Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-12-28 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN TIMES.---LIVERPOOL, MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1E57.

OLD CHRISTMAS.

If the day of Christmas has passel, the holidays and
festive season have only been ushered in. And such fine
weather, perhaps, the myth—the " oldest inhabitant "
never beheld about this period of the year as we are
favoured with just now. Saturday was literally the
Christmas market day ; for all the markets were quite as
full of people—sight-seers and purchasers—as on Thurs-
day. There were additional dccoratioas and illuminations
also, and business seemed very brisk. In our last notice
we omitted to mention the shop of Mr. Joseph Tomlinson,
wholesale shipping butcher, 89, Park-lane, who showed
eight prime oxen, bred and fed by Thos. Hopkins, Esq.,
Dangertown, near Navin, Cannty Meath, Ireland ; four
prime oxen bred and fed by William Tomlinson, Esq.,
Barrack-Side, near Carlisle, Camberl and ; twelve splendi
sheep (wethers, four years old) bred and fed by Jas,
Healey, Esq., Farganston Hall, near Navin, County
Meath, Ireland ; some of the sheep weighed over 140 lbs. ;
also a thorough bred Chinese pig, a very fine animal, fed
by Joseph Tomlinson, 89, Park-lane. The town seemed
more plethoric with people on Saturday than on Thursday,
and the shops wore a gayer and more animated aspect
than on any day in the week. The weather, too, was very
fine. The same remark applies to yesterday, when the
atmosphere was downright warm.
Amongst the many festivities, may be mentioned that
of Messrs. Frisby, Dyke, and Co., of Lord-street. The
annual dinner was presided over by Mr. E. Thomas, and
Mr. Duckett filled the vice-chair. The arrangements were
complete. the viands excellent, and the decoration of the
dining :hall (thanks to Mr. Middlefell) perfect. The
embellishments: comprised the: happy swords " Welcome,
and Merry Christmas," and were formed i❑ laurel and
roses. Dancing commenced at half-past eight, Mr. Frei.
Frisby leading off. We cannot forbear to notice the
admirable management of the worthy hostess, and the
exertions (to make all present happy) of Messrs. D•
Ritchie, E.l homes, Duckett, G. Flemming, Simons, Evans,
&c. The galaxy of female beauty was perfect, and all
went "merry as a marriage bell."

aselves with saying that Mr. Cook's company is in no
way inferior to either of the very excellent equestrian
troupe: which:have visited Liverpool during the past year,

PARK THEATRE.

"On Saturday night, the new Pantomine, entitled " Little
Red Riding Hood, or Harlequin Dicky Sara and the Wolf
of Toxteth," by Charles
,Millward, Esq., was given at
this theatre. The house was crowded to excess. We
gave in this paper, a few days ago, the plot of this piece,
and referred to some of the local matters upon which it
touched, and we have now only to add that the produc-
tion of it on the stage of the Park Theatre is highly cre-
ditable to the naanager. No expense has been spared to
produce the proper effect. The scenery is rich and highly
effective, and the performers were all in good character,
and well sustained. Tho fifth scene might be especially
alluded to as exceedingly beautiful. It is entitled the
" Dingle Mount, and Floral Home of the Fairies." Twelve
ladies appear in this scene in light and tinselled costume,
each bearing a garland of flowers and: go through with
easy elegance various fantastic attitudes, deserving the
warmest approbation. The, juvenile troupe took their
part well. The transformations were faultless. 'We wil 1
conclude this notice by recommending all, and especially
those who feel interested in the traditions of the " good
old town," to go and see this legend as produced in this
theatre.

him, and whose gentlemanly. conduct has rendered him
such an esteemed favourite, has recovered from his
illness, and is at his post as astral. Everything went elf
with eclat, and, as already observed, the treat in store for
this week, with the grand equestrian spectacle called
the " Italian Brigands," which will be produced at the
mid-day performances of Monday, Wednesday, and
Saturday; as well as every evening, no doubt the public
patronage will be increased towards this rare estab-
lishment.

THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE IN THE
KINGDOM OF NAPLES.

