the
different royal pal ks, &,c., much firmer than on the previous
day. The thermometer at the Royal Humane Society's
Receiving-house in the shade, during Wednesday night, was
as low as 27 deg. At nine o'clock yesterday morning it still
stood at the same point, but at noon the mercury ascended
to 31. The barometer during yesterday was 30 deg. 34 min.,
and the weather was returned by Mr. Superintendent Wil-
liam as being heivy and foggy.
THE SERPENTINE, HIDE-PAS[.—the whole of this piece
of water has, with the exception of the south part and a
little at the east end, become frozen over, and the ice is
now firm, smooth, and tolerably safe. During yesterday,
the scenes upon the frozen surface resembled a great fair,
owing to there being over 3,000 persons upon it and a
long range of bazaars and tents for the sale of " creature
comforts for the skaters ; the blazing fires for cooking
chestnuts, and the large number of sinters with lighted
rhunbestuza at night with occasional discharges of
fireworks and coloured fires, produoed an exciting scene.
Several serious accidents took place by persons falling or
being tripped by the skaters, and some sustained severe cut
heads. A man in passing over the ice fell and put has hip
out of joint, tad it was deemed advisable to have him re-
moved to St. George's Hospital. Several members of the
Skating Club patronised this sheet of ice during the day,
and went through various graceful evolutions. Should the
present weather continue till Tuesday a grand pyrotechnic
dis_play will take place on the ice in this park.
THE LONG WATER, KIGOUNOTGN-OARDENS.—The sliders
and skaters on this water yesterday numbered 2,000, in-
cludieg a great many gentlemen belonging to the Skating
Club. Various evolutions were gone through, such as
'quadrilles, polkas, &e. There were also several ladies who
amused themselves by cutting out figures on the ice. No
accidents occurred.

THE Rouwu Pont —Several portions of the ice being in
a very dangerous state, the Society's men were obliged to
put poise and barriers round to prevent persons from being
immersed. No accident beyond a few cut heads happened.
THE REGF-VeB PABE.—An immense number of persons
ventured on the ice in this park, but no accident happened.
Sr. JAMEH'eI PAHL—The we in this park was crowded
with sliders and skaters during the day, and even after the
evening set in. Several slight immersions and cut heads
happened during the day, but the following nearly
fatal. A little boy broke through the ice, and fribl.°,7!
slanting position in the water and disappeared under the
frozen surface. The alarm having been given, Iceman
Perry tried, but in vain, to hook bim up by the drags, and
being unable, he courageously dived into the hole, and by
getting under the ice laid hold of the boy, brought him out
amidst the applause of the spectators, took him to the
Society'. tent and placed him in a hot bath, and under the
treatment of Dr. WCann, of Parliament-rdzeet, the sufferer
happily recovered. No accident of importance took place
at the other parks, although they were attended by a con.
Writable number of persons.

A GIRL'S HEAD SHOT OFF.

An aocident of a fatal nature occurro at Halli-
well, near Bolton, on Wednesday, which has thrown quite
a gloom over the neighbourhood, and plunged two families
into deep sorrow. It appears that • man named
Henry. Rostron, a stone cutter, residing in that town,
was In the habit of amusing himself by shoot.
ing sparrows, and for this purpose he had the
banal of a fowling-piece with • stock resembling
the head of • walking stick. On Christmas•day Rostron
loaded the barrel with twenty Imitate, and was going out to
shoot, when a neighbour came in to see him about %home.
He immediately placed the gun on a chest of drawers
in the kitchen and went out. At the same time, it
had • cap on the nipple, which was afterwards taken
off by a young man named John Parker, who lodged
in the house. The loaded barrel was then placed in the
corner of the kitchen. It remained there until noon on
Wednesday. On that day a young man named Thomas
Ellam, about eighteen years of age, a factory operative,
and nephew of Rostron, entered the house, N% bile he ass
there Mrs. Rostron went ont to get something from a
neighbouring shop, and left Ellam reading a news.
paper by the fireside. There were also left in the
same room a little girl, Mary Elisabeth Rostron,
who was about four years old, and an infant in a
cradle. The girl was looking at as almanack when the
mother went out. As soon as the mother had turned her
back, Ellam took up the barrel of the gun, and commenced
snapping the lock. After doing this twice the gun ex-
ploded, and carried away the upper portion of the girl's
head, killing her on the spot. On seeing the frightful
result of the explosion Eileen ran out of the house to hie
own home. Ellam's parents were both in, and were very
much alarmed at his cries. Some time elapsed before he
was able to speak, and then he exclaimed, " Oh, I've killed
little Polly. The father immediately proceeded to the
house of Kestrels, and found deceased lying on the floor,
before the Bre, in u pool of blood, and scarcely recognisable.
What made the accident wear, at first, a serious complexion,
was the fact that on Tuesday, when Ellam was In the
house, he took up the gun, ante Mrs. Rostron immediately
told him to put it down, becausei it was loaded, and he im.
misliately replaced it in the corner. An inquest on the
deceased was held yesterday, at the Crofter's Arms, before
Mr. Rutter, when the facts of the case were fully inveati.
gated, and a verdict of " Accidentally shot " was returned.
Ellam bears a very good character, and was a great
favourite in the house of his uncle.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

(THDI DAY.)

