The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-21 00:00:00

22/2 1134
20'88 2'24

Southwark

Lambeth
OTHER COMPANIES.
New River
East London
Kent

22.64
25'16
25,1)4

The table is read thus—Loch Katrine water contains in the
gallon 316 degrees or grains of foreign matter in solution, of
which •96 degrees or grains are of vegetable or animal origin.

At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.697 in.
The barometrical readings fell from 30.13 in. on
Sunday to 29.45 in: on Wednesday. The mean
temperature of the air in the week was 37.6 deg.,
which is 0.7 deg. below the average of the same
week in 43 years (as determined by Mr. Glaisher.)
The mean daily temperature was 7 deg. and 8 deg.
below the average on Monday and Tuesday ; and it
was 6 deg. and 9 deg. above it on Friday and Satur-
day. On four nights the thermometer in the shade
fell below the freezing point of water. The lowest
point was 24.4 deg. on Tuesday. The highest point
was 53.3 deg., and occurred on Saturday. The
range in the week was 28 9 deg. The mean daily
range was 12 2 deg. The difference between the
mean dew-point temperature and air temperature
was 3.5 deg. The mean degree of humidity was 89,
complete saturation being represented by -100. The
wind was in the north-east on the first two days;
afterwards it blew generally from the south-west.
The rain fall was 0.22 in. Snow fell on Monday
and Wednesday. The mean temperature of the air
on Saturday was 17 deg. higher than that of Tues-
day.

ANOTHER Fill AL RAILWAY ACCI-

DENT.

Ye3ferday morning an inquest was held by Mr.
W. Carter, coroner for East Surrey, at the Feathers
Inn, Merstham, Surrey, to ascertain the cause of
the death of a man named Daniel Sheehan, a signal
man of the South Eastern Railway Company,, who
lost his life under the circumstances detailed in the
following evidence. The jury having viewed the
body, the coroner called—
John Macgregor—l am station-master at Merst-
ham station, on the South Eastern Railway. I
knew the deceased Daniel Sheehan, who was 45
years of age. He has been employed under 'me for
two years and a half as a porter, and then signal
man at the north or London end of the Merstham
tunnel. On Saturday evening, the 16th inst., about
half-past six, I was standing on the station or up
side of the line, a short distance from the station,
when I observed a white light moving on the line,
as if carried by some person, and coming in my di-
rection towards the station from the tunnel. After
I noticed the light I observed a train coming down
and I saw as the train passed along the white light
to be as on the right or off side of the down train.
The train came on and passed me without stopping,
it being a goods train. At the same time the tidal
passenger train passed up as I stood where I have
described, and after that had passed, and the two
trains were approaching each other, I suddenly
missed the white light. It was from 300 to 400 yards
distant when I first saw it. I heard the whistle of
the tidal train sound very sharply after it had passed
me, and then immediately I missed the light. At
this time the two trains were about passing each
other. The up tidal train passed on, and, missing
the white light, I feared something had happened,
and I went up the line, but the signalman at the
station preceded me. He went about 250 yards
down, and then he turned the red light on. I called
out, " What's the matter ?" He answered, " Run
for a doctor. Dan is knocked down by the train," I
at once got a light, and on going to the spot found
the deceased lying on the near side of the upline,
his head up towards London. He breathed twice
and then died. I did not see any blood about him.
I think the steam and smoke from the down-train
obscured the light of the up-train, and probably his
attention was called off by the down-train passing.
' The light disappeared immediately on the sound of
the whistle, and I infer that the tidal train was at
that time close upon the deceased. He generally
passed through the tunnel on leaving duty at four
o'clock in the afternoon, and left the line at the sta-

tion, coming that way to report if necessary.
By the Coroner—ls there any regulation as to the
part of the line on which any one connected with it
should walk ?