NAMES, Dec. 19.—1 must for the present leave all other
subjects and apply myself in the first place to a descrip-
tion of the earthquake which occurred in this kingdom on
the night of Wednesday, the 16th, and which threatened
the:destruction of Naples.Zl think I mentioned in a formir
letter:that the cone ofiVesuvius had been destroyed by the
shock:of an earthquake felt:slightly here on the night of
the :7th:inst. Well, nothing more had occurred in tl e
interval, the old mountain smoked:his pipe as usual, and
people went out to see the fiire up which he made.;` On
Wednesday:nightilast, however, I was writing when the
table:began'to shakehiviolently, the lamp to rock, and the
bells of tke house to ring as if they had been pulled by a
strong hand. The walls of my room, too, visibly waved
baekwards and forwards, and creaked as might a boat
straining heavily at sea. There could be no doubt as to
the cause of these awful phenomenon, and I rushed out of
my house. There had already been two shocks trp to this

time, then came a third so strong that I thought that the
house would have fallen and buried me in its ruins. Some
women were seated on the ground, and in nearly a faint-
ing state leaning against the wall, to whose movement s
they yielded, rocked backwards and forwards as in a
cradle. By this time people were escaping rapidly into
the streets, and making inquiries as to each ott er'S
experience. Every one came to look at Vesuvius, but
the mountain gave little comfort; it threw out but little
fire, and seemed sulky and gloomy. It was not an agree-
able prospect in view in returning to one's own house, so
that I resolved to walk the streets, and the scene which
presented itself will never be effaced from my memory.
They were full of anxious trembling persons, some half.
dressed, some in their shirts, some wrapped up in sheets
or blankets, and some in the- gay dresses in which they
had escaped from the drawing-room or the theatre. All
the piazzas were full of carriages, which were occupied
by families who had abandoned their houses. At every
hundred steps fires were lighted, round which were
bivaucked from fifty to one hundred persons of all
ranks. A painter might have found wonderful
studies if he had been so inclined, but, alas, other thoughts
were uppermost. Leaving the Riviera di Chiaja, I went
into the city, and found there the same state of excitement
to exist• The Palace yard, the Largo Castello, and other
open places were full of carriages, in which•their inmates
were reposing for the night. Hundreds of persons were
couched on the steps of the churches, awl later in the
light the images of the Saints were carried in procession,
whilst the people sang Litanies. As the houses were in
many instances left ♦acant, the refuse of the population,
who are always ready in times of anxiety to profit
by the fears of the more timid, began to create
confusion in order to rob. Republican cries were
raised of " Viva i Tornesi,". and many houses were
entered. Strong patrols, itherefore, of the police,
gendarmerie, and military paraded the streets, and
much praise is due to the authorities for maintaining
order. Most of the population passed the night in
the streets and the next day brought with it the same
wonderful summer-like weather that we have had for the
last two 'sr three months. During the day great anxiety
prevailed amongst the provincials to know to what extent
their families might have suffered, and the telegraph
office was so besieged, that a sentinel was placed before
it to prohibit all persons from entering. Oa walking
through the Toledo, crowds were assembled looking
at the fissures that had been made in some of the lofty
houses. The monastery of the Jesuits gave similar
indications of the terrors of the preceding night, and
I was told that the great bell had been rung by the
shock. According to an opinion entitled to some respect,

the electric current had travelled from south to north,
Naples having been at the extremity of it, so that
batelligeace from the Calabrias was anxiously expected.
The Official fount of the night of the 17th, says that no
news had been received at Salerno from Sala, Lagoeegro.
or the Calabrias, notwithstanding ,repeated enquiries by
the electric telegraph. Oa the same evening the following
letter to the directors of the Oficial Journal, from the
directors of the Royal Astronomical Observatory at Capo
di Monte was published::—" I hasten to apprise you that
last night, at 10.10 p.m., the shock of an eathquake was
felt, which lasted from four to five seconds. This was
followed by another of much greater intensity, after an

interval of two minutes, lasting about twenty seconds.
Both shocks were undulatory, and in the direction
of from south to north. The destructive :character of

