The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-05 00:00:00

THIT.NPRR STORM.

The weather up to Friday last, had been most delightful for
the country ; and vegetation, under the genial influence of alternating
rain and sunshine, progressed very rapidly. The corn crops are
luxuriant, and the potato flourishing as in its palmieat days. The
entire face of the country presents a cheering aspect, and Nature
smiles in the prospect of an abundant return of "bread to the eater,
and seed to the sower." These rich bounties cannot but fill the heart
with gratitude to the Great Dispenser, who, in his meroy, makes" His
sun to shine upon the evil and the good, and sends His rain upon the
just and the unjust." But while a gracious Providence thus displays
his goodness to mankind, He Fometimes exhibits the greatness and
majesty of His power. Yesterday, the morning set in with a bright
sunshine, but as the day advanced the atmosphere became sultry and
oppressive, and dark otonds charged with electricity overcast the face
of the sky, giving indication of a change, which was subsequently
realised, to the dismay of the nervous, and even the alarm of the most
stoat-hearted. Shortly before four o'clock, the lightning began to
play with awful grandeur, and the thunder to rattle with terrific fury.
For nearly an hour this war of elements continued with scarcely the
slightest intermission. flash after flash, and peal ferowing peal, in
rapid succession, shaking the town to its centre, and making the
inhabitants to quail for very fear. During the entire time hail of an
extraordinary large size, and v,ry,,heavy rain fell without cessation,
deluging the streets, particularly the centre of Castle-street, which,
being in a low sination, wts submerged to the depth of over a foot.
It is to be feared that destruction cf property to a largo amount must
be occasianed by the storm. In our own locality it has been attended
with some slight loss of property. A fine heifer was killed in a field
at Dromie, about. a quarter-of-a-mile from town, and we learn that
in an aloine field two sheep were charred to death by the lightning ;
and the fluid, in its career, struck a large poplar tree in Dublin-road,
one of the outlets of this town, which it shivered, and removed a strip
of the bark from the base to nearly the summit. These are the only
oecnrrences that we have heard resulting from the thunder storm in
the locality, but there are serious apprehensions that other places
must have also suffered, more or less, from its effects. After the
storm had subsided the rain continued for a short time; but by Fix
o'clock the weather was again fine, and remains so up to the present,
though the atmosphere is still very heavy and oppressive.—Nenagh
Guardian.

WINES IN THE HOSPITALS.—The consumption of wines in our
public hospitals constitate4 one of the heaviest items of their expen-
diture. The wine account at Guy's Hospital last year was 1,0831. ;
the spirit account, 3761. Total, 1,459/. At St. Thomas's, the wine
account was 629/. ; spirit account, 5211. Total, 1,1501., or 2,6091. in
one year in the borough hospitals alone.—Medical Times.
The incident related by the Czas of Cracow, which represented
that a Russian general had received corporal punishment in the Kiew
theatre at the hands of the students of that to, n, turns out, as we had
suspected, to be a hoax. The Austrian government had given an
official warning and a severe reprimand to the• above-n med journal,
for having published what may be considered as art improper reflec-
tion on a friendly power.
LATIN GaAcEs.—Tne long graces which in College-hall, at Cam-
bridge, are read off the card by a fellow before meat, and by a
scholar after meat (in default of a scholar, by the way, " read short
by a fellow) are a relic of the times b fore the reformation, which
perhaps wou'd be •' more honoured in the breach than in the observ-
ance." Pit- the revival of the use of Latin tor the motions dignified
by the name of " graces," in the senate, is sheer classic foppery; and
the printing of these graces in the newspapers in the same language
(as near as prin. er can do it) is absurd.

At Zurich, in former time, it was the custom, when a married
couple applied for a divorce on account of incompatibili y of temper,
for the magistrates to shut up the pair in a❑ isolated tower on the
lake. Not only were they condemned to a C3MIIIOII room, but they
were supplied with only on bad, one chair, one knife, and one fork,
so that their comfort depended entirely on mutual complaisance. If
after the expiration of the fo tnight, they persisted in their resolution,
the trbuna! ordered a serious examination of the case, and, if possible,
the divorce. But in general the quarrelsome pair did not wait for the
end of the trial to which they were sut,jected to become reconciled
and to request to be released.

