more than half a mile. Both engines were disabled; the tender and a portion of one of the locomotives were thrown off the line. Two carriages of the passenger train were telescoped, and several waggons smashed, and their contents, which consisted of general goods, destroyed. Immediate steps were taken to extricate the passengers, who were buried amongst the broken carriages, and it was then found that one man, James Mills, was dead, and about twenty injured. Mills, whose mutilated body had to be sawn out of the ruins, had died instantaneously, the buffer of the carriage adjoining that in which he was seated having struck him on the upper part of the body. Conveyances were immediately procured, and the injured conveyed to Glasgow Infirmary, where everything possible was done to relieve their sufferings. On Sunday eleven persons were able to be removed to their homes, but four were still lying in a very dangerous condition.

On the same night, at seven o'clock, as an empty train was being shunted at Twickenham station, on the London and South-Western Railway, three carriages ran off the metals. The line was blocked for an hour and a half. The traffic was worked on the down rails. No personal injury was sustained.

On Monday night (the 6th) the traffic on the Great Western line was delayed for several hours through an accident which occurred to a goods train on the other side of Maidenhead. A waggon got off the metals and turned over on the up-line, causing a block. The up-trains due at the time did not reach London till a very late hour.

The limited mail train from Scotland, due at Euston station at half-past four on Tuesday morning (the 7th), was delayed by an accident to the engine, which might have resulted in another disaster. When on the point of starting from Preston it was ascertained that the wheels of the engine were locked near the points leading out of the station. The tyre of the front wheel was found to be partly off, all the bolts used in fixing the tyre on the wheel being broken. After some delay another engine was attached, and the train proceeded to London.

On Wednesday night (the 8th), a collision occurred near Upper Greenhill, on the Caledonian Railway, which, though fortunately unattended with loss of life, was sufficiently serious and alarming in its character. The North British train from Stirling to Glasgow left the former station at five minutes past eight o'clock, and, while passing up Upper Greenhill, came into collision with some waggons standing on the main line. The cause of the accident may be attributed to the old irregularity of shunting goods waggons at the time a passenger train is due. In this case the signals stood "all clear" for the passenger train. Fortunately, however, there is a very heavy incline, up which the passenger train had to travel before reaching Upper Greenhill, and the speed was thus materially decreased. Notwithstanding this, the train dashed into the waggons with great force. A number of the passengers were very much shaken, but,

fortunately, none of them were seriously injured. As might have been expected, great alarm was caused. The rails and plant were very considerably damaged.

A collision occurred on Thursday evening (the 9th) at Caldew Bridge, within a short distance of Carlisle station. A slow train comes from Beattock to Carlisle, and should start on its return journey shortly before seven, but, as usual, it was late. At Caldew Bridge there is an extensive intersection of points, and when the Beattock train arrived there, a pilot-engine started out of a siding for the same line. The train and engine arrived at the points simultaneously, but, the engine going quicker than the train, stripped the carriages of their foot-boards, and threw off a fish-truck and horsebox next to the tender, while the tender itself was thrown upon its side across the line. Both engines kept the lines, but all the carriages left the rails. The rails were torn up, twisted, and broken, and for half an hour all the lines were blocked. About nine o'clock a line was cleared, and admitted the Glasgow train, which was waiting a long time, and the limited mail. Fortunately there were only about four passengers, and none were hurt; but for some time the fireman of the passenger train was missed, and was found lying below the tender, much cut about the head and face.

On Sunday night (the 19th), to omit a few intervening casualties, a serious accident took place on the Highland Railway. A goods train, while on its way from Perth to Inverness, broke in two near Newtonmore station by the couplings giving way, and the latter half, consisting of a number of waggons and a break-van, ran two miles. Two waggons then left the metals, and the permanent way was destroyed for a great distance. Ultimately the rest of the waggons broke down, causing a general smash. The guard had three ribs broken, and traffic was stopped.