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Before Mr. Contrnissioner Inc.)
IN RE DAUNT AND NIL:-ON.
ih, Istekrupts, Klwarti Rummell Mont and
.114,1 Itroed-etreet. This wee the wl•
~creel eurninstu.ii meeting. The soo,unte porpuld by
Ilsrt ttr ,the,., and !kyles rural over thirteen
oaths pre.r t.. th. (Allure, sad therlose a hip mount et
1..11. Eh.. t..ll,,siag are t►e times at the joint
beLdice .Ma .

f • rrechtorn
Ditto holding *reunites in shares..... NU lit 2
%soma brought into the first by Joke
011.. . 3,990 15 9
PfoeitA . . :1,!! Ai 5 if
. .
Lutnlities 121.1.111., of which expected
to .one again...gibe neents . . . . 31.800 7 I

14 404,., .
..
6,25 i 14
ratunst4.4 to main . . . . 1.5111 1.1 3
I arne.l to lows . . ANY 3 11
John Williams .
hoperty
Ditto bell by creditors os aban.
Warm b by creditor. os biW ilistosated
. .
l'artwrihip dmiriap • •
la•Reienev lit. Jut .
Bad

rie.7lo 10 11

C 1 10 3
1.319 14 3
w 3 3
573 ti
1,013 15 0
1,143 0 0
WI I 1
4,570 0 10

vAN; 3 2
OM $ 5
31,600 7 1

1A6,790 10 IL

IN NNW...-. 121,4111. on bilk the larspih amount,
held b lb. bleenuttila Diec.,unt Company, bat
.416 • dis4l prup,rtios of thaw• will omit, azainit the

Mr. Lawrence sopi•eter.L
Mr. Ilaklater. for the asaysees. the •ittta4 had
leAra asljuarsiest for the purrr lavestsgattog the ae
stets awl thew. was Dow 00 e•h$T1100 10 the haakrupte
1... mg, with some tritlwj alteretiAts in the separate
I..Lsocs sheets.
the haahrapts pressed sail the eertiheete sitting was fixed
1,4 the Ist d February.

DEATHS FROM THE vEVERITY OF THE
WEATHER.

Thiv morning Mr. G. S. Brent, deputy-coaromor
for Westflews, attended at the George, bud'. ey-stresi,
meyee.dials, Pot the purpose of investigating the cause of
death in three •-•...e.• iu which thedeceued were found dead,
death.. bring ounpowd to have been pooducal or axe-
h•rated he the ..eventy of the weather.
. .

. . .
The hrst case wax that of Margaret Condon, aged 4ii, a
. liars unuu, who lived with her brother, at 3d, '..:rown-
-dreet. She was au inveterate drunkard, and for the put.
rio+e of satisfying her morbid appetite, sold the clothes from
11.1 hack and the shoat frost her feet. During the told
weather she was attacked with • cough and bronchial
affection, and mi the 24th ult. was removed to the St.
Dile:. Workhouse, but ow her arrival there she we.
found dead in the chair. Mr. H. Bennett, the infirm-try
sumo°, made a punt mortem examination, and found death
to have been the result of c.ougestion of the lunge and brain
and inflammation .4 the bronchial tube+. She had been a
victual to interupeninee, accelerated by the cold weather.
Venlir•t—" Death from natural causes.'

The second case was that of A remarkably fine child,
gamed Geo. J. Brown, aged two months, the son of respect.
able people living at 10, Great St. Andrew-street. This wan
a death from suffocation, arisiog from the natural desire of
the mother to protect her child from the cold while lynx;
in bed. The child was on the mothers arm, uoder the bed-
clothes, tel thus became smothered. The mother was
deeply affected, and begged the jury to free her from any
intentional act of cruelty. Verdict —" Dvath from maws.
lion by misfortune."
The third inquiry was on the {rode of dames Holloway,
aged $2, who was found deed on the door of hie apart.
meat. The deceased, it appeared, had for several years
bier. a lodger at the George public•house, anal was very
abstemious awl respectably connected. On the Atli
alt. he complained of the severely cold weather, anal Mr.
Mace, the lauillonl, provided him with something warm.
whea the deceased retired to his room. Subse-
quently Mrs. Mace took him up ,iime warm food,
when she found him extended tin the tioor dead.
apparently so though he had fallen from his chair. The
postmortem examination proved that death was produced
by congestion of the lungs and brain, as also by diseased
dilation of the heart. The cold weather a, doubt &eerie.
rated ileath. Verdict, " Death from natural causes."

lalinty.coninet remarked upon the enormous in-
crease of deaths during the present cold seaman. Ile said
that haring the present week he should investigate the
cane.) of death in no many as CO Gee,.
Mr. Hine, the summoning officer, said he hail two other
notices to forward to the coroner, the one being that of a
man between :10 and 41) years of age, who was yesterday
f, and dead in a lodging house in queenwtreet, Iducolds-
ionhelits, while Bitting in the kitchen with his antis resting
IC the table. The second case was that of 41 poor man who
fell suddenly dead last evening in a mililichouse in Moor.
street, solm.
The proceeding, then closed.

