The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-08-15 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

GENERAL MISCELLANY.

The Rev. Dr. Pusey embarked at Dover for the Con-
tinent last week.—Morning paper.
The treasurer of the association for completing the
Cathedral at Cologne has absconded, carrying with him
the subscriptions received during the past year.
On Saturday week, a little boy, at Huddersfield, was
killed through drinking a quantity of oil of vitriol from a
bottle which he imagined contained ginger beer.
Messrs. Adams and Fox, the extensive engineers at
Ford, Bow, have, it is said, taken the contract for building
the aerial machine.
On Wednesday Mr. Brunner was unanimously elected
coroner for the county of Oxford in the room of the late
Mr. Cecil.
James Williams, the man who first established savings
banks in Westminster, died in the Bridecvell there on
Wednesday se'nnight.
Swift passenger boats now travel on the canal between
Wolverhampton and Birmingham, accomplishing the dis-
tance in two hours.
D. W. Herschell has discovered that the mixing of
nitrate of silver with hyposulphate of soda, both remark-
ably bitter substances, produces the sweetest substance
known.

Some of the nankeen masters of Wigan gave notice, last
week, of a reduction of their weavers' wages, on some
fabrics of cloth, of five shillings in the pound.
The report is spread in the German States, that Queen
Victoria of England intends paying a visit to her relations
in Germany.—Frankfort paper.
Both the patent theatres are let, it appears. Mr. Bunn
is to be the lessee of Drury Lane, backed, it is said, by
two capitalists ; and Mr. Henry Wallack has taken Covent
Garden, which is announced to open in September.
It is expected that £4OOO will be raised for the family
of the late Mr. Elton. Benefits have already taken place
at most of the London Theatres. At the Haymarket as
much as £2BO was raised.
The standard height of the recruits for the Royal
Matines has been altered by direction of the Lords Com-
missioners of the Admiralty. It is to be five feet seven
inches until further orders.
A hive of bees, despatched by railway from London on
Friday evening last, to Mrs. Joseph Pease, sen., Darling-
ton, arrived safe at the latter place on the following morn-
ing, and "as busy as bees" need be.
A model of a fireproof magazine, about nine feet square,
and containing gunpowder, was on Wednesday, at West-
minster, submitted to a heat of 100 degrees Fahrenheit,
without being at all injured.
On Monday evening, the House of Commons voted
£5OOO to defray the expenses of the commission appointed
to inquire into the best mode of preserving the public
health.

Hereford Musical Festival is advertised to take place on
the sth, 6th, and 7th, of September next, the morning
performances in All Saints Church, the evening perform-
ances in the Shirehall.

HAIL STORM AT SELBY.—The breakage of glass after
the late storm at Selby was immense. Mr. R. Richard-
son, plumber and glazier, of Hull, replaced no less a
quantity than 5515 broken squares in about ten days.
The Wesleyan Chronicle states, that of the Wesleyans
in Durham who possess the franchise, 21 voted for Mr.
Bright, including eight local preachers and stewards,
while only two voted against him. A few also are said to
have remained neuter.

THE ASSURANCE OFFICES.—We understand that an
arrangement has been made by a considerable majority of
the agents of assurance companies in Manchester, by
which their respective offices will, in future, be closed on
the afternoon of Friday in each week.
Government intend to erect forthwith, in Ireland, four
provincial asylums for incurable insane cases, idiots, and
epileptics. The buildings are to be on an enlarged scale,
and will afford room for all those cases now in existing
asylums.

The Coroners' Inquests' Expenses Bill was rejected on
Monday week, in the House of Lords, on the ground that
coroners were at present sufficiently paid, and to increase
their allowance would be to increase the charge upon the
county rates.

It is expected that Parliament will be prorogued either
on Saturday next, the 19th instant, or on Tuesday, the
22d; but it must be obvious that where so much depends
upon accident, it is impossible to fix upon any particular
day as certain.

