Star.
London, England, 1819-07-31 00:00:00

tAmit v. SMIE.

This was an action' brought by the same plaintiff
against the same defeadant, for assaulting and falsely.
imprisoning him for the space of three hours, on a
malicious and uniOnnded charge of felony.
It appeared that, pending the last-mentioned ac-
tion, which was a remanet from the last assizes, some
of the fences and gates of Hainault-forest being out
of repair, the plaintiff was employed by the deputy-
steward of the forest to do the necessary repairs, and
for this purpose he was authorised to cut down sor9e
timber in the forest, which he did accordingly in the
month of October last, in the most public manner,
drawing the timber to his premises for the purpose of
preparing it for the object in question. The defen-
dant, not knowing the authority which the plaintiff
had received, discovered the timber on the premises
of the latter, and supposing it was stolen, went be-
fore a Magistrate named Layton, and laid an infor-
mation against the plaintiff for felony, and under
the defendant's representation of the case the Magis-
trate was induced to issue his warrant, fur the ap-
prehension of the plaintiff. The defendant directed
the officer who was entrusted with the execution of
the warrant, not to apprehend him until six o'clock
on the following morning, when he himself could be
present to see the plaintiff taken into custody. The
plaintiff under these circumstances, was apprehended
in the morning about six o'clock, the defendant being
present, and taken before the Magistrate, who hear-
ing the plaintiff's statement of his case, dismissed the
complaint as being perfectly groundless. The de-
fendant insisted that the Magistrate should detain
the plaintiff in custody until the case was represented
to the Commissioners of Woods and Forests ; but the
Magistrate :ejected tbe application. Under these cir-
cumstances the present action was brought.
Witnesses were called to shew that the defendant
had a reasonable and probable cause for the act cortt-
plained of. It appeared, however, that almost all
the witnesses were friends of the defendant, and had
assisted him in pulling dov:n the plaintiff's shed, which
constituted the subject of the last action.
Mr. GURN-EY replied on behalf of the plaintiff with
his usual ability.

The Jury, :tiler hearing a very eloquent charge
from the Learned Judge, found a verdict for the
plaintiff—Damages 5(X)!.
There was no else worthy of notice in the Crown
Court the business of which finished this day.

Another of the bottles thrown overboard from the
ISABELLA, by Captain P.Q....i5, in his voyage last year
to Baffin's Bay, has been cast ashnra on. the Northern
part of the Irish Co.a4. This is the second that has
been found on that part of the United Xingdom.
We copy the following from a St. George's (Ber-
muda) Paper, of May 19:
.. Thursday a bottle, corked and sealed, was piAed up, drift.
ing into Castle ilarbour, by a fisherman, between Cooper and
Nonsuch Islands. It contained a letter to the Rev. Mr. Lough,
Rector of St. George's, from his brother, Hospital-Assistant
Surgeon Lough, wbo had committed it to the faithful wave, on
the 19th of last month, in lat. 32. long. 64. The vessel was the
Alfred transport, 'on her passage from Jamaica to Sierra Leone,
with the 9d , West India Regiment on board. To accoe3
for this came* ce may, afford curious tpettluion among oi..r
maiticai frie • J)w her passage she fell in with the wreck
of the Pri •OldirTiktte packet, homeiVied bound, with
500,000 dollars on board, having ,truck on the liagsties."

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Iv- - ,
DREADFUL ACCIDENT AT THE SHERIFF-
HILL COLLIERY.

