The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-12-21 00:00:00

SERIOUS INCREASE IN THE RATE OF MOR-
TALITY, AND EXTRAORDINARY STATE OF
THE ATMOSPHERE.

The Registrar-General for the Metropolitan Districts
has given, in his last return, the following as the morta-
ity for the last three weeks, viz., for the week ended
Nov. 27th, 1,677 ; for the week ended Dec. 4th, 2,454 ;
and for the week ended Dec. 11th, 2,416. The usual
weekly average for this period is only 1,046. The in-
crease of last week above the average of the season is,
therefore, 1,370 weekly, or 130 per cent., whilst there is a
decrease of only 38 as compared with the greater number
of deaths in the preceding week.
The principal diseases to which death is attributed have
been, in the three several weeks, zynzotic, 415, 638, and
783; diseases of the respiratory organs, 634, 994, 913;
typhus, Av., 91, 136, and 140; influenza, 36,.136, and
374 ; pneumonia and bronchitis, 366, 649, and 593.
The return gives, along with the above facts, a state-
ment of the very low range of the barometer during a
portion of the period embraced, and the unseasonably
high range of the thermometer. On the Ist December
the reading of the former was high, being at midnight
30,237 inches. It descended, with only one slight rally,
until on the morning of the 7th it was 28,381 inches,
which is lower than any reading since the memorable
4orm of January 13th, 1843. After the 7th it gradually
ascended. The total decrease in the five days and one
hour to the 7th, when it was at the lowest point, was
1,855 inches. This change of reading is the greatest
since January, 1843, after the storm, when, from the
13th to the 19th, the reading increased 2,341 inches in
five days and twenty-one hours.
Variations of temperature equally extraordinary oc-
curred within the corresponding period. On the Ist of
December, at nearly noon, the thermometer, which
during the preceding night had been as high as 50 deg.,
sunk to 40 deg. At lit had risen again to 50 deg., where
it continued until 4 p.m., when it began to decline, until
at midnight it had reached 38 deg. On the 2d—a cloudy
day—the temperature increased until at midnight it stood
at 56 deg., without any further decline than one degree
during the night. On the 3d—also cloudy—the tempe-
rature was high until 8 p.m., after which it sank to 41deg.
On the 4th it increased until 1 p.m., when it was 50 deg.,
it which it continued until after midnight, when it de-
clined to 24 deg. ,5 min. On the sth the highest tempe-
rature was 47 deg., and the lowest 37 deg. at 11 p.m. It
ose from this time until 7 a.m. on the 6th, when it was
lac 53 deg. At midnight it had sunk to 41 deg. The 7th
vas cold, and little change all day. On the Bth it rose
from 32 deg. in the morning to 41 deg. 5 min. at 1 p.m.,
Ind decreased to 31 deg. 3 min. It then rose gradually
through the rest of the day and night, until, at 1 p.m. on
on the 9th, it was at 56 deg. .5 min., having risen.2s deg.
2 min. in eighteen hours. From 2 p.m. on the 9th lOU
2 p.m. on the 11th, the temperature kept nearly uniformly
high, the difference being only between 50 and 54 deg.
After 1 p.m. on the 11th it declined, until, at midnight,
it Was 38 deg. It will be seen that, during this period,
the temperature has frequently been: higher in the.night
than during the day, contrary to the usual rule. The
How
singularfa rthe a
bove results.
meteorology of the period, as compared with that of the
corresponding period of the five years since 1841, gives
similar
atmospherical phenomena are con-
nected with the increased amount of disease prevailing,
we leave it to medical men to determine. Should they
be tlkt_inducing cause of such disease, a similar inotase
in the rate of mortality to that above noticed will proba-
bly be found to have prevailed in this district, as similar
phenomena have been noticed at Preston by Mr. Holden,
and in this town by Mr. Chadhurn. optician.

EXAMINATION OF THE CHILDREN AT THE
NORTH CORPORATION SCHOOLS, YESTERDAY.