It is stated that Messrs. Cookson and Co. have resolved
to close their extensive alkali works at Jarrow at the end
of the present week, in consequence of the numerous pro-
secutions for damage to which they have been subjected.
They employ many hundred men.
On Friday week, Mr. William Ray wood, gardener,
Thorne, whilst plucking red currants from a tree in his
own garden, gathered a single bunch containing upwards
of 60 berries, and which weighed three quarters of an
ounce.

MUTATION OF FORTUNE.—C. Comte de Misles, who
had 12,000 men under his command in the army of Na-
poleon, and who was at one time commander-in-chief of
the garrison of the city of Rome, is now in Nashville,
Tennessee, teaching a school.
During tl e past week much excitement has been occa-
sioned in the village and neighbourhood of Chiswick by
28,-1 111871,11'1m locality, two of which attempts have
been made by parents on the lives of their own offspring.
The Messrs. Gurney, of Norwich, and other leading
bankers in the east of England, have come to a resolution,
in consequence of the want of employment for money,
which has existed now for twelve months past, to lower
the rates of interest on deposits to 11 per cent.
In the House of Commons on Monday night Mr. Robt.
Scott obtained leave to bring in a bill to declare that every
detached part of a county in England and Wales, entirely
surrounded by one other county, shall form part of the
county by which it is surrounded.
The interesting ceremony connected with laying the
first stone of a new Hebrew National School took place
i❑ Birmingham on Wednesday, and attracted a large num-
ber of strangers of the Hebrew persuasion from the me-
tropolis and various parts of the country.
HINT TO GROUSE SHOOTERS.—TWO dogs of the Italian
greyhound species were yesterday forwarded to Dublin,
through the Chichester-street post office. The address
of the forwarder and the receiver lies at this office ; and
the postage to Scotland is not more expensive than to
Dublin.—Belfast Chronicle.
On the 17th of last month (July) the " Old Man," the
highest peak in Coniston Fell, was partially covered with
snow. This is a very rare occurrence so far advanced in
summer. Though the weather this year has not, on the
whole, been favourable, the number of visitors to the lake
districts has been greater than for some years past.

In consequence of the greatly depressed state of the
shipping interest, shipowners have in numerous instances
been reluctantly necessitated to reduce the hard and haz-
ardous won earnings of their seamen. There are now at
the port of London several hundreds of able-bodied sea-
men unable to obtain engagements.
SINGULAR ROBBERY.—Last week, an elderly man of
respectable appearance, who gave his name James Cullen,
residing near Kensington Square, but who was stated to
be a naval officer on on pension, and son of a late Dean
of York, was committed to Newgate for trial at the Cen-
tral Criminal Court, charged with having stolen a loin of
pork in a butcher's shop in High-street, Kensington.

Four-and-twenty donkeys were entered for exportation
by the Emerald Isle for Rotterdam, from Hull on Wed-
nesday. They were of all sizes and sexes. It appears the
demand at Rotterdam increases, The trade was new a
fortnight ago, when it was opened with a lot of ten follow-
ed by an equal number last week ; so that in a fortnight
the exports have more than doubled.—Hull Herald.
MANsLAuGnTER.—On Saturday week a young man,
named William Spencer, a plumber and glazier, of Salford,
died. in consequence of injuries received in an affray
which took place on Thursday, the 29th June last, in the
tap-room of the Egerton Arms public-house, Gore-street,
In that town. The jury, at the inquest, returned a ver-
dict of manslaughter against the landlord of the house
and another man implicated in the affair.
AN OLD SOLDIER.—John Fisher, believed to be the
last surviving soldier in Scotland engaged in the first Ame-
rican war, died at Leslie on Friday, the 18th ult., at the
age of 92 years. In the year 1776 he enlisted into the
Ist, or Royal Regiment of Foot, of which Lord Adam
Gordon was Colonel, but which was at that time com-
manded by Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Fraser.— Caledo-
nian Mercury.

