THE DREADFUL RAILWAY ACCIDENT IN CANADA.
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The City of Cork, which arrived in Liverpool yesterday morning, brings the following details of a fearful railway accident near Montreal :—
“ST. HILAIRE, CANADA EAST, JUNE 29.—The emigrant train, consisting of 11 cars, went over Beloid-bridge this morning. It contained 354 German emigrants. Thirty-four bodies have been recovered, and between 30 and 40 taken our more or less badly injured. One car has not been sufficiently reached to allow the dead to be taken out from it. The engineer went down with his engine, but escaped with slight injuries. A dreadful responsibility appears to rest on this man for violating the standing order to stop before going on the bridge. The depth of the water where the accident happened is about 10 feet. The conductor, Thomas Finn, is killed ; the foreman [sic] also is supposed to be killed. St. Hilaire is about 19 miles from Montreal.” |
| FULL PARTICULARS OF THE CATASTROPHE. |
The following account of the dreadful accident on a Canadian railway appears in our last Canadian exchanges:
ST. HILAIRE, STATION, JUNE 29.—A serious accident happened this morning about half-last one to an emigrant train from Quebec. The train stopped at St. Hilaire, about one mile from the bridge across the Richelieu River, where there is a swing bridge. The swing bridge was opened about a quarter past one to let a number of barges in tow of a steamer pass. The proper signals were turned before the bridge was opened, and the red light was burning well. The man in charge of the bridge, when he heard the whistle, waved his red hand-lamp. The standing orders are—that all trains must come to a full stop before reaching the bridge ; this was disregarded, and the train ran into the open draw. A number of emigrants were killed and injured, it is impossible to say how many at present. A large body of men are at work clearing away the wreck. At 8 a.m. thirty-four bodies were recovered, and between thirty or forty taken out more or less injured. The depth of the water in the draw is ten feet.
The following particulars are from the correspondent of the Montreal Gazette, who visited the scene of the disaster:— “Hearing of the accident at St. Hilaire, I left Montreal by a special train about half-past 11 a.m. for the scene of the disaster. On arriving at the bridge we found about one hundred of the Grand Trunk men at hand, with complete apparatus for removing the wreck and recovering the bodies. They were very actively employed. The wounded appeared to be as well provided for as possible in such sheds and buildings as the vicinity afforded. We next proceeded to the fatal place. The draw-bridge is about fifty feet high from the water, seventy feet wide, and on this, the north side, close to the shore, the entire length of the bridge is 1,200 feet, and the signal at the draw-bridge is clearly perceptible for over 500 feet beyond the furthest abutment of the bridge, making the distance at which the signal could be seen fully 1,700 feet. The signal is very high and prominent—I have never seen one more so. We were told that the rules of the company make it imperative on all trains to come to a dead stop on approaching the place. The signal always hung out is the danger signal. It has happened to me to notice in travelling over this road that passenger trains make a dead stop at this place. Had this rule been observed the catastrophe would have been prevented. One minute and a half, in point of time, would have prevented it ; for we are informed that a steamer with six barges in tow was in the act of passing through. Four of the six barges had passed through, the train being precipitated on the fifth barge, which was sunk. Had this barge not broken the fall and kept the cars out of the water, many more lives would assuredly have been lost, perhaps none would have been saved. From what I could gather the entire responsibility of the disaster rests with the engine- driver, William Barney. He could not fail, if he had been doing his duty, to have seen the signal when 1,700 feet off, giving him ample space to have stopped the train in accordance with the Company's fixed rule. The night was moonlight and perfectly clear, and the whole face of the country such as could not be mistaken. He had, in fact, stopped at the St. Hilaire Station close by, and could not fail to have known that danger was immediately beyond. Instead of stopping he plunged the train right into the water alongside the barge and so out of sight ; the eleven cars were piled on the top of each other in the utmost conclusion. They were all a perfect wreck and some of them were smashed to atoms ; in fact it is a wonder to me that so many lives could have been saved after such a fall, down such a terrible abyss at this time. Fifty-six dead of all ages and sexes have been recovered. We could see other dead bodies in the cars which could not then be extricated, owing to the mass of debris. Both sight and sound was sickening, and the impression I never can forget. One poor creature was crying for a child, another for a parent, a young infant was trying to obtain milk from the breast of a dying mother and crying because it could not obtain it. But I cannot go into details of this sort. It was a great source of pain to me, and many, that we could not speak to them in their own tongue, to tell them of the sympathy we felt for them. When we arrived at Point St. Charles the uninjured passengers, to the number of three hundred, were placed in the company's building, and there they were provided with food, lodging, and all possible comforts.” |
FRIGHTFUL STEAMBOAT ACCIDENT.
