The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-17 00:00:00

THE LONDON COAL TRADE.

Our readers who follow vis through the long array of
figures which lead the van of our periodical remarks on
the London coal trade, will have noticed the prominent
position and the effect we have frequently ascribed to
the large and increasing importations into the metro-
polis by railway, and it is now some years since we
ventured to prophesy that the total quantity of inland
coals sent to London would, in the year 1854, be very
little short of a million tons. 'We subjoin a statement
of the quantities imported by rail, canal, and roads, in
the past throe years :

- 1852. 1853. 1854.
Great Northern 195,865 358,775 398,562
North-Western
Eastern Cuunties
Great Western
South-Eastern
Grand Junction Canal 33,800 21,602 32,153
Thames
Common roads

411,820 653,729 979,170
It will thus be saes that 979,170 tons were sent to
London otherwise than by sea—this is nearly one-fourth
of the entity consumption, and equal to what was sup-
plied from Sunderland and Seabam put together. The
great addition has been in the supply by the North-
Western, Great Western, and Eastern Counties lines ;
and we expect to see the aggregate quantity considerably
increased by the end of 1855. The quantity of Durham
coals carried by rail, including of course all the South-
Eastern, reached 165,000 tons • Lord Durham and the
Adelaide Company each sending about 38,000 tons.
The comparatively small increase in the quantity of the
Great Northern Company is almost entirely made up of
Durham coals.

It is a matter of wonder how the enormous increase
of supply-630,000 tons in two years—can have been
absorbed. We look for a further increase this year,
chiefly by the Great Western and North-Western lines,
but it is difficult to estimate what is likely to be the
rate of supply when the stimulus of high prices is
withdrawn. From the conviction that a large pro-
portion of lad year's supply is in stock, and will con-
tinue to have a depressing effect on the market for
many months, we anticipate a much lower scale of
prices in 1855 than those which ruled last year.—
Newcastle Cironicle.

HEALTH OP LONDON DURING THE WEEK.

(From the _Report of the Registrar-General.)
The population of London now suffers, as appears
from the last re;urns, a high rate of mortality. Last
week the deaths of 1,466 persons (743 males and 723
females) were registered, showing an increase on the
previous week, is which the number was 1,404. In the
ten corresponding weeks of the years 1845-54 the ave-
rage number was 1,203, with which, after it is raised by
a tenth part as an allowance for increase of population,
the present return may be compared. The deaths of
last week were 143 in excess of the corrected average.
Out of 300 deaths from zymotic diseases, 19 are re-
ferred to small pox. 25 to measles, 63 to scarlatina, and
65 to hooping cough. Influenza is on the increase, and
18 persons died of it in the week. Bronchitis is also
fatal, and numbers 178 cases, which are thus distributed
over different periods of life :-35 occurred under 20
years, 21 in the period 20-40, 31 in 40.60 years, 78 in
the next twenty years, and 13 at 80 years of age and up-
wards. Pneumonia carried off 139 persons, 91 of whom
were less than 20 years old ; while consumption carried
off 150, of whom nearly half were 20 years of age and
under 40.

The annual mortality of London, except in periods of
great epidemics, is at the rate of 31 in 1,000 among the
children and young persons under 20 years of age ; 10
in 1,000 among men and women of the second age
(20-40) ; 23 in 1,000 among persons of the third age
(40-60) ; 72 in 1,000 among persons of the fourth age
(60-80) ; and 224 in 1,000 among persons of the age of
80 and upwards. At these rates the deaths at the five
periods of life in London would be 621, 179, 107, 201,
and 42, and the numbers returned last week were 680
(in the period 0-20) : 193 (20-40) ; 226 (40--60) ; 288
(60-80) ; and 63 (at the age of 80 and upwards.) It is
found as the result of comparison that the mortality is
in excess at the present time, that this excess runs
through all periods of life, but is chiefly remarkable at
the more advanced ages. The rates of mortality which
form the standard of comparison aro derived from the
whole year ; but the season at which we are now ar-
rived is usually the most fatal in the year, and as the
increase of mortality is chiefly owing to this circum•
stance, these figures serve to show the influence of win-
ter on the population at different ages.
Last week the births of 881 boys, and 825 girls, in all
1,706 children, were registered in London. In the 10
corresponding weeks of the years 1845.54 the average
number was 1,446.

At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 30.362 in. The
mean daily reading was above 30in. ()a every day of the
week, and on Friday it rose to 30.459 in. By 9h. p.m.
ou the same day the reading had increased to 30.48 in.
The mean temperature of the air in the week was 39.3
deg., which is 4.1 deg. above the average of the same
week in 38 years. On the first three days the mean
temperatures were about 12 deg., 10 deg., and 9 deg.
above the averages. The highest temperature in the
week occurred on Sunday, and was 49.3 deg. ; the
lowest on Thursday, and was 52.5 deg. The mean tern.-
petature of the Thames was 43:9 deg. The mean dew-
point temperature was 36-5 deg. between which and the
mean temperature of the air the difference is 2.8 deg.
The wind blew from the south-west on the first three
days, and afterwards was mostly calm. The rain-fall
wss only 0.09 in.

MORTALITY IN THE METROPOLIS.
NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED
IN THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, JAN. 13
Zymotic Diseases
Diseases of Uncertain Seat
Tubercular Diseases
Diseases of the Brain, Nerves and Senses
Disclases of the Heart and Biood-vessels 64
Diseases of the Lungs and other Organs of
Respiration. >...
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs
of Digestion
Diseases of the Kidneys, &c.
Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c.
Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles
Diseases of the Skin, &c.
Malformations 7
Premature Birth and Debility 37
Atrophy 47
Old Age , 7l
Sudden 3
Violence, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance 29
Causes not specified

DEATHS PROM ALL CAUSES
Population Deaths in corre- Deaths
Enumerated. aponding week in the
1851. of 1853. Week.
West Districts
North Districts 490,396
Central Districts 393,256
East Districts 485,522
South Districts

Totals
Ma1e5....................................... 743
Fema1e5.................................... 723

BIRTHS IN THE WEEK,
Males
881
Females
825

Total ......... ... ;i1