MANSLAUGHTER AT LANCASTER.—On Monday last
William Green, shoemaker, was committed to the Castle
to take his ti ial at the ensuing assizes, charged with killing
his wife, whom he struck on the head with a stick during
a quarrel, on Saturday night last. Both parties were
much addicted to habits of intemperance, and both lived
together very unhappily.

CHESTER REGATTA.—This regatta took place on
Thursday. The Trial Stakes, value five guineas, for four
oared gigs rowed by boys, was won by the Deva ; the
Dee Cup, value fifteen guineas, by the Echo ; the City
Cup, value thirteen guineas, by the Royal Chester Row-
ing Club ; and a Piece of Plate, value five guineas, by the
Gazelle, of Liverpool.
BRITISH IRON COMPANY.—A meeting of the proprie-
tors was held on Wednesday, at which it was resolved to
form a new company, with a capital of £400,000, whereof
£200,000 would go to pay off the old shareholders, and
the rest to be reserved to carry on the works. It is pro-
posed that there shall be 20,000 shares of £2O each ; 6,380,
it is stated, being already subscribed for, notwithstanding
the depressed condition of the trade.

The lovers of Flora will be delighted to learn that a
splendid double pansey has at last been grown. This
elegant flower is to be seen growing luxuriantly in the
garden of Mr. David Rattry, shoemaker, Grange, by
Errol. It possesses about forty petals, is well built, and
the colours distinct. Altogether it is a most magnificent
flower, and, we should think, the only one of its kind in
Britain.—Dundee Warder.

EXTRAORDINARY VEGETABLE ANTIQUITY.—In un-
rolling an Egyptian mummy, in the Thebaid, in 1838,
which was ascertained to be 3,000 years old, several heads
of wheat were discovered. A portion of this mummy
wheat came into the hands of the Earl of Haddington,
and, on the Ist of November last year, his lordship's
gardener, Mr. Ford, sowed four seeds of it in the garden
at Tyningbame. The produce is at present nearly 100
stalks, about six feet high, and the ears have from 45 to
55 grains each. The ears have beards or hands not un-
like those of barley, and the leaves on the stalks are long,
and nearly an inch broad.—Caledonian Mercury.

FOREIGN FRUIT, &.—Nearly twelve hundred baskets
of fine fruit, including melons, pears, plums, apples, and
currents, arrived at Hull, on Sunday night, by the Emer-
ald Isle steamer from Rotterdam, and were landed next
morning in excellent condition. The following were the
quantities of the respective fruits, viz., 85 baskets apples,
4 of melons, 452 of currants, 73 of plums, and 566 of
pears ; total 1180 baskets ; besides which the same vessel
brought 50 baskets potatoes; 17 ditto yeast, 190 Gouda
cheeses, with wine, madder, &c. After the quick passages
which this vessel makes, the fruit which she brings usually
appears in Hull market amongst the largest and the fresh-
est of that is shewn.

INTERESTING TO WATCHMAKERS.-By a certain
clause in the Customs' Amendment Bill, now before par-
liament, it was originally proposed to do away with all
restrictions on the importation of clocks and watches, ex-
cept that they should be prohibited from bearing any
mark representing any British assay mark. It appears,
however, from what took place in the house of commons,
on Saturday last, that the clause relating to these articles
has been expunged, At present the duty on foreign
clocks imported into Great Britain is 20 per cent; on
watches, 10 per cent. Previous to the enactment of the
late tariff, the duty on both was 25 per cent.

Two LIVES LOST.—On Saturday last, a female men-
dicant, accompanied by her son, a little boy, happened to
be going her rounds in Kirkmahoe, and determined to
shorten her journey homewards, by crossing to the parish
of Holywood. She was then nearly opposite to Ellis-
land—the farm at one time occupied by the poet Burns—
and entered the Nith at a point where the water is very
shallow on the one bank, but deeper for a short distance
on the other. The poor boy followed, and both had got
as far as the pool in question, when they were carried off
their feet by the strength of the current, and, after a brief
struggle, unfortunately drowned.—Glasgow paper.
FRIGHTFUL OCCURRENCE.—On Friday last the fol-
lowing lamentable circumstance took place here. Mrs.
Haining, wife of Edward Haining, tailor here, drowned
two of her children along with herself. She left home
with her two sons, one of them three and the other five
years of age, the previous morning, and bad been observed
passing the New Quay, in the forenoon. In the after-
noon, same fishermen found a bonnet, handkerchief, and
basket, on the bank of the river, below the New Quay,
which were identified as the property of Mrs. Haining.
c -L • l• 1 _1
near the spot where the articles were tound.—Dum frzcs
Standard.

