The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1856-02-12 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

RAILWAY ACCIDBNTS.—A return has just been issued of the number and nature of the accidents which have occurred on all the railways open for traffic iu England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland respectively, from the Ist of July to the 31st of December, 1855. From this return it appears that seven persons were killed, and 204 injured from causes beyond their own control. In the corresponding half of 1854, the numbers were 9 killed and 259 injured. Eleven persons were killed and 15 injured owing to their own misconduct or want of caution, as against 15 killed and 12 injured, 1854. There were passengers making a total of 18 killed and 219 injured, as against 24 killed and 271 injured in 1854. Ten servants of companies or contractors were killed, and 20 injured, from causes beyond their own control, as against 20 killed and 37 injured in 1854; while 32 were killed and 35 injured, owing to their own misconduct or want of caution, as against 37 killed and 11 injured in 1854. Twenty persons were killed and 4 injured through crossing at level crossings; there were 3 suicides and 2 persons killed and 1 injured from miscellaneous causes. The grand totals were—for England and Wales, 115 killed and 224 injured ; for Scotland, 8 killed and 56 injured ; for Ireland, 10 killed and 6 injured; making together 133 killed and 286 injured, as against 123 killed and 334 injured in 1854. The length of railway opened on the 31st December, 1855, was 6,218 miles in England and Wales, 1,087 in Scotland, and '9BB in Ireland, making together 8,293 miles, as againstS,os4 for the corresponding half of 1854. GREEK Pritaxis.—The following is an extract of a letter from Captain Shields, of the transport brig Radius, of Sunderland, from Constantinople, arrived at Malta, and dated January 28 :—" I think it proper to tell you of a circumstance which occurred on our passage from Constantinople; you may give it publicity, to show the necessity of ships having firearms in this quarter. Luckily for us, we had some muskets and ammunition, which we had got while lying at Kamiesch. On the 4th of January, at daybreak, in the Archipelago, a Greek brig, which had passed us on the opposite tack before daybreak, had tacked, and was not far from us when day broke. It was a drizzling, rainy morning, calm and smooth. 'Our ship had lost steerage-way, when it. was observed the brig had put her boat out, and was coming on board of us. was in bed, and the carpenter came running down to tell me. I jumped up, and told him to call all hands quickly,- and eto send them to me to take each a musket and bayonet. I loaded them in the cabin, as it was raining, and told him and the mate to load their guns, and fire one off to let them know that we would resist, and that we have fire-arms. They could plainly see from their brig every man as he came out of the cabin with them. By this time the boat was only a few yards off; the carpenter fired a shot close to the boat, which seemed to confound them. They gave over rowing, and a man on board called to them in the boat, and they pulled round and went back, hoisting up their boat, and a light northerly breeze having sprung up, the brig made all sail and went away from us ;he even set studding-sail and rigged royal yards, which were down before, and went right out of sight of us in a few hours. There was nothing in sight but our two selves. There is no doubt that he would have plundered us, if not murdered us, had we not been armed. He would see our number as daylight came. Our transport number might be some cause of him giving us up as he did."—Shipping Gazette.