Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-06-24 00:00:00

TWO MEN KILLED BY LIGHTNING.

In the past week the atmosphere in Berkshire was
greatly charged with electricity, and on the afternoon of
Tuesday an awful thunderstorm occurred in the neigh-
bourhood of Inkpen,i which is situated a few miles only
from the town of Hungerford, in Berkshire. Three men,
named Martin, Buxey, and Palmer, were employed in
mowing the grass on the lawn of Kirby House, the resi-
dence of Mr. C. Butler, on Tuesday afternoon, and when
a storm of thunder and lightning broke over the place
one of them suggested that they should run beneath a
tree. Martin, knowing that trees generally attracted
lightning, immediately remarked, "We had better go any-
where rather than under a tree.' Buxey and Palmer, how-
ever, as the storm was severe, and the hail was falling hea-
vily at the time, ran and seated themselves beneath a large
lime tree, but Martin walked off to a cottage, and was
safely sheltered. In about half an hour after the storm
had abated both Buxey and Palmer were found lying on
the grass beneath the tree quite dead, the electric fluid
having struck the upper part of the tree, then descended
it, and laid prostrate the two men who were sitting there.
The cloths of Buxey were found to be on fire. The melan-
choly event has excited painful interest in the neighbour-
hood, especially as one of them has left a widow and five
children wholly unprovided tor. An inquest has been
held on the bodies, and the jury returned a verdict in
accordance with the facts adduced. The hair of Palmer,
when his body was removed, was observed to have been
much scorched.

LITEIIARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEETlNGS.—Wednesday :
Society of Arts, at four (annual general meeting) ; Royal
Society of Literature, at half-past eight. Thursday :
Numismatic, at seven (annual meeting).—Atheneum.
Mdlle. Plunkett, who has been an absentee from the
London stage for a long time, returned on Wednesday even •
Bho appears at the Roy l Italian Opera in a new ballet,
" Terpsichore." On That-ally evening: Mdlle. Balfe
will make her first appearance 49 Lucia. Fra Di wolo,"
with a really " unprecedented" c Ist, is being actively
prepared.

A. QUARTEMY %VIEWER ON FHB SPERM OF RAILWAYS.
What (said the reviewer) can be more palpably absurd and
ridiculous than the prospect held out of locomotives tra-
velling twice as fast as stage coaches ? We should as soon
expect the people of Woolwich to suffer themselves to be
fired off upon one of Congreves riochet rockets,
as trust themselves to the mercy of such a machine going
a' such a rate. We will back old Father Thames against
the Woolwich- Railway for any sum. We trust that Parlia-
ment will, in all railways it may sanction, limit the speed
to eight or nine miles an hour, which we entirely agree
with Mr Sylvester is as great as can be ventured on with
safety.—Life of Sic George 6tephenson, by S. Smiles.
THE HUNGARIAN PROTESTANTS The Zeit of B.rlin
states that tie following are some of the claims put for-
wird by the Hungarian Protestants :—The re-establish-
ment of the laws which guarantee their religious liberty ;
the right of choosing the administrative boiy governing
their ecclesiastical and educational institutions ; the pri-
vilege of organising their own ecclesiastical tribunals and
consistories; of founding schools, of appointing masters
to the same, and of regulating the course of education to
be pursued therein ; the right of convoking synods without
Imperial authorisation ; of printing religious and educa-
tional writings, without the same being subjected to govern-
mental scrutiny. These claims form the subjete of repeated
interviews at Laxemhurg between the Emperor and the
Ministers of Public Worship and of the Interior.
How TO SAVE TUE BEEF—We read the following in a
New York paper. It is a letter addressed to the editor :
—ln my boyish days (half a century ago) I was sent to a
boarding•school in the country—a sort of Do-the-Boys'-
Hall without the brimstone and treacle—where one of the
proclamations to the boys before dinner was : " Whoever
eats the most pudding, shall have the most meat." The
consequence was that, 11 tying gorged ourselves with pud-
ding, we couldn't eat any meat at all 1 Hence the economy
of the arrangement, from which we did not suffer, in the
least. Since that, I have partaken of the fare of farm-
houses in our vicinity, where the custom was to bring
upon the table the puddings, pastries, custards and pies
as the first course—bringing on the meat afterwards. As
you may suppose, but little meat was required. The object
of this note is, to suggest whether this would not be a good
plan to pursue at this time, when flesh food is so dear, and
farinaceous food comparatively so cheap.
GRIEVING FOR LOST. PEARLS. —lt would be hard to tell
whether most joy or sorrow has been caused at Notch
Brook, N. J., by the discovery of the pearls. Dozens are
bemoaning fortunes that, in days plst, they carelessly flung
away. One matron unavailingiy sighs over some "little
white things" that she once gave her boys for marbles.
A schoolmaster lugubriously remembers that he had
chopped up eight or ten thousand dollars worth, with his
penknife, "to. see what was inside." Another genius
rammed a pearl bullet down his rifle and shot away his
fortune. An old lady who chuckled six months over her
good bargain with the peddler," now discovers that she
paid him, in pearls, about seven thousand dollars for a
calico dress, It is needless to say she hasn't laughed since.
The unfortunate man who had the 25,000 dollars once
cooked for his breakfast has taken to bed, in utter despair,
and repo to be coniforted.—Exchangc Payer,

MERCHANT TAILORS' GRAMMAR SCHOOL,

GREAT CROSBY.