THE PEGASUS.—A party of divers are now at work, at
the wreck of the Pegasus, and have succeeded in raising a
great many packages, and also the bodies of two of the
sufferers. Several other bodies have been floating near
the wreck. One body, which has been identified as that
of the Rev. Mr. M`Kenzie, was found floating about a
mile from the scene of the wreck. Another body, that of
a female, was picked up by the Vesta last week, and
landed at Holy Island ; and the body of another lady has
since been picked up at Caster It is understood that the
directors of the London and Glasgow Shipping Company
have given notice that the masters of their steam-ships
are instructed that on no account are they to take their
vessels through the inner passage of the Fern Islands,
either in the day or night time.

DREADFUL EXPLOSION.—On Friday, an explosion,
arising from foul air in the sewer, took place at Rosoman-
street, Clerkenwell. The pavement was torn up, eight or
ten flag stones having been removed, while a large iron
patent grating, weighing about two cwt., and which is
placed over a sewer for ventilation and allowing the work-
men to enter, had been blown about six feet from its
original position. A number of persons were drinking at
the Spa public-house, corner of Rosoman-street, some of
whom were knocked down by the explosion. A woman,
also who keeps an apple-stall a few feet from the spot was
sitting in her chair, and with it was raised in the air three
or four feet. The most extensive damage has been sus-
tained by the occupiers of the houses in the immediate
vicinity, from the breaking of glass and other injuries
done to their premises.
WILLIAMS THE CHARTIST.—We alluded last week to
suspicions attached to the man Williams. The jury on
the inquest returned a verdict of " murdered by some
person or persons unknown ;" but Williams has since
made a voluntary confession to the chief-constable, Mr.
Newman. He stated that he was tired of his life, and
had determined, on the morning that he absconded, to
murder tke first man he met. He came upon Harkness,
and wished him to let him kill a kid ; the old man refused,
and shortly after Williams struck him over the left eye
with the handle of a pick-axe; he fell from the effect of
the blow, which Williams repeated untill he considered
him dead. Williams conducted Mr. Newman to the spot
where he had concealed the pick-axe handle, which was
found accordingly. He will no doubt be fully committed
for trial, and sent to this place.—Launceston Courier.—
[A letter received in Swansea, from Port Phillip, dated
in March last, says—" Zephaniah Williams, the Newport
chartist, for killing an old man, has been hanged."]—The
Cambrian.

THE CHESHIRE MURDER.—On Friday last two bro-
thers, named John and Samuel Maddocks, were brought
up at the Police-office, at Norley, on the borders of Del-
amere Forest, on a charge of having murdered Mathias
Bailey, gamekeeper to George Wilbraham, Esq., of Del-
amere-house, on the morning of the 28th ult., in the bar-
barous manner heretofore described. There were thir-
teen witnesses examined and their evidence was to the
effect that, on the night preceding the murder, the pri-
soners, one of whom was armed with a gun, were seen to
walk in the direction of Crowton, where the deed was
committed. On the following morning, about four o'clock
a farmer, who lives in the neighbourhood, heard the report
of a gun, and, on looking towards the place whence the
sound proceeded, saw a man, whom, after considerable
hesitation, he stated to be the prisoner John, running
towards the forest, and Bailey, the unfortunate deceased,
in rapid pursuit of him. He further stated, that he
heard Bailey exclaim, "Eh, John? I know thee." In
about an hour after that time some persons who happened
to be in the neighbourhood saw both the prisoners coming
from the scene of the murder, and observed that one of
them was armed with a gun, and that the other was, ap-
parently, in a wet, dirty condition. When the prisoners
were apprehended, John denied that he had borrowed a
gun, although it was distinctly proved that be had, while
Samuel denied that he had been near the forest prior to
six o'clock on the morning of the occurrence, although
it was as distinctly proved that he was two hours before.
It appeared that both the prisoners, who are elderly men,
and well-known poachers in the neighbournood, had long
been on terms of disagreement with the deceased, in con-
sequence of his having detected them in the act of poach-
ing on some occasions. After an examination which
lasted upwards of four hours, both the prisoners were
committed to Chester Castle to take their trials on the
capital charge at the next assizes.