FURTHER INTERESTING PARTICULARS.
NEWCASTLE, JULY 24.—0 n Monday evening last,
a terrible accident occurred at Sheriff Hill Colliery,
near Gates-head. After the hewers had left-work,
an explosion of fire-damp took place, which unfor-
tunately proved fatal to every person (to the number
of 35, two men and 33 boys) who happened to be
in that part of the mine. This event occurred only
half an hour before the pit was to have finished its
day's work, otherwise the loss of lives would, in all
probability, have been more extensive. The follow-
ing is the substance of the information on this sub-
ject, as stated in the depositions of those examined
before Adam Askew, Esq. one of his Majesty's Jus-
tices of the Peace for the county of Durham, who at-
tended in consequence of the office of Coroner for
Chester Ward being at this time vacant :—The King
pit, 'wherein this most lamentable event took place,
has always been subject to a considerable discharge
of inflammable air from the coal in the face of the
workings, which rendered it necessary at all times
to have a powerful and well-regulated ventilation;
this had been found fully adequate to its object in keep-
ing the pit in a safe working state ; but, at the same
time, it could not be withdrawn from the smallest
branches of the workings, without their speedily be-
coming charged with inflammable air. On this account
all the galleries of the mine were bratticed so as to dash
a powerful current of atmospherical air against the face
of the coal in their extremities, for the purpose of di-
luting the inflammable air as it issued from the fis-
sures of the coal. This was the more necessary, for,
as it was requisite that the workmen should blast the
coal with gunpowder, the use of the Davy lamp was
rendered unavailable. That division of the workings
iu which this accident happened was of limited extent,
as it only contained 17 boards or working galleries ;
and the ventilation was so arranged, that two sheth•
'doors, which, for the sake of making them as complete
as possible, were constructed and fitted up in. the
same manner as main or frame doors, had the effect
of ventilating twelve out of the seventeen boards.
Two hours previous to the accident, it is ascertained
that the pit was in a safe working state, and was then
under the care of Mr. John Isley, the back overman.
At eleven o'clock in the forenoon, when Mr. Patten,
the chief overman, was relieved by Mr. Isley, he
declares that he never saw the workings in a safer
state, nor ever left them with greater salisfaction—
The catastrophe which occurred was therefore totally
unexpected, and every person w:io knew the state of
the workings, was at a loss to account for it. Mr.
Appleby, the viewer, with all the over-men, waste-1
men, &c. flew to the spot the moment they heard of
the accident ; and en gaining access to that division
of the workings where it happened, they found the
two sheth doors before mentioned removed from
their place, but did not observe any traces of the
boys whose duty it was to keep them. In the course
of their search for the sufferers, they found the bodies
of these boys at a distance of 210 yards from their
doors, in a situation where it was not possible they
could have been carried by the force of the explosion.
And, as on examining the workings, nothing could be
discovered to lead to the supposition that any sud-
den and overpowering discharge of inflammable air
had taken place, the only way in which the cause of
this accident can be accounted for, is, that the boys
had left their doors open, by which the current of air
had been withdrawn for such a length of time from the
first twelve boards of the district in question, as to al-
low them to be charged with inflammable air to the
firing point. This opinion is in a great measure con-
firmed from the circumstance of the body of John
I,Ny, the overman, being found uninjured by the fire,
in die fifteenth board, which is beyond the point
where the derangement of die ventillation arising from
the neglect of the two sheth doors, extended ; and if
he had been engaged there for some length of time,
which is most probable, he could not be at all con-
scious that any thing was wrong. A further confir-
mation of this opinion is, that the greatest force of the
fire had evidently been in the boards, the ventilation
of which depended on those two doors. Upwards of
20 men and boys were in other parts of the mine
when the accident happened, but fortunately escaped,
a few only being slightly injured by the concussion
and after damp.

Thursday evening one of the Paddington stages,
endeavouring to overtake another which was running
along. the New Road, drove furiously against it,
'and, singular to relate, not only overturned the coach,
..,,dbut also a brewer's dray, which was on the Other side
of it. The coach overturned was completely de-
stroyed, and one of the horses belonging to it was
killed on the spot : we are sorry to add, that an out-
side passenger had an arm broken, that two ethers
svere severely bruised and wounded, and that the un-
fortunate dray man had his leg and knee dreadfully
shattered.
Yesterday morning, Mr. MARTIN, M. P. for the
county of Galway, attended at Hatton-Garden Police
Office, and stated that as he was riding along the
liew-road on a very spirited Persian poney, of which
the PRINCE REGENT had made a present to him, fol-
lowed by his groom, two stage coaches drove along
at a most furious rate, racing against each other.—
On their arrival near him, he was caught between
both coaches, and in fact he and his groom were
nearly killed. He wished to know how the driver
might be brought to justice for the public safety.—
Mr. DYER, the Magistrate, told him, that the Act of!
Parliament was inefficient to punish the coachmen
who drove the coaches, as the parties connected with
them generally acted with such cunning as to evade
the ends of justice, unless the coach and coachman
`were well known.—Mr. MARTIN said it was a shame-
' 'fill thing that such measures should be suffered. He
thought there should be.a Solicitor to each Office to
• keep them in order, and he would certainly make it
his business to speak to Lord SIDMOUTII on the sub-
ject.—Mr. DYER said, that it certainly was a subject
worthy of attention, and he was happy to understand
that the parish oflMary-la-Bonne were using every
exertion, and had 'employed certain officers to repress
dangerous practices, which he himself had the
witnessing every day.
the late Shropshire Agricultural Meeting, a
me premium was awarded to a day labourer,
ing brought up a family of thirteen children
the least assistance from the parish.

WHITEHAVEY, JULY 24.