The Midsummer examination and distribution of prizes,
at this popular and interesting school, took place yesterday,
at the school, Great Crasby. There was a highly respectable
and numerous attendance of ladies and gentlemen, friends,
&c., of the pupils and of the establishment present on
the interesting occasion ; and seldom have we observed a
finer or more intelligent number of youths than composed
the pupils of this school. It was evident, from the pro
ficiency attained byall in their different classes, that great
attention had been bestowed on the pupils, and care
shown by the Rev. John Bernard, the head master, and
his efficient assistants was perceptible in the proceedings of
yesterday. Shortly after five, the scholars and the com-
pany assembled in the large school-room of the establish-
ment, where the Rev. Principal proceeded to deliver a
lecture on the Life and Genius of Oliver Goldsmith. A
more appropriate subject could hardly have been chosen
for such an occasion, and although we have heard many
biographical lectures, a better delivered oration we
have not listened to. The Rev. lecturer evidently
possesses powers, as a lecturer, of no ordinary
stamp. For the most part such discourses
consist of dry details, and lukewarm anecdotes ;
but from the masterly manner in which Mr. Bernard
handled the subject, we believe him capable of rendering
even a naturally dull biography interesting. Goldsmith's
life was one of chequered incident—wild poetic adventure ;
matchless penury, and almost Australian wealth. Here
was a subject—and it inspired the lecturer with an ardour,
which he succeeded in communicating to his audience in
all its beauties. His portraiture of the gifted and immortal
poet was exquisite, and almost presented the man before
you, and with whom you wept, laughed, and sympathised
I in

All the griefs that God had amen him share !

The lecturer introduced some anecdotes of a new and pleas.
ing description in the life of poor Oliver, and when he con-
cluded his brilliant address, loud and continued applause
greeted him, and deservedly so. He then proceeded to
distribute the prizes, observing that one of the boys, who
was a short time since at the school, but not considered
" up" for the second class, had since obtained the second
place in the second class at the Collegiate School, Liver-
pool, This was hailed with applause. He then distributed the
prizes, which consisted of magnificently bound volumes
on various and important subjects, in science, literature,
&c. to the successful candidates, and as each received the
reward of his merit, his colleagues and the company
warmly greeted him. Amongst the prizes were the fol-
lowing :
Montefiore Prize—Shearson.
Conduct—Shearson.
Almond, Gatis—highly commended.
W. Greenham, Tuer—commended.
Divinity-1. Ord ; 2. Shaw.
Almond, Shearson, Stamper -- commended.
Greek-1. Shearson ; 2. King.
Almond, Stower Thomas—commended.
Latin-1. Shearson ; 2. C. Smith.
Almond—highly commended.
Gatia, Parr—commended.
Euclid and Algebra-1. Shearson ; 2. C. Smith.
Almond, Gatis, Tuer—commended.
Arithmetic-1. Shearson ; 2. C. Smith.
Beetham Gatis—highly commended.
Parr, Thomas—commended.
Sheals,n.
Almond—commended.
Geography-1. Almond ; 2. Shaw.
Shearson, C. Smith—highly commended.
Beetham, E. Quirk, Tuer—commended.
Drawing-1. Lees.
W. Lees, Parr—highly commended.
Wcitin;-1. Parr ; 2. W. Lees.
Almond, Beetham, Mich, Lees—highly com-
mended.
Shearson—commended,
Recitation-1. Ord.
King, I'. Smith, Stower—highly commended.
Green, Trier—commended.
French-1. Stower ; 2. Gatis.
Birch, Xing, C.. Smith—commended.
The school then broke up for the holidays.

A NEW CHURCH IN ST. MARYLEBONE,—The first stone
of a new church, on the site of Calmel-buildings, abbut-
ting on Orchard-street—to which a district to be called
Christ Church, Portman-square, has been assigned, under
the provisions of Lord Bla.orlford's Act —will be laid by
the Lord Bishop of the diocese on Tuesday next, the 23rd
instant, at three o'clock p.m.