IRON CHURCHES IN THE METROPOLIS.—The iron churches recently
erected in London are found to answer every purpose for which they
were designed. There are now five of them, one in call of the
following districts—Kennington, Kentish Town, Newington Butts,
St. George's East, and Holloway. The Holloway church cost 1,0001.,
and is capable of accommodating 700 people. The Rev. J. [lodgers
describes it as "a most comfortable place of worship, well ventilated,
warm in winter, cool in summer," and adds " that it can be easily
taken down when no loner needed in the district." It is 90 feet
long, 40 feet wide, and 20 feet high, lined with wood, which is covered
with c 'nvas and papered. The same clergyman remarks that these
churches are exactly adapted to the peculiar wants of the day in
respect of church accommodation.
THE BALLOT SOCIETY.—Tho executive committer met on Monday.
A satis'actory financial report for the past week was presented. The
following resolutions in reference to the parliamentary proceedings of
the session were unanimously agreed to :—" That this committee
desire to record their conviction that the motion to be made by Lord
R. Cecil on Thursday next, fur a committee to inquire into the :expe-
diency of collecting the votes at elections in counties and rinivanities
by way of voting paper,, ought to be oppostd by every member of Par-
liament favourable to the ballot." " That Mr. Berkeley, M.P., be
requested to bring on the motion for the ballet if possible on Tuesday,
June 30." Letters were read from Mr. Calcutt, M.P. (Clare county),
Mr. Locke, M.P. (Southwark), and Lieutenant-Col mel. Stuart, M.P.
(Cardiff'', announcing their intention of supporting Mr. Berkeley's
motion.

