The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-29 00:00:00

THE RAILWAY COLLISION AT BIRMINGHAM.-
It is estimated that there were between twenty and thirty
passengers injured in the 'collision at Birmingham on
Christmas Eve. The country train started from the
station at about half-past six o'clock, and when through
the tunnel was brought to a standstill on account of the
overload of passengers. A guard was sent back into
the tunnel with a red light to obtain the assistance
of another engine. He had scarcely entered the
tunnel when he met the second train coming along at
the rate of about thirty-five miles an hour. He
signalled the driver to stop, and the motion of the
engine was at once reversed and the breaks applied. The
second train was almost stopped when the engine struck
the van of the first train. The blow was light in compa-
rison with what it would have been but for the timely
warning of the guard. Although the collision was slight
some of the carriages were lifted from the rails. One pas-
senger said the carriage in which he was seated appeared
almost doubled up," and another said the top of the
compartment appeared to be coming in. Many of the
lights were put out, and the carriages were in darkness
until the train reached Rugby. At Coventry several of
the injured passengers left the train with their heads in
bandages.

SANITARY WORKS IN IN DIA .—A valuable Blue
Book has just been published detailing the various
measures adopted' fur sanitary improvements in India
from June 1869 to June 1870. The Army Sanitary Com-
mission, in a special minute on the several reports from
the Punjab, Bengal, and the North West, says that there
is nothing special in the sanitary problems of India,
either in town or country, excepting that sanitary mea-
sures are far more imperative than in colder climates.
All experience shows that any local efforts are insufficient
which do not take into account the general malaria pro-
ducing conditions of the climate and country. The
improvement and regulation of the water supply and
drainage of the marshes are particularly recom-
mended,' and frequent inspection of the villages
is advised. The main removable causes of ill-
health in the villages are bad water and filth, and
it would be well toremove and reconstruct some villages
altogether. New wells and tanks are wanted as well as
improved roads, and nothing would give a greater im-
pulse to such improvements than the erection of model
villages and sanitary instrncLion in public schools. The
sanitary works in Indian cities are of essentially the same
character as those required in England. An important
paper by Mimi Nightingale on the general question of
sanitary progress in India is included in the Book. Miss
Nightingale fully agrees with the Sanitary Commission
that there is nothing especially formidable in the requ
ments of India except their urgency, and she makes a
vigorous and stirring appeal to the authorities to push the
work resolutely forward.
MURDEROUS ASSAULT ON A WIFE.—A murderous
assault with an axe on a wife, which, it is feared, will ter-
minate fatally, was committed shortly before noon on
Tuesday at Leicester. It appears that the accused, whose
name is John Noon, 63 years of age, had for some years
been accustomed to beat his wife, Margaret Noon, for
which offence he has frequently beentaken before the magis-
trates and fined, the last occasion being in May, 1868.
Since that time he has lived apart from his wife in
l3ritannia - street, the latter living, with all her
children, in Hextals-yard, Garden-street, some distance
from'him. The parties do not seem to have met each
other until Tuesday morning, when Noon went to the
house of his wife, and finding her athome, began to quarrel
with her. Only a slight altercation had ensued when
Noon struck her violently on the head with an axe
(which he seems to have picked up on entering the
.house), the sharp edge of which inflicted a frightful gash
about three inches in length, from which blood flowed
copiously. Mrs. Noon's sister and son, who happened to
be in the house at the time, ran to her assistance and suc-
ceeded in preventing a repetition of the attack, and the
would-be murderer was secured-until the arrival of police-
constable William Robinson,who had him removed to the
police station. In the meantime Mrs. Noon, who was
rendered insensible and lay on the floor covered with
blood, was taken to a neighbouring chemist's, and
finally to the infirmary, where her injuries were
attended to by the house surgeon, Mr. Flowers, and
where she lies in a precarious state, but little hopes being
entertained of her recovery. The prisoner was perfectly
sober.