An accident, which narrowly escaped proving very disastrous, occurred, on Tuesday, the 21st, on the Ferryhill, Stockton, and West Hartlepool section of the North-Eastern Railway. The express passenger train, which left Stockton at 9.45 for Newcastle, had proceeded in safety as far as a point about midway between Sedgfield station and Ferryhill Junction, at which there is a colliery line, called the Chilton branch. Here, either the points were left open to the main line or else they were struck and forced open by the front wheels of the engine, as the train at once diverged on to the colliery line, upon which, 200 yards distant, stood a coal train, with the engine tender first, waiting a signal to come out. The driver and fireman of the express at once reversed their engine and put on the breaks, and, seeing a collision was inevitable, they both leaped off uninjured, the men upon the mineral engine doing the same. Afterwards a smart collision occurred, the engine of the passenger train seriously smashing the tender of the coal train, and throwing five or six waggons off the line. Most fortunately its speed was so reduced that it and the carriages all kept upon the rails, and the occupants of the latter escaped with a few bruises and a severe

shaking, in addition to the alarm. As it was so near Ferryhill most of them walked thither, and the train, being only slightly injured, soon followed, bringing the remainder.

A waggon laden with tow and other goods, forming part of a train between Dundalk and Newry, took fire on the same night, and all efforts to extinguish the flames proving futile, the waggon was disconnected, and allowed to burn out. No information as to the cause of the fire could be obtained.

A serious accident also occurred on the Tuam and Athenry Railway. In consequence of the Tuam Fair being held on that day, special trains were run in addition to the ordinary ones, and in the evening, after the ordinary train had left, a special was despatched. Ballyglunin is the only station between the two points, and here the passenger train was standing, when the special came up and dashed into it, smashing one carriage to pieces and damaging another. A gentleman seeing the special coming up had just time to leap out of the broken carriage. Another was seriously injured; and several others received severe bruises. The engine-driver and guard escaped by jumping from the train.

On the 28th a collision took place at Westbury station, on the London and North-Western Railway. The luggage train, as usual, was standing on the main line (which is a single one), and the mail was intended to go on to a siding; but in endeavouring to do so it overshot the mark, and ran into the luggage train at the other end of the platform. Two or three waggons were smashed, the engine damaged, and several of the handles of the carriages of the mail train knocked off. The passengers were severely shaken, but fortunately none were seriously injured.

NOVEMBER.

4. A TERRIBLE EXPLOSION occurred at a firework manufacturer's in Broad-street, Lambeth, by which eight lives were lost. The house is the centre one of a block of three other old and low buildings, there being an arch of the London and South-Western Railway on one side, and a narrow turning on the other. A man named Fenwick occupied the two parlours, where he, unknown to his neighbours, carried on his business of a firework-maker, having in the house a store of gunpowder and other explosive materials. He was pursuing his usual occupation at about nine o'clock in the morning, when the explosion occurred. It blew out the front parlour window, hurled Fenwick's lifeless body through the opening, cracked the walls, blew up the ceiling, killed Mrs. Fenwick, and set fire to the house. After the fire the brigade men discovered some firework-cases, the remains of a small 10 lb. keg of gunpowder, the

bottom of another keg upon which were the exploded remnants of fizzing powder"-i. e. a composition of sulphur, charcoal, steel filings, &c.—a press for making rockets, tubes and funnels for filling the cases, and a charred piece of wood. Inspector Huskisson applied for a search-warrant against a man who was carrying on the unlicensed preparation of fireworks not far from the scene of the disaster. The magistrate, in granting it, expressed his regret that a similar step had not been taken in Fenwick's case. He was assured by the inspector that the work had been conducted so secretly that not even the other occupants of the house were aware of its existence. It is understood that at this time of the year there are other places of the kind in full operation in that densely-crowded neighbourhood.