Witness—As a rule, they would walk on that
side so as to face the train coming towards them. I
should think the tidal train was going about 30
miles an hour, and the space of ground from where
I stood to where the light disappeared would have
been traversed by that train in about half a minute.
He was found to have sustained many bruises on
the left side in the region of the heart, and, in my
opinion, he must have tried to step on one side, but
did not do so quite clear of the buffer beam, which
I think struck him. His lamp was extinguished,
and was lying about three or four yards from him.
There are two indented marks on the left side of
the lamp, and being carried on the left side, no
doubt the buffer beam struck the lamp and deceased
on that side. The deceased was a sober steady
man. Considering the time that elapsed between
the train passing and the whistling, I do not think
the engine-driver could possibly have prevented the
occurrence, and I fully believe it to have been
purely accidental.
By a Juror—The deceased could have left the
line at the London end of the tunnel, there being a
ladder there for the purpose of the men leaving the
line. The deceased was not obliged to come
through the tunnel, but it was a nearer way than
by the road. There are places in the tunnel where
any one can stand out of the way if a train was
coming, or they should sit down in the six-foot
way, where is sufficient room for a man to sit safely
when two trains are passing.
John Newman, the signalman who relieved the
deceased on his going off duty, proved that the de-
ceased left him at six o'clock to go home, when the
deceased was quite sober. The deceased preferred
going through the tunnel, because it was shorter.
He said just before he went away, "Let's see, there
are no more up-trains at present." He (witness)
said, the Brighton train has just gone up; but
the boat train from Folkestone was in London
at seven o'clock last night, but I had not noticed
by the book what time she would come that night.

I meant to imply that the train might be expected
about the same time that evening. Deceased then
looked at the book and said the train left Red Hill
at 6.31. There are orders, if passing up and down
the line, to go on that side which would meet the
train. The tidal train was signalled from Merst-
ham at 6.37, which was noted down as usual.
The engine-driver proved that he suddenly saw a
light a few yards in front of the train just a 4

goods train was passing down, and that it was quite
impossible for him to prevent the accident.
The learned Coroner observed that the deceased
did not appear to have taken the ordinary precau-
tion of traversing the line, so as to meet the train ;
and doubtless the accident was the result of his own
want of caution in the matter, especially as he
knew the tidal up-train was about due at that time.
The jury returned a verdict of accidental death

FIRE NEAR ASTLEY'S AMPHI-

THEATRE.

Last night, about seven o'clock, whilst the per-
formances were going on in Astley's Royal Amphi-
theatre, Westminster-road, Lambeth, a cry was
raised from the outside that the interior of the
establishment was on fire, Fortunately the noise
did not reach the audience in the theatre ; if it
had, it is quite probable that a fearful loss of life
would have ensued.

From personal observation, made on the spot, it
would seem that immediately facing the Royal
Amphitheatre stood a large building, used as an
hotel, termed the Victoria Tavern. This building
contained 14 dormitories, each partitioned off, but
they adjoined the New Inn and several other
buildings running into the York-road. It appears
that a female had entered the house, and from what
had been seen by others in the place, it was sus-
pected that she had wilfully set fire to the pre-
mises, and she was accordingly taken into custody
and locked up in the police-station.
The powerful -engine of Messrs. Hodges, the
eminent distillers of Lambeth, was soon in attend-
ance, as well as numerous others of the London
brigade, but in the course of a few minutes, and
before sufficient time had elapsed to set an engine
to work,the fire had taken possession of the whole
of the hotel, threatening destruction to some of
the houses in the Westminster-road, as well as the
livery stables in the York-road.
Plenty of water having been procured from the
main, the engines were forthwith called into full
operation. notwithstanding which the work of
devastation continued, and floor after floor of the
building continued to fall a prey to the fury of the
fire, and at length the whole establishment was
burned out and several of the adjoining premises
were severely damaged. The total loss is very
considerable.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

NEWARK-FEB. 20.

The trade in wheat was fair, and late rates were for the
most part realised, with a steady sale. An increased show
of barley, but trade dull. Oats a steady sale, at late rates.
Beans scarce, and in request. Peas very little changed.
White wheat, new, 58s to 76s Barley, grinding.. 32s to 35s
Red do. sos to 70s Oats, old, .. 32s to 37i
Old white sBs to 76s New do 23s to 29s
Red do.. 50s to 70s 1 Beans. 56s to 58s
Barley, malting.... 38s to 44s I Beans, new.. 38s to 43e
Peas, ....40s to 50a.

SHEFFIELD—FEB. 19.
The supply of wheat was small in bulk. There was an
average attendance. Good sorts of wheat realised former
prices. Good oats in demand. Flour and other articles
unchanged.
Red wheat, per load of 3 imperial bushels...24s Od to 288 Od
White 77 7f ...I% Od to 28s Od
New red
...20s Od to 22s Od
77 f
, f
New white
..22s Od to 26s Od
ff
.
f
Beans ff
1)
... 16s Od to 22s 6d
Peas, per qr s4s Od to 558 Oct
Grinding barley, per qr 33s Od to 35s Od
Malting ditto, „ 35s Od to 43s 011 ,
Oats
25s 6d to 34s Od
17
Millers' prices for flour-2s 3d, 2s sd, and 2s 8d per
141 b .