Washington sentinel., 1854-03-12

AAotSN~N
jumps from his hiding place, and entraps them
in his capacious jaws, which are admirably
formed for his purpose.-Dickcns's Household
Words.
BLUcHER.-When old Blucher was in Eng
land he was invited to Oxford to have doctors
degree conferred upon him. The fierce dra-
goon was as much amused as delighted at the
the idea of the honor, and introducing another
Prussian general, who had been his right-hand
man in all his campaigns, observed, in broken
English to the vice chancellor, Sir, if am o
doctor, this is my apothecary." But the veteran
made better hit than that, before the day was
over. AT an evening party given on the occa-
sion, amongst others present was a lady, of
whom it was sometimes whispered that she did
not belong to n temperance society. We dare
say this was all malice, but on this evening it
did unfortunately happen that she was in very
high spirits. "Whois is that lady?" said Blucher,
fixing his eve upon her. That is Miss
Sparkle, the daughter of one of our canons,"
was the answer; at which the shocking old
Field. Marshal Numbered forth, with roaring
laugh, "a cannon's daughter! By Jove, !
thought SO, she looks so rery accH charged"
The charge was probably grape.
UHLANp. THE GERMAN PoET.-Mr. Mitchell,
in his speech at New York, is said to have
stated that INLAND, the German poet, had
become an exile, and was now in Ohio. This
is a mistake, for INLAND is now living in his
native Wurtemberg and is reported in the pa
pers to have quite recently declined civic honor
proposed to be conferred on him by the King Of
Prussia, at the suggestion Of Baron Humboldt.
Notes and Queries.
nS~ The Brighton (Eng.) Herald says: A
correspondent, well informed upon the subject,
assures us that Colts revolvers-pistols-h
been generally introduced among the crews of
the Russian fleet Now, we need hardly say
that it is with the pistol and the cutlass that
the work of boarding is chiefly done, and set
of boarders armed with six barrelled pistols
would have an immeasurable superiority over
the crew of ship not so armed, whilst these
latter would be exposed to almost inevitable
defeat, if met in their boarding attack by men
SO armed. We trust that the attention Of the
government will be drawn to the fact. If our
informant be correct, means should be at once
taken to place our gallant sailors and marines,
who may have to encounter Russian fleet in
the Black sea or Baltic, on equal terms with
their adversaries."
NARROW ESCAPE AT THE ROYAL ARSENAL,
WooLwIcH.-On Saturday morning, about IL
o'clock, loud explosion took place in one Of
the rocket sheds, owing to 24-pounder rocket
bursting in the mould, and injuring two la
borels, named Smith and Casper, employed at
that work Mr.. Pickering, the master rocket
maker, on hearing the sound, rushed to the
building, and with great presence of mind
threw some pals of water over the burning
cases, which, if not extinguished, might have
proved of the most fatal consequences. The
men few in all directions; but Mr. Pickering,
who has preserved many lives before at the risk
of his own, with the most daring courage
rushed through the dense smoke, and without
fearing the fatal consequences, with the greatest
caution and presence Of mind extinguished all
before the arrival of the engine or assistance.
Kentish Mercury.
The CoLLIERY EXPLOSION AT WIGAN.-Our
local correspondent transmits some further
particulars of this appalling occurrence in ad-
dition to the telegraphic report published yes
the banksman in charge Of the "pit-brow" had
no suspicion of danger until the afternoon,
when loud report, as of an explosion under
ground was heard and was quickly succeeded
by second report of similar character. Then
came the sudden rush of air, smoke, and dust
from the upcast shaft which follows these
dreadful occurrences. 1t was now known to
those at the top what had occurred, and they
began to take immediate steps to rescue the
GOLFERS below. An alarm was spread to the
neighboring mines, SO that other colliers might
be obtained, to volunteer to 60 down as search
ing parties Meantime number OF golfers
below signalled to be drawn up, and FIVE cage
loads (probably forty persons in ally we're wound
up the shaft These had been at work in the
south levels, and came to the top almost un
scathed; but they reported that the north
levels were on fire near the bottom of the shaft,
thus cutting off the retreat Of colliers who had
escaped with life after the first burst of the ex-
plosion, or at least rendering their escape much
more hazardous than at first supposed. Nearly
three hours elapsed before this fire could be
extinguished, so as to enable the searchers to
proceed into the levels Heaps of the dead
and mutilated remains Of the golfers had to be
passed and left for time in order that the
first attention might be given to the living.
One of the first men brought to the surface
alive, from the north levels, was James Muir
ply, collier, who had been working at the very
far end, or 1900 yards from the pit-shaft.
He and another man, it appears, on feeling
the shock of the explosion, started towards the
shaft, but on reaching point in the level
where the sulphur was overpowering, his COM
panion turned back, whilst Murphy, resolutely
putting his cap between his teeth, ran towards
the shaft and was saved. The other man was
lost. About twenty minutes to s o'clock at
night man and boy were taken out much ex-
hausted with sulphur, and soon afterwards an
other man was found, who was SO far spent that
he has been insensible ever since. In all, about
fourteen persons made their escape alive from
the north workings during Saturday evening,
and these were the last. All that were found
during the night, and on Sunday, had been
killed. Forty dead bodies had been discovered
on Saturday evening, and on Sunday morning,
at 10 o'clock, the number had been increased
to seventy. On Sunday night, at a late hour,
eighty y-seven had been recovered and brought
out Of the mine. Yesterday the search was
continued; but, as the rule adopt
I'd is to keep oil bodies in the mine until night
fall, no information could be obtained before
Dur reporter left as to whether the number had