EXECUTION.—BEDFORD, SATURDAY.—This day being
appointed for the execution of Sarah Dazely, convicted,
at the late Bedford assizes, of the murder of her hus-
band, by administering a quantity of arsenic to him. The
town from an early hour presented a scene of great ex-
citement, hundreds having come from various parts of the
county. The unhappy woman had had a favourable
night's rest, and on rising this morning gave vent to some
paroxysm of grief. She was soon visited by the chaplain,
who remained with her in earnest prayer. At a quarter
before twelve, the calvacade moved to the fatal spot, the
prison bell tolling all the time. She appeared in a dread-
ful condition, and was obliged to be supported. At this
moment full 10,000 persons assembled round the walls of
the prison. As near twelve o'clock as possible, she ap-
peared on the scaffold ; the clergymen withdrew to a more
distant part, and having commenced the funeral service,
" In the midst of life we are in death," &c., the signal
was given, and the next moment the drop fell. The body
after hanging the usual time, was cut down, to be inter-
red within the precincts of the prison.

AWFUL THUNDER STORMS

Loss OF THE SCHOONER HARRIETT. -- On Thurs-
day information of the total loss of the schooner Harriett,
Thomas, master, was received. It occurred on the Nth ROCHESTER, August 10.—Last night, about ten o'clock,
of last month, while on her passage from Caernarvon for a tremendous thunder storm approached this city from
Liverpool, through coming in collision with the North- the westward, accompanied by vivid flashes of sheet
umberland, a barque of about 400 tons burden, of Alloa, lightning, which for hours kept up one continued glare of
bound from Greenock for North America, and immedi- light. About midnight the storm raged with the greatest
ately sinking in deep water. The crew had a most mirac- fury ;it was terrific ; one continued roar of thunder, the
ulous escape. perpetual flashing of the lightning, occasionally intermixed
b
DURHAM CITY ELECTION.-111 the House of Com-
with thunderbolts, which appeared like large masses of
mons on Thursday night, a petition was presented to Mr. fire hurled to the earth, succeeded immediately
Hamilton, the member for Dublin University, against the
fu l
artillery,n o
whilstresembling
the roaringt e report of sethhaer gr ea
mso f
andthye
haai
h largestor
late return of Mr. John Bright, the Quaker, for the city
of Durham. We understand that the petition alleges
the
lathera o i showersof
the
hoef t
h ice,u e d e fallingrit
se
laft. thed A
stacktime,
ealmosthay
n equalledch at
bribery and treating against the sitting member and his.
agents. Of course the merits of the petition will not be barn Line was set fire to by the lightning. The damage
d determined till towards the end of the second month of done by the hail is incalculable. The skylights in the
the next Session of Parliament. Dockyard and public buildings have been demolished, and
the loss in every direction to individuals must be very
BEES SWARMING IN LANCASTER CASTLE.—About great. Mr. G. Masters, nurseryman, estimates his loss
twelve months ago, a swarm of bees voluntarily took up at between £4OO and £5OO. The skylights over the Corn
their residence on the debtors' side of the castle yard, Market at the City Repository are entirely destroyed ;
where they are now snugly located ; and, though inmates several green-houses in the neighbourhood have hundreds
of a gaol, present a daily example to the most industrious. of panes broken, and scarcely a house in the neighbour-
These little busy creatures are encased by huge wills, 30 hood has wholly escaped.
feet high, over which they hare to mount a hundred times CHELTENHAM.—One of the most awful thunder storms
in the course of the day to cull their sweets, yet do they that we ever remember to have witnessed spent its fury
never cease their labours from early dawn till long after over this town and neighbourhood on Wednesday morn-
the setting of the sun.—.l. Hall's Lancaster Castle. ing. After a quarter of an hour's steady rain, the war of
AWFUL DEATH.—On Tuesday last, as Wm. Benbow the elements commenced—flash succeeded flash of the
was at work in a quarry at Burton, he met with his death most vivid lightning—the thunder reverberated peal upon
in the following shocking manner. Some powder had been peal, and after each succeeding discharge, it appeared as
put in a hole for the purpose of blowing up a piece of the though the floodgates above were opened, the rain poured
rock, and Benbow was ramming in some rubbish pre- down in such unceasing torrents. During its continuance
viously to igniting it. The friction caused by the ramming the High-street was nearly impassable from the torrents
ignited the charge, and an immediate explosion took place of water pouring 'down the carriage way. We have not
,
by which the hammer was driven through the deceased's heard of any injury having been sustained by person or
head, passing under his right eye, and coming out at the property ; but the heavy rain must have inflicted consi-
back part of the head. Death, of course, took place in a derable damage on the corn.—Cheltenham paper.
short time. STAMFORD.—At three o'clock on Wednesday a most
