The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-26 00:00:00

HEALTH OP THE METROPOLIS,

(From the .Registrar General's Weekly Return.)
The returns of London show an increase of more
than 100 in the deaths of the week that ended last
Saturday over those of any of the three previous
weeks. The number in last week was 1,421.

The average number of deaths in the 20th week
of 10 years 1854-63 is, with a correction for increase
of population, 1,240. The actual number is in excess
of the estimated amount by 178.
The deaths of persons under 20 years of age rose
from 636 in the previous week to 690 last week ;
and those of persons 60 years old and upwards rose
from 240 to 287.

The increase among young persons is to a consi-
derable extent caused by measles, the fatal casts of
which rose from about 50 to 87. There were 63
deaths referred to typhus, typhoid, and gastric
fever, &c.

Scarlatina has been very prevalent in Smith's-
place, Pentonville, for some time past. I« the sub-
district of Pentonville a young child died from
measles at 56, Southampton-street ; a girl from low
fever at 16, Chapel-street ; a boy from scarlatina at
2, smith's-place ; and a boy and girl from typhus
at 20, Ann-street. Out of five deaths in the south
sub-district of the City of London, four were caused
by measles. There were six deaths from measles in

the sub-district of Shadwell. Measles is also very
prevalent in the sub-district of St. Mary, St. George-
in-the-East, in which five children died from it.
There were eight deaths from the same disease in
Islington, four in the sub-district of Gray's-inn-
lane, seven in the sub-district of St. Andrew Eastern
(Holborn), and four in that of the City-road. Six
deaths from typhus were return by the registrar of
Bow.

Four cases of murder were registered in the week
three of which were infanticide.
Last week the births of 918 boys and 896 girls,
in all 1,814 children, were registered in Landon.
In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1854-
63 the average number (corrected) was 1,915.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 30.013 in.
The mean daily reading was above 30in. on four
days. The reading rose to 30.11 in. on Wednesday,
and fell to 29 81in. on Friday. The mean tempera-
ture of the air in the week was 61.8 deg., which is
8.8 deg. above the average of the same week in 43
year (as determined by Mr Glaisher). The highest
day temperature was 81 deg. on Wednesday. The
lowest night temperature in the week was 45.3 on
the previous day. On the 6th of May, 1862, the
temperature rose to 81.5 deg., a more remarkable
temperature as occurring early in the month. The
range in the week was 35.7 deg. The highest point
attained by a thermometer in the sun was 128.2 deg.
on Wednesday. The difference between the mean
dew point temperature and air temperature was
10.2 deg. Oa Monday it was as great as 13.2 deg.
The mean degree of the humidity of the air was 70,
complete saturation being represented by 100. The
air was remarkably dry on the first six days. On
Monday the humidity was only 62. On Monday
and Tuesday the wind was in the east; on Wed-
nesday in the north-east and south-east. There was
no rain till Saturday when the amount which fell
was 0.22 in. The temperature in the shade rose to
80 deg. on Friday; and between 10 o'clock on the
evening of that day and 1 o'clock on the morning
of Saturday a severe thunderstorm occurred. A
tree in Greenwich Park was struck by the lightning.
The deaths in Vienna, as returned by Dr. Glatter,
were 470 in the week ending May 14, whe❑ the
mean temperature was 53'4 deg., that at Green-
: wich havii,g been 71.7 deg.

Melancholy Boat Accident.

