The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-17 00:00:00

Accident on the North Kent Railway,

A frightful accident occurred at half-past four
yesterday in the Blackheath railway tunnel. The
fast train leaving Maidstone at 2 40 p.m. ran into
a ballast train a quarter of a mile from the Cheri.
ton end. The last stoppage of the passenger train
was made at Woolwich, at a quarter past four, and
the officials and passengers assert that the way was
signalled clear both at Charlton and the entrance
of the tunnel. Be that as it may, it is certain
the fast train.was in the act of going through the
Blackheath tunnel at the rate of about 40 miles an
hour, when it ran with terrific force into the bal-
last train from Higham on his way up to L
don. In the collision five platelayers in the
ballast train were killed on tho spot. The
passengers were thrown from their seats against
' each other with great force, and all were more or
less injured. One poor woman had both her legs
cat off, and the driver and stoker of the up-passen-
ger train are fearfully scalded. The latter is not
expected to recover, The screams, fright, and con-
fusion among the passengers in the dark tunnel at
the time of the accident were most distressing.
They could not be extricated from the tunnel for
upwards of an hour. During this time fires were
kindled of tLe broken fragments of the carriages,
but the wet dripping from the roof of the tunnel
prevented them from burning brightly, and the
glare and smoke only added to the horror of the
scenes, which was further increased by the shrieks
of the women and the groans of the wounded.
The engine of the passenger train was overturned
and thrown across the two lines, and the greater
part of the ballast and passenger carriages were
broken into fragments. The engine, worth about
1:1,50O, is totally destroyed, and, to say nothing
of damage to injured passengers, the loss to the
railway company in the destruction of rolling
stock is not less than 13,000. Messengers were in-
stantly despatched to Charlton and Blackheath to
stop all up and down traffic. The 4.20 London train
was only stopped entering the tunnel by one or two
minutes. Mr Chapman, the stationmaster at Black,
heath, telegraphed to London-bridge, where an en-
gine was in readiness, and without waiting for a
carriage to be attached to it, Mr Knight, superin.
tendent, Mr Harris, assistant superintendent of the
traffic department, and Mr Corner, the locomotive
superintendent, at once proceeded to the spot, fol-
lowed by Dr Adams, the company's medical man,
and a staff of surgeons, who, with the uninjured
passengers, were most assiduous in their attention
to the wounded. After the lapse of an hour, a por-
tion of the succeeding train stopped at Charlton,
went into the tunnel, and conveyed the passengers
in charge of Inspector Ware back to Charlton station,
where the injured were taken care of. Several took
cabs, and those who were able walked to Blackheath
Railway station, and thence proceeded by train to
London and the intermediate stations. Four of the
bodies of the deal platelayers were conveyed in the
break van to Blackheath. The fifth body, that of
William Webb, could not be extricated from the
rubbish till a very late hour, and to all appearance,
from the scene presented when the writer left at
10 o'clock last night, the line could not be cleared
till 2 or 3 this morning. There being no ventilation
the men had to work in the midst of great heat and
a thick and suffocating smoke, but they did their
duty manfully. The guard of the ballast waggon,
named William Lancaster, escaped injury, but the
stoker was very much crushed. Oae passenger had
a broken jaw, others broken ribs, and several frac•
tared limbs. As soon cl 9 the line could be cleared
it was intended to convey the injured persons lying
at Charlton to Guy's Hospital, and until they arrive
there the full extent of the casualties cannot be
accurately ascertained, but it is feared that the list
will be a mournful one.

Both of the trains have been keeping good time,
and up to 10 o'clock the precise cause of the accident
had not been discovered.

WILLS AND BEQUESTS.

(Front time Illustrated London News.)