DEATH OF A RAVEN.—Died, a few days ago, at Ramp_ vivid flash of lightning, followed immediately by a terrific
clap of thunder, was experienced in this town. The
ton, near Retford, a raven belonging to Mr. John Binge, electric fluid, in effecting its passage from the cloud to the
in the 28th year of his age. This singular bird was bred earth, was received by the chimney of a lofty building,
in Grove Park, and could talk as plainly as any man, so situate in the centre of the town ; the chimney, so far as far as his knowledge extended. In point of imitation he it projected above the ridge, was entirely destroyed, frag-
was inimitable, and could mimic anything he ever heard. ments being driven with great force into the neighbouring Like many others of his tribe, he was often exceedingly windows. The roof of the house has received considera-
mischievous, but generally amusing. But his masterpiece ble damage. The current of electricity, after passing was his correct repetition of the Lord's prayer, which, down the spars of the roof, was conducted to the earth for emphasis and distinct enunciation, would have done by a zinc spout running direct from the rave of the build-
no discredit to many a village schoolmaster.—Leeds ing to the pavement. The room, the roof of which waa
tellipencer.
displaced, had the appearance of being filled by a " blaze
FALMOUTH, AUGUST 6.—We regret much to have to of fire."
announce the loss of her Majesty's steam-vessel Lizard, CAMBRIDGE, Wednesday.—One of the most destruc.
which was run down off Carthagena, by the French man tive hail and thunder storms ever remembered occurred
of war steamer Veloce, between the hours of twelve and here yesterday evening. By six o'clock in the evening
one on the night of the 23d-24th instant. Providentially every shop was closed. Thestorm commenced about four
there has been no loss of life. Every exertion was made o'clock, with repeated flashes of lightning and heavy peals
by Lieutenant Postle to save the Lizard, which he was in of thunder. Hail fell in great quantities for about three
hopes of being able to run on shore; but the rapidity quarters of an hour. The hailstones, without exaggera-
with which she filled rendered the attempt impracticable, tion, were as large as pullets' eggs, or about three inches
and scarcely had the last of the crew left her when she in circumference. Scarcely a pane of glass was left whole
went down. Lieut. Postle and his officers and crew have in the town. A great portion of the glass in the Gothic
returned to Gibraltar in the Veloce. Tower, as well as in other parts of the building, and that
covering the whole of the machine department, have been
totally destroyed. Most of the houses facing a northerly
direction have met with serious damage. The Town Hall
bore the appearance of having been demolished by stones.
Trinity Church has also suffered severely. The colleges
have, fortunately, sustained little damage, except King's
College Hall, and the painted window at the north end of
Trinity Hall.
WORCESTER.—On Tuesday morning the city and
neighbourhood of Worcester was visited with a most vio-
lent thunder storm. It continued with but little inter-
mission for more than six hours. The lightning was ex-
ceedingly vivid, and the thunder deafening, causing the
houses and the very ground on which they stood to vibrate
as though they had been shaken by an earthquake. It
was soon discovered that the lightning had struck two
houses in the Shambles. It appears to have passed down
the chimney of one house, then along the roof, out at the
garret window, and then down the front of the house to
the ground, displacing several bricks in its passage. A
great portion of the chimney, roof, and garret window
was violently dashed to the ground, and strewed about the
street. Its track down the front of the other dwelling is
very perceptible, the roof being much damaged, the lead
in the upper window melted, and many panes of glass
shattered. Many credible persons who were standing in
the market-house declare they were sensibly moved from
their places by the shock, and one person, named Brad-
ford, was knocked down, but most providentially no life
was lost. The house of Mr. Lane, Pump-street, was also
struck by the electric fluid, which passed down the chim-
ney, knocking the top of the chimney to atoms, and then
descended the tube, displacing a few bricks about the
fire-place, and slightly scorching the hand and cheek of a
little boy who was standing beside it. From a cottage at
Rainbow-hill was heard to issue a cry of " Murder" just
as one of the heaviest peals of thunder had ceased, and it
was ascertained that the brickwork had been driven down
the chimney, and that a quantity of linen and articles in
the house had been set on fire. Although several children
were in the room at the time, fortunately not one sustained
any personal injury. The chimney of the house of Mr.
Holmes, was struck by the electric fluid, and the kitchen
boiler, saucepan, &c. were dashed into the middle of the
room. Mr. Holmes describes the noise occasioned by
the descent of the fluid down the wall being like the boil-
ing of water. Mr. Cobley, of this city, lost three horses,
which were killed in a stable at Broadway ; two others
rem iiskrauu,Six,filjeen were killed under a tree near the