LONDON DOCK 00.11PANY.-(THIS DAY.)

The annual meeting of the proprietors w•as hal
at the Lemke llock•houee, Bank•bmldiege ; Mr. M tertian
i• the chair.

The report, which was read by the Secretary (Mr. T. 1,
(31.1.gritrei said :—" The number of loaded Mips from
'metre ports which entered the dock during the six
months ending the 10th of November last was 484,
measuring 106,138 tons. The number for the corresponding
period of 1460 was rO4, measuring 244.567 tons. The
amount of earnings during the six months ending 30th Nov.
last has been 206,0461. 6e. 4d. ; the amount for the mires.
ponding period of 1659 was =AV& ltie. 4d. The amount
of expenditure for the six months ending 30th Nov. last
hos been 162,5391. Ss. 3d. The amount for the corre.
speadieg period in 1869 wee 166,1341. 6e. By the
statement of the Amcor:iota for the half year now laid before
the meeting it will be seen that the balance standing at the
credit of profit and lass is 136,6321. 3s. 64., out of
which the directors recommend the payment of • dividend
of 11. 2s. 6d. per cent. on the company's stook for the half
year, amounting to 42,..401. Is. 11d., which will leave a
kisce in favour of the company of 143,692/. Is. 7d. j
The income tax will be deducted from the dividend.
Of the balance standing at the credit of profit
mad loss, the su.n of 161,1101. Ts. 7d. consists of
the amount of outstanding charges doe to the '
company to goods in the warehouses. The stock of goods
in the warehouses on the 30th Nov , 1859, was Hki.1427
tons ; at the same time last year it was , 102,874
tons. The directors are desirous of affording to the pro.
primers a fuller eiphinatios than moral of the causes which
during the last half.year appear to have led to a great fall.
ing off in the tonnage of loaded vowels which entered the
dock, as compared with the corresponding period of 1859.
The fallin,i.off in the tonnage (continued the report) is
mainly attributable to the circulation of reports that the
Lenin Dock water injures the metal sheathing of ships,
on which account the manufacturers of the article notified
to the owners of ships, in the autumn of the year 1839,
that they wee Id not continue to guarantee its
durability as they formerly did. From the first
prevalence of these reports the directors have spared no
pains to invest*te the matter. They have obtained a volu-
minous body el evidence, showing that the premature decay
thereof ersually occurs in cases where the vessels have never
been MUM London Dock water, or in the port of London ;
and they have the report of an eminent metallurgist, stating
that the IMO decay has been observed for some time past
to hike pMce in copper on her Majesty's ships, and
is balkved by him to arise from the preeence of impurities
in that article especially consequent on the importation of
large quantities of foreign copper, and inasmuch as copper
enters largely into the manufacture of metal sheathing, the
inference is that the causes affecting copper produce
similar injury in metal sheathing. The water
taken from all parts of the dock has been chemi-
cally analysed weekly for many months pant, Heil it
has been ascertained not to contain any ingredient
cehulated to affect the metal sheathing of ships. The di.
rectors are, therefore, now enabled to assure the proprietors
and the public that the decay in the metal sheathing of
ship' is in no way attributable to the dock water, but arises
from totally different causes. The prejudicial mortis
alluded to have interrupted the progreasive increase in the
tonnage of that large clam of vessels fur the reception
and accommodation of which the new entrance at ithadwell
was specially intended. The diminution in the earnings
from ships and goods is to a certain extent the necessary
result of the falling-off in the ton sg The director, at
the last meeting apprised the pewettees, that acting in
concert with the other dock companies, this company bad
reduced the importer' rates on many articles of mer-
chandise to the extent of 20, and in some instances
.4, per cent. —• reduction rendered necessary in order to
meet the growing competition in charges to which these
dock establishments are subjected. The effect of this
reduction on the earnings has been considerable during
the past half-year, whilst it is scarcely possible to estimate
to what extent the measure bee prevented the removal of
goods from ships ovenute." In the concluding part of the
report, the directors stated that the expenditure was re-
ceiving their meat careful attention, ad that a committee
had been constituted, whose special province it was to sug-
gest any improvement which might lead to a reduction.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the meet.
expressed the deep regret of the directors at the fallingself
in the receipts. It was, however, satisfactory to god
that the reduction occurred almost eutinly is Yr
last halflear. The falling off in the tossers ebbe
in the haMyear main November 30 wm MAO
tons lees is tie whole yew *oh 12,000 tons. As
gli
the West of the doe* water non metal sheathirird
rthat there was lei,' in the dock for a very keg
• dud covered in that manner, and it wen lined to
=lmbed no injury. He then mentioned ether beta
111 Mersa at this view.
The soli= having been seconded,
Alleesomioo ensued in whiciaNwo or three SinillibolllllllollZ-
Cle4oObtf whether the unfeernirable omens reepeselas
rk water were the sole or main came of the idling
off In the receipts, (keening that other dock oseoploise
were subjected to the mane &admits" and yet their
dividends were maintained.
The report was ultimately adopted.