The will of Baron Du Bois de Ferrieree, f Chepstow,
Monmouthshire, was proved in the London Court by his
son, Charles Conrad Adolphus Baron Du Bois do Ferrieres
the sole executor. The testator confirms the settlement on
his marriage, and leaves to his wife, the Baroness Du Bois,
an annuity of £l5O and the furniture. o his son, the Baron,
he leaves the plate, pictures, books, &c. (his relict and sister-
in-law selecting what they may require), and to his sister•
in-law he leaves an annuity of £5O. To his son, the Baron,
besides a legacy of £3,000, ho has Ikqueathed a moiety of
the residue of his property, bequeathing the of her moiety to
the five orphan children of his late daugh,er Augusta,
widow of the late Rev. J. Bright.
The will of Col, Onslow Baker, of the Indian army, late
of Tenterden-street, Hanover-square, was proved in London
under £30,000 personalty. The executers appointed aro his
nephews, the ilev. Sir Henry Williams Baker, Bart., and
Henry Sheraton Baker, Esq. Liberal legacies are left to his
brother, and to his nephews, nieces, and their children; and
a legacy of £2,500 to Mrs Garland, wife of the Rev. I, Gar-
land, in remembrance of her kind attention to the testator
when he greatly required it. The residue of his property,
real and personal, he leaves to his said nephew, Sir Henry
W. Baker, Bart. There are the following charitable be-
quests :—To the Dudley Stuart Nightly Refuge for the
Houseless Poor, Xloo—London Society for the Protection of
Young Females and Prevention of Juvenile Prostitution,
£loo—Sociotylor the It scue of Young Women and Children,
£loo—Cripples' Home, £lso—Little Sisters of the Poor
(Sutherland-gardens), £loo—All Saints' Home, £so—Con.
sumption Hospital, Fulham, £loo—Saipwrecked Mariners'
Society, £ 100--Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in
Foreign Parts, £lOO —London Clergy Relief Society, £2OO
—and like bequests to a few other societies.

The will of Peer Dale, Esq., of North Shields, ship-
owner, wt,s proved in the London Court under £60,000 per-
sonalty. The executors and trustees nominated are his relict;
his brother, John B. Dale, Esq., of South Shielde, banker
—and the testator's son, George D. Dale, on his attaining
the age of 23. The will is dated August, 1861, and he died
on 10th October. He has bequeathed to his relict a life in-
terest in the whole of his property, and upon her decease
it is to be divided equally amongst their children. He has
intimated in his will that it is not desirable to increase the
number of ships, or to extend the shipping property.
The will of the late Miss Elizabeth Mary Gee, of Hyde.
park-gardens, who died on let Nov., has just been proved
in the London Court under £80,600, the whole of which has
been bequeathed to her only sister.

THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.—Yesterday the
coiling of the new Atlantic cable was commenced from th e
company's premises, Greenwich, to the Amethyst, Admi-
ralty vessel, for conveyance to the Great Eastern, at Sheer-
ness. The coiling is proceeding at the rate of two miles
per hour.

LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS FOR THE
ENSUING WEEK.—Monday—Asiatic, at 3—Royal
Academy, at 8, Anatomy, Professor Partridge—Architects,
at 8. Tuesclay—Satistical, at 8, Extension of Modern Sub-
jects for Regular Study in Educational Institutions, Mr
Heywood—Engineers, at 8, annual meeting—Anthropolo-
gical, at 8, Pre Historic Remains, Caithness, Mr Laing—
Kistvaens, Shetland, Messrs Roberta and Carter Blake—
Pre Historic Hut Circles, Mr Roberts—Tumuli, Chelten-
ham, Dr Bird—Remains from Italian Turbaries, Mr Cham-
bers. Wednesday—Society of Arts, at B—Geological, at 8,
Coal Measures, N. S. Wales, &c., Mr Keene—Drift of the
East of England, and its Divisions, Mr Wood, jun. Thurs..
day—. Zoological, at 4, general—aoyal, at Bk—Antiquaries,
at 81,-4thenown.

TERRIBLE CALAMITY.-0a Thursday morning,
at half-past 8 o'clock, at the Leeswood-green Colliery, near
Mold, Flintehiro (Messrs Taylor and Craig's), about 140
men were engaged either on the bank or below in sinking
a new pit for coals. All at once, without any w irning, a
great quantity of water broke in from the old colliery ad.
joining, and the result was that eight men and a horse
were engulphed and drowned.

SUPPRESSION OF HOUSES OF ILL-FAME. We
observe that great efforts are being made to enforce
the law against houses of the above description in the'tVest•
end of the metropolis. The evil had become so intolerable
and demoralisinit, as well as so injurious to the best into•
rests of the community, as to call into existence an institu-
tion for putting it down. It is designated "The West
London Association for the Suppression of Public Immo-
rality," and directs its efforts to the suppression of brothels,
the street prostitution nuisance, &c., in the parishes of St
James, St, Martin-in-the-Fields, St. George, Hanover-
Equate, and St. Anne's, Soho. 1 he association is conducted
by a general committee of influential householders of the fpur
parishes. The St. James's branch has prosecuted and sup-
pressed niore than 40 of these infamous dens. St. Martin's
branch, having set to work in serious earnes►, has already
shut up and prosecuted 10 of these nuisances, which have
disgraced Oxendon-street during the last 50 years; while
St. Anne's and St. George's are organising an uncompro-
mising crusade. The proprietors of these houses have
amassed fortunes by go:, depravity and utter ruin of their
victims. We hail this movement with unboUtiaetisatiefac-
tion, and whin the association every success,

„„,
Timitar.