A very interesting examination of the North Corpora-
tion Schools, previously to their breaking up for the Christ-
mas holidays, took place yesterday, in the presence of the
Chairman of the Education Committee, Edmund Moly-
neux, Esq., and several members of the committee, with
A number of the local clergy. His worship the Mayor
was also present shortly after the commencement of the
proceedings.
The first part of the establishment visited was the in-
fants' school, in which we found 150 children of both
sexes assembled, some of them very young, and all very
clean and neatly dressed. On the entrance of the visiting
gentlemen they were saluted by the young scholars, and
the business of the day commenced by Miss Pemberton, the
mistress, asking a few questions, as to the purpose for
which they were met together, which were replied to with
wonderful tact and accuracy. A prayer was then recited
by them, and a hymn sung by the little creatures in excel-
, lent tune and time,—their youth considered. They were
then examined in Scripture history, in which they acquit-
ted themselves very satisfactorily ; and after another
hymn, and an examination in the outlines of geography,
a portion of the History of England and the pence table
were sung, after the system adopted in inent schools,
with very pleasing effect. This part of the proceedings
terminated by the children singing "God save the Queen."
After a few words of eulogy to the children and teachers
Itrom the chairman of the education committee, and the
Rev. Mr. Dover, his worship the Mayor paid a very flat-
tering compliment to Miss Pemberton, the mistress, who,
although she had only had the entire management for the
past half-year, had succeeded in bringing the school to
such a high state of efficiency.
We may remark that the parents and relatives of the
children, a number of whom were present, seemed to take
great delight in the progress of their little ones.
The boys and girls' school was next visited ; and after
prayers had been said, the 15th chapter of the Ist Corin--
thians was read by the head boys, who were subsequently
examined by the Rev. G. Dover a 3 to the chief doctrines
and truths enforced in it, in which they acquitted them-
selves very satisfactorily.
Mr. Alderman MOLYNEUX here announced that both
the Mayor and Hmself were compelled to leave, and con-
gratulated the boys upon their excellent reading, hoping
that the examination which they had gone through would
show them the advantage of reading to understand. He
expressed himself glad to see so many present.
His Worship the MAYOR also expressed his pleasure
not only to see so many of the children present, but their
parents as well, and was glad to see them taking so evident
an interest in the proceedings. After a few remarks as to
the advantage of education beginning at the proper point,
he stated a very interesting fact bearing upon the subject.
He bad recently, he said, had to visit the Borough Prison,
in which he found a great number of prisoners composed
of young persons of tender age, like those he saw before
him. He had to question them all, as to the education
which they had received ; and the reply of the majority
was that they had received none. It gratified him to find
only one amongst the number who had been brought up
at a school where Scriptural teaching was made the basis
of education. _ _

The Girls' school was next examined, and the scholars
passed through the ordeal with equal credit to themselves.
We were pleased to notice the neatness of the whole, and
especially to see amongst the most proficient a few who
might almost be called adults, as such a fact tends to shew,
on the part of themselves and their parents, a growing
sense of the value of education. Mr. Dover, having to
leave at this stage of the proceedings, addressed to the
children a few valuable remarks, impressing upon them
the importance of their making the most of the opportu-
nities of education then within their reach, to enable them
to pass with credit and advantage to themselves the active
life they would soon have to enter. Above all they should
salvationin thisproceedingswiseunto
school, which were pro-
longed further, reflectea great credit upon both the male
and female teachers, We observed particularly the copy-
books and specimens of the sewing of the girls handed
round to the parents—of whom there were a great num-
ber present—which appeared to give unequivocal satis-
faction.

During the course of the examination the following
song was.very pleasingly sung by the girls and boys :

THE STORMY WINDS.
Hark how the rain is falling,
And loudly roars the blast;
What torrents pour
Shut to the door,
And close the shutters fast.
On such a rough and bitter night,
How pleasant 'tis to know
We have here,
Nought to fear,
When the stormy winds do blow.
Oh I pity the poor sailor,
And all who cross the seas;
What fears are theirs,
What toils and cures,
While here we sit at ease.
May they in safety reach their port,
Nor wreck nor danger know;
And on shore,
Fear no more,
When the stormy winds do blow.

COLLISION ON TEE RIVER: STEAMER SUNK.—On
Sunday morning, about eight o'clock, the Flambeau,
steamer, left her moorings at the Albert Pier, for the pur-
pose of proceeding to sea : the Wirral, Woodside Ferry
boat, was at the same time coming from Woodside, and,
when little more than half-way across the river, the two
vessels unfortunately came into collision. The Flambeau
was struck, or struck herself, on her larboard bow, and
was so much injured that she rapidly filled, and shortly
afterwards sank. The Thomas Stanley, steamer, which
was lying near, drew her moorings to avoid being drifted
against, and, before the vessel went down, took the crew
on board. The Wirral, which, strange to say, had not
sustained the slightest injury. attached a rope and towed
the disabled vessel, in hopes to reach the pier, but did
not succeed in conveying her far before she sunk, and
totally disappeared. The event of course caused consider-
able consternation amongst the passengers on board the
Wirral, but it is consolatory to think that from the un-
toward event not the slightest personal injury ensued.
The Flambeau belongs to a company of small capitalists
aid had latterly been extensively employed as a steam-
tug. We have heard the most conflicting statements as
to the cause of the collision. The crew of the Wirral
affirm that at the time, their engine was stopped and the
helm put hard a port. The crew of the Flambeau of
course maintain that the other party were entirely to
blame.—Yesterday afternoon active preparations were
!made to raise the Flambeau from her watery bed, where
if she remained she would form a dangerous obstruction
to the navigation of the river. Flats had been employed
in the morning to weigh her up; but when the tide rose
the chains passed under her gave way, and a tide
was consequently lost. At four o'clock yesterday even-
ing four flats (two on each side) were alongside of her
awaiting the flood tide for the same purpose ; and two
steamers were at hand to tow her if she were got off into
shallow water, or a place of safety. No portion even of
the rigging of the vessel was visible. She had sunk oppo-
site to the north end of the Albert Dock Warehouses,
about three hundred yards from the outer quay, and on
the outside of the N.W. part of Pluckington Bank, where
the rater js deep even at the lowest ebb of the tido.