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| A shocking loss of life was caused on Sunday last by a steamboat accident on the Saone. The Lyons journals furnish us with the following details:—“The Mouche No 4 is one of the first penny boats built for the service of the Saone. She is like the other four, very high out of the water, and so very narrow that many passengers on board causes her to roll very violently. At about half-past two on Sunday afternoon, the Mouche, which had come from Perrache, and was on her way to Vaise, with a number of passengers on board, stopped at the landing place at the Quai St. Antoine, where she embarked so many others that her deck was completely thronged and her cabins also filled. The passengers consisted of all classes—ladies, children, workmen, &c.—all in their holiday clothes. On leaving the landing place, the steamer, in order to avoid the different sandbanks near the Point de Nemours, had to steer a serpentine course and take a number of sharp curves. During those movements she rolled violently, but the passengers for the moment did not pay much attention to the movement. At length, however, a sudden action of the rudder caused her to give so heavy a lurch that the water came in the scupper-holes. An indescribable scene of confusion then took place ; the compact mass of passengers on the deck were pressed with such force against the handrail which ran along the side, that it suddenly gave way, and fifty persons were precipitated into the river in a mass. The captain of the boat went overboard with the rest. The scene which followed was most heartrendering ; the surface of the water was covered with heads, and arms were seen making desperate efforts to release themselves. The persons who fell in were so compactly thronged together that everyone clung to his neighbour in the agony of despair, so that those who might otherwise have escaped by swimming were prevented from using any exertion in that way. The captain lost his life in that manner, for he was seized hold of by two females, one of whom clung round his neck, and the other round his body, and the three sank together. —What added to the horror of he scene was that the accident happened at a part of the river where no small boats were kept, and it being Sunday, few of the boatmen in other parts were engaged in their usual occupations, so that a considerable time elapsed before any assistance came to the spot. Only about ten persons were able to save themselves by swimming ; four or five others were restored to animation after being got on shore ; leaving the number of drowned to amount to 35 or 40. As the bodies were afterward taken out of the water they were deposited on the deck of the Abeille steamer, lying alongside the quay. At six in the evening 30 were ranged there. Those who were recognised were afterwards removed to their own homes, and the others taken to the Hotel Dieu, to await further inquiries. On the following morning those who were claimed by their friends were taken away, and the others carried to the Morgua [sic]. After the accident, the Mouche, instead of stopping to render assistance, continued her course, conduct for which the persons belonging to her are severely blamed. Various reasons are given for that act. A person on board states that the passengers who still remained on the steamer were so alarmed that they clamorously insisted on being landed. The captain having been among those who fell overboard, the man at the helm was the only one left to manage the steamer. He was about to order to stop her, when one of the passengers seized him by the throat and pulled him from his place, and then taking the tiller steered the vessel to the nearest landing place. Another account states that the engineman, seeing the quantity of water the vessel had shipped, and which had rushed into the boiler, feared an explosion, and therefore made all haste to get the other passengers to land in order to prevent a second calamity. The owner of the boat has been arrested, and a judicial investigation into the affair will immediately take place. The sensation and affliction produced at Lyons by this dreadful accident are indescribable.” |
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| WATER-COLOUR DRAWINGS AND PICTURES.—On Saturday Messrs. Christie, Manson and Woods disposed of a large number of water- colour drawings and pictures from different private collections for a total sum of £8,500. Among the more important were “A Sea View off Dover,” by Turner, for 625 guineas ; “Barnes-terrace on the Thames,” also by Turner, for 1,050 guineas ; two early pictures by Turner—viz., “The Country Waggon—Snowdon: Early Morning;,” and “The Hotwells, Bristol: a Storm Coming on,” for 202 guineas ; three exquisite works of Birkett Foster, for 224 guineas ; “Rembrandt in his Studio,” by Gilbert, for 185 guineas ; and a “Coast Scene,” by Collins, for 255 guineas. |
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| DISTRESSING EVENT.—At Gower-road, near Swansea, on Sunday evening last, three brothers were almost instantaneously suffocated. About eight o'clock in the evening a boy named Thomas Davies, aged thirteen years, entered an old level or working place of the Cofngerwidd colliery (which has lain idle for several months past), when he was almost instantly thrown down to the ground by the noxious gases which had accumulated. His two brothers, named David Davies, aged sixteen, and Zachariah Davies, aged seventeen, seeing the fate of their companion ran to his assistance, when they too, were soon overpowered and sank prostrate on the ground. Two men, named John Farley and Isaac Davies, who were in the company of the deceased, gave an alarm, and the bodies were eventually got out, life being extinct. |
MEDIATION IN AMERICA. |
An influential deputation from the Society for obtaining a cessation of hostilities waited on the Premier yesterday, for the purpose of engaging her Majesty's Government to take steps to bring about peace between the belligerents. The deputation consisted of the Marquis of Clanricarde, the Bishop of Chichester, several members of Parliament, Mr. Spence of Liverpool, and other gentlemen. It was explained that the deputation was void of any party character, and would chiefly urge the plea of humanity. The Marquis of Clanricarde and Mr. Spence showed the necessity, if possible, of arresting the shedding of blood in America.