STATISTICS OF MORTALITY.

We have received a return from the General Register-
office, exhibiting a quarterly table of the mortality in 114
of the districts of England (including the principal towns),
showing the number of deaths registered in the five years,
the average number of deaths in the five springs, 1838-
1842, and the number of deaths in the spring quarter of
1843, ending June 30 • together with a return, showing
the number of deaths from all causes in the metropolis,
registered in the thirteen weeks ending July 1, 1843, and
other official statistical papers on the same subject. From
these returns, which exhibit in a most striking manner
the uncertainty of life, and the innumerable train of " ills
which flesh is heir to," we select the following general
statistical information, which will be found extremely in-
teresting and instructive :—ln the metropolis, the popula-
tion of which, according to the census taken in 1841,
amounted to 1,870,727, the total number of annual deaths
registered during the last five years was as follows :—ln
1838, 52,698 ; 1839, 45,441 ; 1840, 46,281 ; 1841, -15,285 ;
and in 1842, 45,272; thus exhibiting a decrease in the
number of deaths between 1838 and 1842 of no less than
7,426. It will be observed that the great decline took
place in 1839, and that the remaining three years have
preserved a pretty equal average. The quarterly average
of deaths during the five years amounted to 11,749, and
the average during the five springs to 11,101 ; the deaths
in the spring quarter ending the 30th June last amounted
to 11,433. The grand total number of annual deaths re-
gistered in the 114 districts of England abovementioned,
which include the principal towns (exclusive of the metro-
politan city) during the same period, were as follow:
viz., in 1838, 109,321 ; in 1839, 116,505 ; 1840, 124,661;
1841, 114,664 ; and in 1842, 115,831; the quarterly average
of deaths during the five years amounted to 29,049, and
the average during the five springs, 29,107 ; the deaths in
the spring quarter, ending the 30th of June last, amounted
to 28,626. The gross total population of the 114 districts
in question, amounted, according to the census taken in
1841, to 4,663,808 souls. The largest number of deaths
occurs in the north-western division of England, which
includes the principal manufacturing towns. The annual
mortality of England is 2.2 per cent., and an extensive in-
vestigation of the mortality in all the statistical districts in
the kingdom has shown that less than 2 percent. of the
population die in a great number of country districts, and
in some town districts. The average annual mortality in
the metropolis from 1840 to 1812 was 2.4 per cent.; whilst
that in the 114 districts of England during the same period
was 2.5 per cent. The average in the manufacturing dis-
tricts was as much as 2.8 per cent. The average in the
other divisions were as follow :—viz., in the south-western
division, 2.2 per cent. ; in the western division, 2.5 per
cent. ; in the northern division, 2.3 per cent. ; and in the
eastern division, 2.3 per cent., &c. Of the 114 districts,