ROUTE FOR A SHIP CANAL FROM THE ATLANTIC TO THE
SBRANA (PAClFlC),—Surgeon Caldwell, attached to the
ship Independence, under date of Panama Bay,May 8, has
unofficially advised the Navy Department that he has been
informed there is a practicable route for a ship canal from
the Gulf of San Miguel, Rio Sarana, to Fuerte del Prin-
cipe, a few miles above which place the tide ebbs—thence
about north by east over a kw ground to Caledonia Bay, or
a little north of it; that the whole country is low. well
wooded and watered, and abounds in game, and that a
small party can cross from the Sarana to the Atlantic
Ocean and return, making a path or road as they go, in
less than ten dap, without fear of the Indians or disease.
Dr• Caldwell having obtained leave, hastily explored the
route, and reports the summit level on the route from Prin-
cipe, northerly to the Atlantic, and that it is within eight
miles of the Sarana, and would not prove insuperable to
engineering in constructing a ship canal.—Boston Post.
THE CIRCUIT OF THE METROPOLIS.—Passing the other
day through Panyer's-alley near the General Post-office,
and noticing the curious little monument there placed, and
on which is insmibed—

" When ye have soughte the cittie round
You'll still find this ye highest ground"—

-
as soon as opportunity offered we took up an old map, in
order to measure the extent of the outskirts of the houses
by which this stone was in former days surrounded, and
found that the distance was but little more than five miles,
so that it would have been a very easy matter then to take
a walk round London. At present, however, to make a
pedestrian expedition round the metropolis would, to most
persons, be an undertaking of some importance, as may be
seen by referring to a recently.published map. The entire
circuit is—From Chiswick to Kentish Town, 12 miles ;
from Kentish Town to Millwall, 17 miles ; from Millwall
to Chiswick, 28 miles. Total, 57 miles ; very nearly
three days' journey, at the rate of twenty miles a day ; and
in the line drawn, Battersea, Clapham, Canning Town,
and many other places, which even at present can be
scarcely seid to be separated from Louden, have been left
out. As the crow would fly across streets and houses from
the point whence we started at Chiswick, to the farthest
east, the distanee is nearly eleven miles, and the greatest
width from north to south upwards of seven miles.—The
Builder.

SRAM COUNTY COURT NOTICES. —A TRADESMAN COM-
MITTED FOE FELONY.— A singular case has just come before
the Exeter magistrates which should act as a caution to
tradesmen in general. The facts are briefly these :—Mr
John Daw, clerk of the Exeter district County Court, sum-
moned Mr. William Downey, a baker, of Topsham, for
having issued to one Michael Murphy, a fisherman, a pro-
cess which on its face purported to be a County-court
process, and was signed "John Daw." It also bore the
customary. King's arms on the top, stated that it was the
only legal form issued, and contained a threat to the effect
that if the sum it alleged to be owing was not paid forth-
with, the party Murphy in this case) would subject him-
self to forty days' imprisonment. Evidence having been
tendered, showing that the words "John Daw" were in
defendant's handwriting, and ho having admitted issuing
the same, the bench determined to commit Downey on a
charge of felony to the next Exeter session, but agreed to
accept bail. We may add that there is a man from a house
in Holywell-street, travelling through the west of England
with these sham notices, which he is selling at an enormous
profit to country tradesmen for the purpose, as he suggests,
of securing an easy recovery of their debts." The defendant
in this case said he gave is 6i for fifty of these notices.
A DEN OF SNAKES.—The great snake den in East Rae-
ford, Connecticut, beats the entire country. It is on the
edge of the old Ritter Quarry, and Mr. Ransom White,
who resides in that vicinity, has taken 214 live snakes
from that single den. No other snake den in this country
has as yet equalled this. He took out the first lot of
ninety-two on the 10th of April, and from day to day, by
removing rocks and digging, he found additional families,
or "balls" of them ; for it appears that the snakes, to the
number of twenty or more, wind themselves into a ball,
and remain in that condition during the winter. Most; of
the number were black snakes, measuring from three to
four and a-half feet in length, but among those were threw
racers, a long, slim snake, with a white ring around the
neck, and three little racers not over three inches in
length, also seven poisonous adders. There seems to be
some difference in the appearance of these adders, some of
them having flatter heals than others and bright spots on
them. One of them in particular, a large, vicious looking
fellow, flattens himself through his entire length, his head
being as flat as a cent. When be is annoyed be throws
the upper part of his head back and strikes like a rattle-
snake. He is about three feet long, his tail tapering off
abruptly, the point for about two inches being not much
larger than a piece of small twine. He is evidently as
poisonous as a rattlesnake. Mr. White had a show case
full of those serpents, all alive, on exhibitiou here on
election day. They drew together a large crowd. A
friend suggests that for a mile or more around that snake
den few snakes will be seen this season, but that the
ground moles will greatly increase.—Hartford Times
(U.S.)