Lord Palmerston in reply, said, the Government was led to think, from all accounts that reached them, this was not the moment at which any mediatory proposals could be usefully made. Each party was equally confident in their ultimate success, and the North especially jealous of any interference. If the opportunity for mediation presented itself, the Government would gladly avail themselves of it.
The Herald contains the following paragraph— “We understand that the Hon. J. Mason had an unofficial interview with Lord Palmerston at Cambridge House, at the introduction of Mr. Lindsay, and that the meeting was satisfactory to all parties. The withdrawal of Mr. Lindsay's motion, was, it is said, the result of that interview, the Premier having given a sort of implied promise to support it at a more opportune moment, that is to say when Grant and Sherman have been defeated, and the Confederacy stands in no need of recognition.” |
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| QUEENSTOWN, SATURDAY.—The National steamship Company's s.s., Pennsylvania, from New York on the 2nd inst., arrived off the harbour at 4.40 p.m. She brings 168 passengers. Having landed 27 steerage passengers and latest telegrams she proceeded for Liverpool at midnight—all well. The Pennsylvania passed the following vessels on her passage—on the 13th inst., passed the Great Western, the C. E. Scianton, and the Gipsy Queen ; on the 14th, passed the Jupiter, and on the 15th passed the Devonshire. |
CROOKHAVEN, SATURDAY MORNING.—The Liverpool, New York, and Philadelphia Company's s.s., City of Manchester, from New York on the 2nd inst., passed the Fastnet [Rock] at about 11 o'clock this morning. She was intercepted by the South Western Telegraph Company's steam tender Star and having transferred latest telegrams, she proceeded immediately for Queenstown and Liverpool—all well.
The news brought by the City of Manchester has been fully anticipated. |
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| CORK AND YOUGHAL AND QUEENSTOWN DIRECT RAILWAY. The traffic on the above railway was, for the week ending 8th July, 1864, as follows :—Passengers, parcels, and mails, £475 12s. 11d. ; goods, £96 4s. 11d.—Total, £571 17s. 10d. For the week ending 10th June, 1863:—Passengers and parcels, £428 9s. 0d. ; goods £89 10s. 0d.,—Total, £493 8s. 0d. |
THE WAR IN NEW ZEALAND. |
Despatches to the War Office and Admiralty give details of the recent naval and military operations in New Zealand. General Cameron describes the disaster at Tanranga. The assaulting column consisted of 150 of the Naval Brigade and an equal number of the 43rd Regiment. The breach was gained with little loss, and the columns made an entrance into the body of the works, when a fierce conflict ensued, in which the natives fought with the greatest determination. General Cameron reports as follows—“In a few minutes almost every officer of the column was either killed or wounded. Up to this moment the men, so nobly led by their officers, fought gallantly, and appeared to have carried the position, when they suddenly gave way, and fell back from the works to the nearest cover. This repulse I am at a loss to explain otherwise than by attributing it to the confusion among the men by the intricate nature of the interior defences and the sudden fall of so many officers. The natives abandoned the place during the night. Lieutenant-Colonel Booth and some others were found still living, and to the credit of the natives they had not been maltreated.”
Several naval promotions have been made in consequence of the special service in New Zealand. Major-General Gascoyne is appointed to the colonelcy of the 87th Foot, vice Arbuthnot transferred to the 91st Foot. |
BREECH-LOADING RIFLES FOR THE ARMY. |
| The Army and Navy Gazette says the doom of the Enfield has been pronounced, and it is to Lord de Grey personally that we owe the promptitude with which the question was taken up, which has settled its fate. Lord de Grey selected a committee of seven officers to report, and their recommendation is made with such a weight of authority in its favor that its adoption is to be anticipated with certainty. |
THE LATE ALLEGED CASE OF POISONING.