16. STRANGE DEATH.-At the Athenæum Assembly Rooms, Temple-row, Birmingham, this evening, a spiritualistic service was being held, and a medium named Benjamin Hawkes, a toy-dealer of New-street, spoke for fully half an hour, and described with startling vividity a séance in which the Apostle Peter had clasped hands with him, so that he felt the close pressure of the Apostle's grasp. From this he argued that it was quite possible to understand how Thomas thrust his hand into the side of "the Personification of Divine Love." The instant these last words were out of the speaker's mouth he fell back on a chair dead. The meeting broke up in wild confusion. At the inquest Mr. Hadley, surgeon, who had made a post-mortem examination, said he was of opinion deceased had died from syncopal asphyxia, resulting from congestion of the lungs. The jury returned a verdict of "Died by the visitation of God."

19. MR. DISRAELI was installed to-day Lord Rector of Glasgow University, and met with an enthusiastic reception. In the morning he addressed the students in an eloquent speech, and in the evening was entertained at a banquet in the City Hall, the Lord Provost being in the chair. About 500 sat down. In reply to the toast of his health, Mr. Disraeli spoke at some length. He began with the remark that he had always thought it to be one of the best characteristics of public life in England that we have never permitted our political opinions to interfere with our social enjoyment. "I believe it is characteristic of this country at large. I am not aware that it is shared by any other. For instance, if you were on the Continent and wished to pay your respects to a Minister and go to his reception, you are invited by the Minister, and the consequence is that you will find nobody there except those who follow him. Now, it is not so in England. I remember some years ago meeting under the charming roof of one of the most accomplished women of the time the most celebrated diplomatist of certainly our half-century, and he said to me, 'What a wonderful system of society you have in England! Now, I have not been on speaking terms with Lord Palmerston for three weeks, and here I am; but then you know I pay the visit to Lady Palmerston."" Speaking of his political

career, Mr. Disraeli said, "It has been my fortune to be the leader in the House of Commons of one of the great political parties in the State for five and twenty years, and there is no record, I believe, in the Parliamentary history of this country of a duration of a leadership equal to it. There have been in my time two illustrious instances of the great parties being led by most eminent men. One was the instance of Sir Robert Peel, who led the Tory party for eighteen years, though unfortunately it twice broke asunder. There was also the instance of one who is still spared to us, and who, I hope, may be long spared to us, for he is the pride of this country as he was the honour of the House of Commons-Lord John Russell. He led one of the great parties of the State in the House of Commons for seventeen years, though at last it slipped out of his hands. Do not suppose for a moment that I am making these observations as any boast. The reason that I have been able to lead a party for so long a period, and under circumstances of some difficulty and discouragement, is that the party that I lead is really the most generous and most indulgent party that ever existed. I cannot help smiling sometimes when I hear the constant intimations that are given by those who are in the secrets of the political world of the extreme anxiety of the Conservative party to get rid of my services. The fact is, the Conservative party can get rid of my services whenever they give me the intimation that they wish it. Whenever I have desired to leave the leadership of the party, they have too kindly requested me to remain where I was, and if I made a mistake the only difference in their conduct to me is that they are more indulgent and more kind.”

22. THE LOSS OF THE "VILLE DU HAVRE."-One of the most deplorable collisions at sea placed on record occurred on this date, off the Azores, between the large steamer "Ville du Havre" and the sailing-ship "Lochearn," of Glasgow. The former vessel was of the immense burden of 5100 tons, and was bound from New York for Havre. The "Ville du Havre" left New York with eighty-nine first-class passengers, nineteen second-class, twenty-seven third-class, and six stowaways, making a total of 141, besides the crew, which numbered 172 all told. Many of the cabin passengers were gentlemen with their wives and families, who were leaving America to spend the winter in France-some for pleasure, and others going there for the benefit of their health. Among the survivors are children who have lost their parents, and parents who have lost their children; others their sisters and brothers. From the time of the vessel sailing from New York a thick fog prevailed, which necessitated the most careful attention on the part of the captain and officers. On the night of Thursday, the 20th, the fog began to clear away, and on Friday a breeze sprang up, which raised a somewhat heavy swell. Friday night was a bright starlight night, and passengers and crew, relieved to some extent from the danger which surrounded them during the fog, retired to rest with hopes of a pleasant voyage to France. The captain, who had scarcely quitted