A very heavy rain came on here some time in the
morning of Sunday, the 18th inst. which continued
with little intermission the whole of the day, and in-
cessantly on Monday and Monday night—the whole
of its duration being not less than 60 hours ; causing
such an inundation in this part of the country as has
not been known for 50 years past ; and we are sorry
to add, that numerous individuals have, in its conse-
quence, sustained considerable damage. Vast quanti-
ties of hay have been swept away—the growing wheat,
in several places, sanded up and wasted—the soil
washed off and scattered from the ground prepared
for wheat, kc.—quantities of potatoes washed up and
lost—several hedges broken down and demolished—
and bridges over brooks and rivulets, in various parts
of the country, have either been destroyed, or other-
wise greatly injured. In many situations, the houses
were inundated, and the inhabitants compelled to
retreat for safety to their upper apartments.
At Braystones, near Egremont, the house occupied
by, and still in the occupation of Mr. Smeddle, was
in a manner deluged for one day and two nights! In
all the apartments on the ground floor, the water was
generally from two to two feet and a half in height.
The house is seated by the bank of the Eden, and the
wood bridge, which led from the front of the man-
sion-house, across the river, to the very perfect re-
mains of the Druid's Temple, was injured so far as
to render it impassable; whilst all the farm buildings
which are at the rear of the main building, were so
flooded as to threaten them and their contents, amongst
which were several young calves, with immediate de-
struction. In the village of Braystones, an out-house
belonging to Mr. W. Smith, of Beckermont, but te-
nanted by James Little, was undermined by the de-
luge of water which for a long time poured upon it
in a torrent, supposed to have been not less than
three feet above the surface of the adjoining ground,
till at length one of the ga!):21 ends and the side wall
connected with it tumbled down.
The flood in this quarter is supposed to haVe been
at the height about seven o.cl, ck. on Monday night;
but the alarm created by its violent and rapid en-
croachments on the land, and the subsequent confu-
•ion it occasioned among the inhabitants, who beheld
the produce of the season (the fruits of their indus-
try) borne away from them by the force of the un-
controullable element—these might well prevent any
accurate observation on the height or extent of this
great and unexpected overflow.
Besides the occurrences in the immediate vicinity
of this town (the adjoining meadows being for some
time under water, and the like havoc being made
amongst the hay, &c. as already noticed?, we have
similar acconats of its effects from E,remont, Calder-
Bridge, of on all the road to ',footle, Whitbeck,
Whicnam, &c. &c.
Its ravage. were severely felt on the low grounds
about Cock.n-niouth, Basseathwaithe, Braithwaite,
Keswick, Bridgefoo:—and, is short, throughout the
whole country. The loss ahoge:her, it i, presumed,
must amount to st meshing very considerable. On
the waters subsitlin,,, the fields, in many places pre-
sented an appearance such as has seldom been seen
in this pact of the kingdom, and of which it would
be futile to. attempt a description.
At Carlisle, the Eden overflowed all the low lands
in its vicinity, and swept away considerable quantities
of hay, and damaged the corn, grass, potatoes, &c.
Both the utility and strength of the newly-formed
bank from the Bridge to the Castle-walk were put to
the test, and the result is most satisfactory.
At Kendal, the rain, raised the rivers Kent and
Lune to an unusual height, and many of the adjacent
meadows were inundated with the floods. On Mon-
day morning a considerable quantity of hay passed
down the Kent; two sheep, which had probably been
surrounded and swept away by the flood, were also
observed to float down the river. Many of the far-
mers in the neighbourhood had completed their hay-
harvest previous to the fall of rain ; and a great part
of the hay which was exposed to the rain on Sunday
and the two succeeding days, was stacked on Thurs-
day evening.

Sunday, the neighbourhood of Moffat was visited
with a dreadful thunder storm, and the rain accom-
panying it fell for a short time in such torrents, that
between Dinwoodie Green and nine miles N. W. of
Moffat, four bridges were carried away, and one
much damaged ; in co ssequence of which the Lon
don mail arrived two h -Airs later than usual at Glas-
gow, the bags having had to be conveyed on horse-
back to meet the coach from Glasgow at the next
stage. Much injury has been done to the crops on
the sides of the hills in that quarter, and the lime
laid down on the fields for manure, has been almost
completely washed away. Some individuals have
experienced damage to the amount of £lOO. On
Monday morning about two o'clock, at Glasgow,
there were loud thunder and heavy rain. In Gal'low-
gate-street, notwithstanding the common sewers, the
lower shops were inundated and some damage done.
Tuesday se'nnight, as a fine boy, ten years old, son
of Mr. Speight, of the Stannp•Office, Dublin, who
resides at Chapelizod, was taking some exercise in
the Phcenix Park, near the I libernian Military School,
he was struck by a ball from the musket of one of a
party of the military, who were firing at a target,
near the Butt. It entered the left arm a little above
the elbow, and being partly spent, (he was nearly half
a mile from the party), was turned by the bone to the
fleshy part. The child, though alone, had the pre-
. sence of mind to proceed immediately to the 'Military
School, and apply to Surgeon M'Auley, who, with
the utmost skill and promptitude, extracted the ball,
and part of the shirt and coat, which it had driven
' before it. The young sufferer underwent the opera-
' tion with astonishing fortitude, and is in a fair way
of doing well.
Friday se'nnight, GEORGE BaowsnAr., weaver, of
Paisley, while bathing in the river Cart, near the
Aqueduct Bridge, was drowned.
Colonza's Inounses.—An Inquest was held yesterday at the
Ashby Castle, Northampton-square, Clerkenwell, on the body
of Mr. Peter Menton, a respectable master baker of Spencer-
street, in that neighbourhood, in the act of attending his business
in his bakehouse about four o'clock on Tuesday morning, sud-
denly fell down and aspired. Verdict—Died by the visitation
of Gon.—Another Inquest was held at the same time and place
on the body of Mr. Samuel Hill, who for many years held a
very responsible situation in the Stamp-Office, Somerset-House,
when it appeared that on his return to dinner at bis usual time,
on Tuesday afternoon, he complained of being unwell, sent for
some medicine, and laid" down, and in a short time he was found
by his wife lifeless. Verdict—Died by the visitation of Gov.

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