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| THE woman Mary Fitzgerald, on a charge of poisoning, whom James Shorten is now in custody, died at the South Infirmary at about twelve o'clock last night. Mr. Coroner Gallwey attended at the Infirmary on this morning to hold an inquest on the remains. Mr. Cronin, R.M., Mr. Duncan, County Inspector, and Mr. Channer, S.I. were also present. Shorten, who is a decent-looking countryman, about thirty years of age, was present in the custody of the police. The following jury were sworn :—Owen Ahearne, Edward Uniacke, Wm. Walsh, Cornelius Galvin, James Corbett, Thomas Griffith, James M'Carthy, John Good, John Barry, Robert Spence, Edward R. Johnston, William Carney. After the jury had been sworn the Coroner said that he should adjourn the inquest for two reasons. The first was in order to have the remains of the deceased chemically analysed, and the second reason was the fact that Mr. M. J. Collins, to whom the prisoner had entrusted his defence was, absent on professional business. The inquest was therefore adjourned until Wednesday at ten o'clock. |
THE ASSAULT IN A RAILWAY CARRIAGE. |
| The man Nash, charged with an indecent assault on Miss Moody in a carriage on the South-Western railway, has been committed for trial by the Kingston magistrates. |
THE JULY ANNIVERSARY. |
| BELFAST, FRIDAY NIGHT.—The town has continued quiet throughout the night. The magistrates with police allowed no crowds to gather. A number of police have left for Armagh, where riots are expected. It is thought the extra police will remain until Monday, in order to check riots likely to take place on Saturday night. The public-houses in the disturbed districts were again closed to-night, which has no doubt checked the rioting. It is to be hoped that the town will remain quiet and that the anniversary is over for the year. |
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| FIRE IN WINTHROP-STREET.—About half-past three o'clock this morning smoke was observed issuing from a house in Winthrop-street, which is occupied during the day by Mr. Gentleman, wine merchant, but in which no one resides. The alarm was given by passers-by, and shortly after the fire was perceived, a body of police arrived on the ground, who with the assistance of some civilians, succeeded in breaking open the door of the house. It was found that the wine vaults were on fire, and after several attempts the doors of the vaults were broken open, and water which was procured from Mr. Sullivan's neighbouring spirit stores was thrown on the fire. Mr. Ring and Mr. Walker shortly after arrived and the hose from the neighbouring hydrant was brought to bear on the fire, which did not spread beyond the vault in which it originated. The origin of the fire remains unknown. |
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| ARCHITECTURE.—The design of Ward's hotel, Mallow, prepared by Mr. Klein, C.E., is at present, on exhibition at Mr. Clarke's warerooms, Grand Parade. It displays considerable architectural skill upon the part of the designer, and in an artistic point of view, at least, there is no fault to be found with it. The hotel, which has just been finished has been built in strict accordance with the design, and forms the principal ornament of the town of Mallow. |
STATISTICS OF MURDER.
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| A return has been made to Parliament, exhibiting certain statistics of all committals for trial on the charge of murder in each of the three kingdoms during the last seven years. For England and Wales and for Ireland the returns are given for each year separately, but for Scotland they are calculated for the whole period. Last year there were 104 persons tried for murder in England and Wales. 41 of these were acquitted, 13 were found insane, and 22 were executed, the remainder receiving modified sentences. In Ireland, last year, although 42 persons were committed for trial on the charge of murder, only 26 were actually tried, 10 were acquitted, 2 escaped on the ground of insanity, 6 were convicted capitally, and 4 were executed. A comparison with the other years shows that in England and Wales there were more executions in 1863 than in any year since 1856, although there were fewer committals for trial. In 1857 there were 100 put on their trial for murder, and 13 executed ; in 1859, 106 were tried, and only 9 suffered the extreme penalty ; and in 1862, 108 were committed and put upon their trial, and 16 were sentenced to be hanged, but one of these committed suicide on the morning of the intended execution, leaving 15 who suffered. In Ireland 131 persons were committed on the charge of murder in 1857, of whom only 95 were actually tried, and not one was executed. In the years between 1858 and 1862, both inclusive, the proportions of committals and of those brought to trial in Ireland were pretty equal in each year ; the executions were few, only 11 during the five years. The statistics for the seven years, 1857-63, show that in England and Wales there were during that period 691 committals and 96 executions ; in Scotland, 257 were committed, of whom 149 were put on their trial and 5 executed ; and in Ireland 548 were committed for trial, 384 were tried, and 15 suffered the sentence of death. The proportion of concealments of births in each kingdom afford an instructive comparison. In England and Wales, with a population which may be roughly stated at 20,000,000, there were 85 convictions ; in Scotland, with say 3,150,000 of population, there were 290, and in Ireland, with a population which may be estimated at 6,100,000, there were 45 convictions. |