On Friday a party of five took an excursion into
Wales, crossing the river Dee from Parkgate to
Bagilt, in Fiintshire. The party consisted of Mr.
Thomas Joseph Johnson, proprietor of the Peng-
wern Arms Hotel, or boathouse, at Parkgate; his
brother, Mr. Joseph Johnson, a landing waiter at
Liverpool; Mr. J. F. Crossman, secretary to the
Liverpool Licensed Victuallers' Association ; and
Mi. J. 11. Holland and Mr. F. Holland, brothers
of Chester, who had been staying at Parkgate
during the last fornight making a survey of the
channel of the Dee. Their intention was,if possible,
to return with the same tide. The weather was,
however, so cairn that upwards of an hour and a
half was occupied in crossing, and, finding that
they could not return by that tide, the party
landed at Baailt and walked to Haly well, where
they spent the day. At 10 o'clock the company left
Bagilt in the boat on their return to Parkgate. The
boat made a rapid passage, but on arriving within a
short distauce of the Cheshire side it was found that
the jetty was covered with the tide, which was just
beginning to ebb, and the wind having freshened
considerably a heavy swell rendered it imprudent
to attemrt to get alongside the river wall. The boat
accordingly lay-to fat about an hour, awaiting the
receding of the tide. It was then determined to
endeavour to effect a landing in a punt which lay
at anchor a short distance from the shore, and which
it was thought would be more manageable. One of
the gentlemen, it is said, called out that the punt
would not carry them all with safety, but this inti-
mation of danger seems to have been disregarded,
and five persons, including R. Evans, the boatman,
got on board. Mr. Thomas Johnson,
who was a
stout heavy man, was the last to leave the larger
vessel, and no sooner had he placed his foot on the
side of the punt than the little craft capsized,
and the whole party were precipitated into the
water. Thomas Johnson, a young man, eldest son
of Mr. Thomas Johnson, was standing on the espla-
nade waiting the arrival of his father and his
friends, and witnessed toe accident, but, in conse-,
quenca of the strong current that was running
could render little or no assistance to the unfortu-
nate persons who were struggling in the water.
Mr. J. H. Holland, who had remained in the large
boat, jumped into the water and swam to the
assistance of one of his unfortunate companions.
He was unable to reach him, however, and, after
several ineffectual attempts, he made for the shore,
which he succeeded in reaching very exhausted.
Mr. Frederick Holland and Mr. Crossman also
managed with difficulty to reach the shore.
Richard Evans was taken out of the water exa
haustcd. Mr. Thomas Johnson was likewise got
ashore alive, and was removed to the cottage of
Evans (that being the nearest house), but he was so
much exhausted that he never rallied, and death en-
sued before the arrival of a medical man. Mr,
Joseph Johnson was carried down with the current
and was drowned. His body was found on the
shore near Heswell, fully a mile from where the
disaster occurred, at five o'clock in the morning,
and removed to the Pengwern Arms Hotel, where
it was placed in the same apartment with the corpse
of his brother. The boatman Evans was so much
exhausted by his immersion that he was considered
out of danger until late on Saturday.—Liverpool
Mercury.

THE MIDDLE LEVELINUNDATION,—The Court
of Queen's Bench delivered judgment yesterday
in the case Cox v. Wise. This was an action brought by
the plaintiff against the defendant, the Commissioner under
the Middle Level Drainage Act, 7 and 8 Geo. IV., to re-
cover damages sustained by the plaintiff by his land being
overflowed, owing to the bursting of the sluice on the river
Ouse, and which, it was alleged, was owing to the negli •
getce of the defendant in the construction and maintenance
of such sluice,—Mr Justice Mellor was of opinion that it
never could have been intended by the Legislature that
the Commissioners appointed under the act, and whose ser-
vices were gratuitous, should be responsible for the negli-
gence of the contractors and servants they were compelled
to employ irr the maintenance of the sluice and drainage
walls. The learned judge cited several cases, including a
recent decision of the Court of Cammon Pleas in the case
of Halliday and the Commissioners of St, Leonard, Shore-
ditch, The rnla to set aside the verdict for the plaintiff,
and to enter it for the defendant,eught to be made absolute.
—Mr. Justice Blackburn was of a contrary opinion,holding
the Commissioners liable for their servants' negligence anu
incompetency. The 21st section under the Commissioners'
Act of Parliament gave power to issue execution against '
the works and property belonging to such Commissioners,
and in this case the plaintiff ought to have execution for
what he could obtain, although it could not be sufficient for
damages of such magnitude as in the present case.—The
Lord Chief Justice concurred in the judgment of Mr Mel-
lor.—The Lord Chief Justice said perhaps Mr Keane
would consider by to-morrow whether the other 66 actions
were to go on, (Laughter.)