33 in the metropolis, and 81 comprise the principal towns
and cities in England. From the table of the mortality in
the metropolis showing the number of deaths from all
causes registered in the thirteen weeks ending the Ist of
July last, it appears that the gross total amount was
£11,433, of which 2,409 were occasioned by epidemic,
endemic, and contagious diseases ; 1,824 by diseases of the
brain, spinal marrow, nerves, and senses ; 3,380 by diseases
of the lungs and other respiratory organs; 313 by diseases
of the heart and blood vessels; 826 by diseases of the
stomach, liver, and other digestive organs ; 90 by diseases
of the kidneys, &c. ; 114 by diseases of the organs of
parturition, &c. ; 103 by rheumatism, diseases of bones,
&c. ; 13 by diseases of the skin and the cellular tissue ;
1,209 by dropsy, cancer, ticc. ; 819 by old age; 266 by
violency, privation, or intemperance ; and 67 by causes
not specified. It thus appears that diseases of the organs
of respiration carry off a greater number of patients
than any of the other maladies included in the table
before us. The average number of deaths in the spring
quarters of 1838-9-40-41-42 (from all causes) amounted
to 11,101. The epidemic of typhus, or what is vaguely
called fever, appears (says the report) to be declining in
the metropolis, the mortality of which it has tended to
raise. In the following districts the mortality was greater
than the spring average of the same districts, viz.,
Brighton, Portsea Island, Devizes, Liverpool, West
Derby, Blackburn, Chorlton, Huddersfield, Halifax,
Bradford, Gateshead, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Cockermouth,
and Wrexham. In the following districts it was less,
viz., Isle of Wight, St. Albans, Cambridge, Ipswich, Nor-
wich, Exeter, Redruth, Bath, Bristol, Clifton, Shrews..
bury, Dudley, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Leicester,
Stockport, Bury, Manchester, Ashton, Abergavenny,
Merthyr-Tydvil, and Anglesea. The barometer was 0.123
below the average of the season. The mean temperature
was 55.6 deg. which is 0.8 deg. above the average, but
1.6 deg. below the temperature of the previous spring
(1842). The mean of the maxima (day) temperature was
63.3 deg. ; the mean of the minima (night) was 48 deg. ;
the mean difference was 15.3 deg. The difference between
athveeradgre beingyand 579tdebgu.lb
Ttbheeramirowmaes thereforeters was only
more 4b4n,mthicl
than usual; and the fall of rain in forty-nine days was
7.4 inches—nearly double the average (4 inches). From
another table, showing the mortality of the metropolis for
the week ending the 22nd of July last, it appears that the
12 5 w7be6yr ebd
yis occasionededaiss
eesasoefs t
ohbfey
the epidemic
brain,
diges-
tive
&c.
gross total number of deaths amounted to 790' Of these
113 occurred in the west districts of London, 167 in the
north, 153 in the central, 180 in the east, and 177 in the
nd
fi 17et
boa se
deathses
lungs,,
organs, 80 by dropsy, cancer, &c. 46 by old age, and
28 by violence, intemperance, &c.
2a southnod
by
ydistricts.d contagiousis ease
s