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| RINGING OF THE ANCIENT CATHEDRAL BELLS OF LIMERICK STOPPED BY JUDGE BALL.—During the assizes on last week, while the Hon. Justice Ball was in the act of hearing evidence to sustain an indictment against a respectable- looking country woman for stealing boots, the ancient Cathedral bells chimed at their usual hour, and he became so excited at the annoyance that he immediately ordered a police-constable to be sent to the Cathedral to stop the ringing, and, in the meantime, the business was suspended until his return. On another occasion a donkey brayed outside the Courthouse door, and his lordship again suspended business until it was done, but, in the meantime, a policeman dropped his baton on a few steps of stairs, and it hopped to the bottom—a circumstance which appeared to be so great an offence in the eyes of his lordship that he observed in a most stern manner, that it was not enough for asses to be braying, bells ringing, and children squalling without having those who should protect the administration of justice making a noise themselves.—Southern Chronicle. |
| Admiral O'Grady, whose death at Erinagh House, county Clare, on the 8th instant has been already announced, had attained the age of seventy-seven years. He was educated at the Royal Naval College, and embarked in December, 1802, on board the Loda, 30, in which ship, after contesting with the enemy off Boulogne, he assisted at the reduction of the Cape of Good Hope, and then accompanied the expedition to the Rio de la Plata, and assisted at the destruction of an armed brigantine off Monte Video, September 9, 1806, and for his services was gazetted. He obtained the rank of Lieutenant, March 21, 1807, and after serving successively on the St. Helena, Channel, Leeward Islands, Halifax, and North American stations, he was advanced to the rank of Commander, June 15, 1810, and from that period until he attained post rank (June 7, 1814) was employed in the West Indies. He became Rear- Admiral on reserved half-pay, October 1, 1840 ; Vice- Admiral, October 21, 1856 ; and Admiral, Jan. 5, 1862. |
RESTRICTIONS ON THE PRUSSIAN PRESS.
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BERLIN, JULY 13.—A communication from the Ministry of Police, on the subject of the publication of military news, has been forwarded to all newspapers throughout the country. It concludes:—
The editor is hereby especially warned that all further communications of the positions of troops, their marches, armaments, and other warlike preparations of the allied armies and fleets, with intelligence of the stations of our war vessels and the movements of troops within the kingdom and at the seat of war, whether derived from original sources, or copied from other papers, are to be regarded as dangerous to the well-being of the State. Their publication will not only entail the confiscation of the journal containing the intelligence, but will subject the responsible parties to further proceedings under section 71, No. 1, of the Criminal Code. |
| (Signed) LUDEMANN, Ministry of the Police. |
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| The following appointments were made on Wednesday at the Admiralty :—Commander Loftus F. Jones, to the Sparrow, vice Cochrane, invalided ; Staff-Commander J. J. Brown, to the Formidable ; Lieut. Arthur Sawley, to the Excellent ; Lieut. the Hon. E. L. S. Mostyn, to the Curacoa, Lord C. W. D. Beresford, midshipman, to the Clio ; C. A. R. Hutton, naval cadet, to the Aurora ; W. T. Lapidge, paymaster, to the Cumberland ; and J. Watson (a.), assist.-engineer, to the Fisgard, as supernumerary. |
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| A WOMAN WITH FIVE HUSBANDS.—At the Devonport police-court on Monday, before the mayor and three other magistrates, Mary Jane Sharp, a respectable-looking middle-aged woman, was charged with feloniously inter-marrying with William Henry Littlefield, William Collings, John Smith, and Walter Werring, at the same time being the lawful wife of Richard Sharp, who is still alive. Mr. Eastlake, Admiralty agent, prosecuted, and Mr. Rundle defended. In opening the case Mr. Eastlake stated that the several charges of polygamy, and observed that another charge was preferred against the prisoner of having presented a false petition claiming the effects of William Collings, deceased, the third man whom she married, as his lawful wife, which has led to an inquiry and the present exposure, another woman claiming a like relation. Numerous witnesses were examined with respect to the charges of polygamy, but the other charge was not gone into, being adjourned until Friday. The Bench, however, committed the prisoner for trial at the next assizes upon each of the four charges of polygamy. Bail was accepted. It appears that all the five men with whom she married were seamen. |
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