HER MAJESTY.

WINDSOR CASTLE, Dec. 16,
The Queen, attended by the Hon. Mrs. Bruce,
walked and drove in the grounds this morning.
Her Royal Highness Princess Louise took a car-
riage chive, attended by the Hon. Emily Cathcart.
Her Royal Highness Princess Helena rode in the
Home Park.

Sir Charles Eastlake, president, and Mr. Knight,
secretary of the Royal Academy, had the honour of
an interview with her Majesty.

-

The Prince and Princess of Wales in.
the
Hunting-field.

SNETTISHAM, Dec. 16.
The West Norfolk have Lad a most brillific
ti
" meet" to-day at this place. This morning was
very fine, and the sun shone brightly, added to
which it was understood that the Prince and
Princess of Wales would be present, so that th©
muster was very numerous and aristocratic. There
could not have been fewer than 30D or 400 horse,
men, besides a large number of carriages, which
were filled with ladies and gentlemen.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, attended by
the Marchioness of Carmarthen, Lady Harriet
Phipps, and Captain Grey, drove up at about half-
p-ist 11 to Captain Campbeli's residence at SneL"
tisham Hall.

The " meet" was on the slope of a beautinl hill
at the back of the hall, and was a pretty sight. The
prince rode a magnificent chesnut, and the princess
drove a pair of greys. The whole field was con-
ducted by the master of the West Norfolk to the
bottom end of the Cam-hill cover, where a
fox was quickly found and " got away ;"
but unfortunately, just as all were getting
into their places, Master Reynard gave them
the slip. The cover was .irawn again, but several
foxes refused to "go away." After a rather imps'
tient delay the welcome sound was heard, sly old
Reynard broke away at the Heacham corner of the
cover, and away to the plantation on the summit
of the hill known as " Round Oh." The spectators
(in carriages and on foot) who were on the hill
side, amongst whom was the Princess of Wales,
had at this time a grand view of the hounds, hunts'
men, and large field in hot pursuit, across the
intervening valley between Snettisham and
Heacham. The fox gained the cover, and the
hounds lost. This wood was drawn again, and
another fox was found, this time of the right sort,
as_he afforded a good run to Sedgford Tring, and
Anmer.

Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales drove
home to Sandringham after the field had left Caul
Hill.

THE COURT.—This morning (Saturday) her
Majesty the Queen, accompatied by the younger members
of the royal family, is expected to leave Windsor Castle
about half-past ten (weather permitting), for the Isle of
Wight.

Oa Thursday Messrs. Lock and Whitfield had
the honour of submitting to her Majesty the miniatures
they have lately completed of their Royal Highnesses the
Prince and Princess of Wales and Infant Prince. Her
Majesty was graciously pleased to express her admiration
of the manner in which they were executed.
The Duke of Hamilton came to town in the
early part of the week from Oxford, and has since gone to
join his mother at Paris.

His Excellency the Netherlands Minister has
returned to town from visiting the Marquis and Mar-
chioness of Salisbury at Hatfield House.

The Earl and Countess Spencer will leave
Brighton to-day for Althorp Hall, Northamptonshire.
The Earl and Countess of Westmoreland Will
receive a large party of fiends next week at Apthorp Rail,
Northamptonshire.

The Earl of Dudley is about to entertain a large
party at Witley Court, Worcestershire. The noble earl
will give a grand ball on the 22d lost,, and the principal
residents of the county are invited.

The Earl and Countess of Southesk have left
Thomas's Hotel, Berkeley-square, for the Continent.
Lady Theresa Listt r and Miss Lister have left
Broadlands, at the conclusion of their visit to Viscount
and Viscountess Palmerston. The Hon. C. Spencer Cow-
per, the Hon. Arthur Kinnaird, M.P , end Mr C. Barring-
ton, are still the guests ot Lord and Lady Palmerston.

Good News in regard to " Her Majesty's."

THE COMING PRIMA DONNA.