this shock, is shown by the fact of two pendulum clocks
of the Observatory having been stopped, whilst three
others continued in;:movemeat, as:alse by the fissures
at the ba.e of the tower on which the equatorial
machinery is placed. Two other light shocks were felt
at three and five on the following morning." On the
night of the 17th, as there was a common expectation
that the shocks would be repeated, great numbers of
people passed the night in the streets. On the morning
of the 18th mere details woreibroug,ht into the city, which
I condense. The electric telegraph had been interrupted
between Eboli and Sala, from which latter place very
efilieting intelligence had been received. Three lives had
been lost, and the prison and the barracks had been
opened from top to bottom. In Atena half the houses
had fallen ; in Padula ,snore than 100 houses had given
way, and it is not knewn how many persons had perished.
In Pella the disasters were immense and the victims
numerous, amongst whom was the brigade of gendarmes ;
in Auletta, Petrosa, and Caggiano the deaths and ruin of
houses were very many ; in Salerno, too, numerous
houses had fissures opened, among which were two
churches, the Palace of the Intendenza, and the barracks
of the gendarmes ; the belfry and the church of Said ana
also gave way, and two women in a neighbouring house
were killed ; in Campagna many houses were injured.
Towards the evoning of Friday (last night) news arrived
from Basilicata that in Potecza great destruction had
been occasioned, many houses had been thrown down, and
a large number of persons, how many is not known, had
perished. The telegraphic despatch from Bari is
imperfect; it runs thus :—" The greater part of the
inhabitants are . . ." This intelligence is official,
bat from other and very reliable sources I hear that the
disasters have been greater than are given out. Every

moment brings notice of somo fresh misfortune, but I
:must reserve farther details for my next letter. In this

capital most of the houses have suffercd more or less,
and every place in the immediate neighbourhood 11.5 s
cr to recount.

A CALIFORNIAN CONFFSSOR —A certain llPrr C—, for
instance, whom we met in Nicaragua returning from Sao
Francisco, was a good specimen of a smart man. lie
was by birth a German, but had been many gears in Cali-
fornia, where he had carried on the various professions of
gold digger, innkeepfr, apothecary, physician, night watch-
man, aura horse dealer ; but as all these spccelations had,
sooner or later, tiarnei out untortunatelv, and the dollars
ware becoming extremely scarce, he bethought himself to
shave his head, lira on the cowl and habit of a Capuchin
monk, and set up as itinerant confessor among the gold
diggers of Spanish origin in the aide valleys of the Rio
Sacramento, la's bl-,ck beard, and his familiarity with the
Spanish language, beieg excellent qualifications far the
office. There was plenty of work for a confessor amorg
the gold diggers, so that he had vite a rush among the
class of penitents, and he was liberal of absolution, though
rather strict about the fees of his holy office, and would
only receive them in gold. Ti.i3 doOge was at the time
new, and therefure extremely profitable; but it was
afterwards spoilt by competition.—Sherzer's Trace7s in
Central America.

OPERATION ON AN ELErtrANT.—DJring the late visit to
Hull of Wombwell':, menagerie, the elephant " Chubby"
underwent an op4ration which deserves a place amongst
surgical records. For twelve or fifteen months previously,
a tumour had been gathering on Chubby's off-side thigh.
Chubby sickened, lost bis appetite, and pined away. Many
ways were tried in vain to remove the tumour, until, as, a
last resource, application was made to a Liull veterinary
surgeon, Mr. Tom B. Hyde, jun. Mr. Hyde resolved to
use the lancet. The operation lasted two hours, Chubby
undergoing it with fortitude. The tumour, when removed,
weighed five pounds, and one of the fangs had to be
searched out with the knife, for a foot down the thigh.
The operation proved eminently enecessful. Every fresh
bulletin annourced his improving, health, till the later end
of November, when Mr. Hyde pronounced his patient
thoroughly restored, and capable of returning to business.
Chubby at once took the train to join his friends, Messrs.
Wombwell and Co., and when we last heard of him, Vs
lappetite and good looks were the theme of gqueral iidr,.tra-
tion,—Eastern Cot(nties Herald.