HEALTH OF LONDON.—The returns from the metropolitan districts
exhibit a further decrease in the weekly mortality. The deaths,
which in the two previous weeks were 1,050 and 948, were in the
week that ended on Saturday 915. Last week was so favourable to
the health of London that the number of its inhabitants who died was
less by 154 than that which would have been planed on the registers
if the average rate of mortality had prevailed. During the last three
weeks the mean temperature of the air has been 58 degs., or nearly
14 deers. higher than it had been in the three weeks preceding. The
deaths arising from diseases of the respiratory organs continue to
decrease; the numbers returns I in the last three weeks were 202,
167, and 139. Last week the births of 846 boys and 856 girls, in all
1,702 children, were registered in London. In the ten corresponding
weeks of the years 1847-56 the average number was 1,436.
FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE GREENWICH RAILWAY.—On Monday
night, at 12 o'c'ock, a fetal accident occurred to a platelayer in the
employ of the Sente-Eastern lailway Company, named Wade. It
appears that the deceased had been engaged at the Deptford station
throughout the day in signalling the various trains conveying holiday-
makers from London to Greenwich, and on the arrival of the last down
train he got uron one of the carriages for the purpose of proceeding
to Greenwich to his residence. It is supposed that whilst the train
was is motion the unfortunate man attempted to pass along the step
of one of the carriages, when. missing his footing, he fell across the
metals, an obstructien being felt be' the guard of the train. On a
search being made, the poor fellow was found with both legs nearly
severed fermi his body by the train passing over him. He was con-
veyed to One of the London hospitals as quickly as possible, but expired
shortly afterwards. The deceased was a married man, and has left a
widow and a family of three young children.
FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT IN FRANCE.—The Journal de la Meuse
contains an account of the fatal accident which happened on Thurs.;
day evening at Bar le Due, on the Paris and Strasburg Railway.
The express train to Paris, in consequence of the frac:nre of a wheel,
ran oft the rails near tie Mussey station, end the deputetinperint nt
at Bar le Duc went to hie spot with a pilot-engine end a waggo r, to
render assistence, leaving orders that no train should start from Bar
le Due until the lino was clear. These orders, however, were mis-
understood, and the superintendent himself, arriving at the station
immediately afterwards, started with a goods train, in ign ranee or
the arrangements made by his subordinate officer. In the meantime
a portion of the exprees train which had broken down was being
t ;ken back to Bar le Due by the sous chef with the pilot engine, so
that it met the goods train, and there was a terrible collssion. Two
men, a labourer on the line and a workman of Eperray, were killed,
and a donee other persons were more' or less injured. The fragments
of the carriages and engines took fire, and the firemen of the p•aco
were called in to extinguish it.
THE SEAMEN OF THE NORTFI•EAST PORTS.—The seamen of the
Tyne and Wear are signing a petition to Parliament, wherein they
state various facts with regard to the loss of life and property in the
North Sea. They assert that—" Disasters at sea and loss of life and
property are on the increase, more particularly along the coasts of
Yorkshire, Durham, and Northumberland. Your petitioners would
direct the attention of your honourable House to what, in their judg-
ment, gained from daily experience, are the causes to be reasonably
assigned for this decrease of security of life and property at sea :
First, incompetent crews ; second, vessels sailing undermanned ;
third, the increase of mixed crews speaeing different languages;
fourth, the increase of steamers, and the collisions by steamers, fre-
quently from no look out being kept, or landsmen being at the helm ;
fifth, crews of ordinary seamen or landsmen navigating ships and
being ignor ntof themarks of the lead; sixth, sending ye :sell to sea in
an unseaworthy state, either from defecti e hulls, leakage, bad ground
tackle, or old and useless sails, wore-out rigging, or rotten spars.
Bat coming more directly to the loss s on the north-east coast of
England, your petitioners are folly persuaded that many lives might
b 3 saved by the erection of a harbour of refuge "
THE SLAVE TRADING GOVERNOR Or, CllRA.—Recent accounts give
details of the scandalous manner in which Don Jose Concha, Marquis
of the Hay ,neeh, has encouraged, for his own advantage, the irepor-
, tatters of negroes. In the early days of this (his second) command
in Cuts, lie pursued the slave trade with extraordinary rigour anit
activity. Cordons of tr. ops wore est.blished on all sides, and frequent
domiciliary visas were made to the plantations. When this vigilance
and seseriry had produced their effect, and, owing to the rarity of the
article, the value of negroes had nearly doubled itself, the Caetain
• General suddenly relaxed tire rein, and connived at importation, on
condition of receiving four ounces per head for each negre, instead
of two, with wheel his predee- ss ra had content, d themselves. It
is estimated that 10,000 slaves have been brought into Cuba during
his commend there, and teethe has made about 800,000 dollars by the
transaction. To this enormous sum must be added, it is said, others
also very considerable, received in tire form of puts de yin, in other
words, bribes, for preferences and protection granted to particular
enterprises. So that General Jose Concise, who is noted for his
parsimony, will return to Europe with a princely fortune.—Letter
from Madrid.
LIFE'S SECRETS —Rich brown locks, passionate love, and deep early
sorrow, strangely different as they seem from the scanty while hairs,
the apateetie content, and the unexpected acquiescence of old age,
are but part of the , ame life's journey ; as the bright Italian plains,
with the sweet Addio of their beckoning maidens, are part ,if the same_
day's travel that brings us to the other side of the mountain, between
the rombre rocky walls and among the guttural voices of ,he Valais.
To those wee were familiar only with the grey-haired vicar, jagging
leisurely along on his old ceeetnut cob, it would perhaps have been
hard to b iieve that he had or r been the Maynard (dull, who, with a
heart full of passion and teed 'mess, bed urged his block Kitty to her
swiftest minim on the way to Callem, or that the old gentleman of
caustic tongue, and bucolic tastes, and sparing habits, had known all
the deep secrets of devoted love, had struggled throngh its days
and nigh s of anguish, and trembled urdir its enspeakable joys.
And, indeed, the Mr. Gilfil of those late Shepperton days had
more of the k' etc and remesiness or poor human nature than there
ley rimy Meer l .nt of in the open-eyed loving Maynard. But it is. with
men as wit r tress if yore lop off their finest branches, into which
they were pouring their young lise-juice, the wounds will be healed
over with some rough boss, some odd excrescence ; and what might
have been a grant teem expanding into liberal shade, is but a whim-
sical miss-shapers trunk. Mime an iri Retiree fault, many an unlovely
deity, has rem of a hard sorrow, which has crushed arid maimed
the nit Ile jent ellen it was expending into plenteous beauty, and
the trivial errine lire which we visit with our harsh blame, may be
hut es the nest me), motion of a men whom best limb is withered.—
Blecesterod's Movagine.
HE DER ,T.--Tha richest Derby ever won was in 1849 -the Flying
Duteern an's year—when the value of tire stakes was £6,325. The
race has been timed for the Fast eleven years. Ihe quickest run
race was lii it as, Serelice, who covered the ground in 2 minutes 48
seconds-12 sm/orls
Acts
than the !kyles: Dane:man, 4I seconds
speedier than West Attsmellan, arid 9 seconds quicker than Tedaing-
ten. Messrs. Golly anti It sdale, it Wage ticul.sted, won £Me,Mio when
St. • ies nin 1/.3.32. The same orates stigio to win eeBo,ooo On Peed
Rover in tenant's winning year, leilo. Waxy an .1 Sir Peter, were the
sires Of It most nerby winners f each—FleThosn get three. Mr.
F. seer:dells won 0 about Deniel O'Bourke, fathers:ls he had
rent eeteree a lies tri Ms book before the horses went up to start. •
Weet Australten, the flying nutehman, arei treddingten, were the
years when the fortune of the gentlemen division veva:lee. They.
" milked" tee ring of '152,0001n the latter's year. The g ntteman's
earth emen's yeer was Voltieeur. The ring ilium, bed in Little W cinder
Monarraesyear. Mr. Davis, "the aevia,hen "(a fewyears
ey lulu carpenter woit ow 'hetrl.h,rigforierrsonly C
little beforeublt),hashre a racenknown
t•,om malees off a . of
foOed t).?•; wine.lt°9)' bi
like ausouat i3arbarian's success, and
comes
bomook
stood
'half tire sum I Hotspur had won In atoittirigTe,tiaidhesygetaorn,
w£o4no.,OSDoa7iads
raid
aid over his list counter to tee backers of. that herse. He paid Mr.
Greville a cheque 215,000 'the day aft
O'Ronrke to said to have cost Lan .c 30,000, as parties bad got on at
100 to 1. fie pad Mr. Power a cheque for £30,000 in Went Aes-
tralian's year, and lost in all over tint horse :0-18,000. The Prince of
Wales, afterwards George the Fourth, eon the rare with Sir Tsomas,
in 1788; rind his brother, the Duke of York, ors two necasions—in
1816 with Prirce Leopold, and in 1822, with Moses, who sees !After,
wards sold to the Duke of Ilielhmon 1 for 1.100 genie"