A new operatic star of unrivalled brilliancy, whose future
feats and the impression which she is likely to make upon
the English public are onlp to be measured—so We are
assured—by the triumphs of the great Lind herself, hag,
with his usual quickness of eye and promptness of action,
been secured by Mr Mapleson for the next season at -lier
Majesty's Theatre. This is indeed a boon to the lovers of

opera, who will find in Jima de Murska— for such is the
name of the new heroine—not only the finest colorature
singer known in Germany, but perhaps the greatest
dramatic singer of the age. Such laudation ought indeed
to be justified by novel and extraordinary merits; but if
may be that the public will surmise its justice when W 3
add that in Hamburg, where she has been singing with
the illustrious Titiens at the Great Opera, although the'
prices were almost doubled, the crowds pressed to the per"'
formances with even greater vehemence. The best judges
have pronounced her singing perfection ; her singing. her
acting, and her looks are the theme of every tongue; she
has not only been recalled after each act on every occasion
of her appearance, but the plaudits at the close of hec
exertions have been overwhelming. We may sincerely'
congratulate all amateurs and admirers of the Great Opera,
whose name in these days is literally legion, on their
prospects at Her Majesty's Theatre for the next season'
Between the incomparable and unapproachable Titieo
and a prima donna who may contest the laurel with Jowl.
Lind ; between his tenors known and unknown, all sure.
to be of the highest rank, and the numerous great natheie
which will figure in the several vocal departments, an
elsewhere, not forgetting Arditi and his band and the other
resources, the future season of Her Majesty's Theatre pr°'
mises, indeed, to be one, if anything—for there may not be'
opportunity for all his eminent gathering to display their
t
powers—only too abounding in operatic wealth. The CO_As
of all these splendid proposed arrangements we only fie
suggest; and we refer to them now to prove in the rahnd
of the public the lavish, and yet wise liberality of Air'
Mapleston, and his certain knowledge that the Public'
always responds when largeness of view and unstinted)
united with judicious, outlay dictate the terms on
they should be served.
ANOTHER GREAT TENOR,
Mr Mapleson who has also been singularly fortunate Ins..
presenting to the musical public artistes of undeniable exre:.
fence in each of the walks of great opera, has now, we
given to understand, secured that mast invaluable of gilt°r
a great tenor, greatly capable. This new singer is nape
other than the famous Joulain, who during the Past
winter drew crowds to the grand theatre of Bordeee"
The most eminent foreign critics assert that in impressies.
M. Joulain into his service, Mr Mapleson has
obtained a treasure. If he English musical public e 3„
figure to themselves not only a Sims Reeves, but thu
Sims Reeves of fifteen years ago—for at that period W. as
the eminent English tenor in the prime of his powers-411;
contestably they will be able to form some idea of the rare
gifts of Joulain• Hu has the same softness, the same char cf.
the same vigour, but a far more cultivated expression e
tuneful force than the Sims Reeves of the early period (eoev,
remote). Nothing better can be imagined, certainly vitt:
finer has been heard, than the celebrated "Frapoco' of 11,,,,
zetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," when rendered by gnlly
lain. There in this great performance the plaint of the re ,v 0
broken heart, a pathos the most touching and profound• ief
do not doubt that M. Joulain will be the hero of the ~br.,g
musical tour which Mr Mapleson contemplates pie'vgiill
with one or two stars amidst his artistes, and whiell,a of
commence on the 14th of January; of which corePellr ab
course Titiena will reign first—the undoubted loade

she is quoen and chief of all European songstresses.

A CONT-LTO. ~15114
A contralto new to theNEW English RwAill be Madlle. 1/°,
,• .
united in the group for the same tour. Her powers ere h
played to high advantage in classical music, and she f
some splendid notes. In some of the beautiful Ineakillr,e;:a
" Stradella," and.in the brindisi of "Lucrezia Borgia, I

is irresistible.
Arrangements have been made to visit most of the grel
towns with those charming arti,tes, and the successionste,:a
performances will take piece respectively Colche
Ipswich, Peterborough, Huddersfield, Liverpool, 6d,
Southampton, commencing, as we ,havo before observ.°
on the 14th of the forthcoming January.

------....---
__ ing
MATTHEWS THE CALMAN.—Yesterday MOO -
the cabman Matthews, well known as a witness in
°lr.
neetion with the Muller trial, was adjudicated bankruPt /210
Mr Registrar Roche, who proceeded to liorsemougerlsP
of de tor.
b
Gaol on his monthly visitation for the release
Act. ,fat i
under the provisions of the New Bankruptcy'
thews, in reply to questions from the Registrar, stated; 06.1,
his debts were about 16CO, and ho had nothing t° the
to his creditors. The ealjudication having been made,
release was ordered.