skull driven in on the brain. There was a slight scratch on the face, and on the left leg there was a frightful gash; but considering the time he was in the awful position in which he was found, Mr. Clarke said he was quite astonished to find that the injuries to the body were not more severe. The jury, after remarking on the melancholy nature of the case, returned a verdict of "Accidental Death." The deceased, who was a man of considerable means, left a widow and ten children.

6. GREAT FIRE AT PLYMOUTH.-A fire broke out in an isolated block of buildings at Plymouth, consisting of an hotel, assemblyrooms, and a theatre. The site occupies more than an acre, and the buildings were erected by the Corporation at a cost of 50,0007. During the performance of the Christmas pantomime on the night of the 6th inst. at the theatre, at which there was a crowded audience, there was a strong smell of fire, and some uneasiness was in consequence displayed; but confidence was restored after a strict examination of every part of the building and a declaration that the supposed smell of burning timber arose from a piece of burning wood from a fire in one of the apartments of the building. The performances were brought to a close, and the audience left in as merry a mood as could be wished. After the house was clear, on a suspicion that a smell of fire still existed, the manager, Mr. Newcombe, his son, and others again went over every part of the premises, and the house was left under the assurance that all was right. Not long afterwards, however, the alarm was given of the outbreak, which showed itself by the smoke making its way into the apartments of the Royal Hotel, adjoining the theatre. The police and the agents of the fire-offices having engines soon received intelligence of the occurrence, while signal-guns from the citadel and the guard-ship in Hamoaze aroused the military and naval authorities. The fireengines immediately attended, but the fire-plugs could not be got up for want of the keys, and the military, though turned out, were kept at "stand at ease" till an official request was made for their attendance. At last a detachment of Royal Marines, under the command of Colonel Clavell, arrived with the barrack fireengine, followed by a detachment of the 73rd with an engine from the citadel, under the command of Major Wood. The 32nd Light Infantry also sent a detachment, accompanied by Major Clapcott. A large party of the Royal Artillery and Engineers were also present, as was also Brigade Major Keith. The naval brigade was accompanied by Captain Vesey, of Her Majesty's ship "Royal Adelaide." The Mayor, superintendents, and a strong body of police were early on the spot. The other engines in attendance were the West of England (which arrived first), the County Fire, and the South Devon Railway-making about seven in all. The fire meanwhile had raged furiously, threatening the hotel, the inmates of which were aroused and escaped. A little before one o'clock flames had spread to the ball-room, and in a short time the whole of this splendid room was doomed. At a quarter past one

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the roof of the beautiful portico fell in with a tremendous crash, and a dense volley of smoke and sparks shot up from the lurid mass. From that time huge rafters all aglow kept falling. In a short time the card-room and the assembly-room of the hotel were destroyed, and, with a rising wind, the whole building seemed doomed. But by three o'clock the firemen had got the mastery, and by about ten o'clock in the morning the fire was completely subdued. This alarming fire was attended with comparatively little damage. On an inspection of the premises the body of the theatre was found to be but little damaged by fire, the loss being confined to the vestibule, staircases, refreshment and property rooms. tween the theatre and the Royal Hotel were the assembly-rooms. Of these, the building which immediately joins the theatre, and contained the staircase leading to the ball-room, a handsome billiard-room on the ground floor, with a large card-room over, and ample cellars beneath, nothing remains but the bare walls, the fire having raged here with the greatest violence. From this building the hotel is separated by another large building, containing on the ground floor the tea-room, and on the first floor the ball-room, with wine and spirit cellars on the basement. Here the fire caught the roof, about a third of which is destroyed, carrying with it also in its fall destruction to about a third of the ceiling and of the flooring of the ball-room. The remaining portions of those rooms are almost intact. To the east of this building is the Royal Hotel, the business-rooms of which the fire did not reach. Some of the upper bed-rooms suffered, however, in the exertions made to extinguish the adjoining fire. This fire, therefore, although it occasioned great inconvenience to the lessees of the hotel and theatre, in neither instance peremptorily suspended business for any length of time. The hotel business continued without interruption, and the theatre was reopened after a very short interval.

COLLISION AND FOUNDERING OF THE "LIVERPOOL" AND "LA PLATA."-The London and Liverpool steamer "Liverpool" and the barque "La Plata," bound to Lima, were lost, through coming into collision off Point Lynas, in St. George's Channel. Happily not a life was lost, both crews having time to lower the boats and get away before the vessels went down. The subjoined depositions of the master of the "Liverpool" and of the chief officer of "La Plata were taken on oath :

Captain Wm. Charlesworth, master of the "Liverpool" steamer, stated: "We left London on the 30th of December. The steamer was brigantine-rigged, 480 tons gross register, and belonged to Messrs. T. A. Tamplin and Co., of Liverpool. She was iron-built, and classed in Lloyd's register. Her crew mustered twenty-three hands, and there were three passengers. We called in at Plymouth and Penzance, and at 10 p.m. of the 6th we were off Point Lynas, which bore S.S.E., three-quarters of a mile distant, the wind blowing fresh from the S.S.E. The steamer's course was S.E.

by E., when a light was seen right ahead, about half a mile distant. We ported our helm, which put her head S.E., and in about four minutes afterwards the helm was put hard aport, until her head was S.S.E. The other vessel (which proved to be 'La Plata,' from Liverpool) starboarded her helm; and, seeing that a collision was certain, I stopped and reversed the engines full speed. We had stopped her way, and the engines were reversing, when the barque struck us on the port midships with great force. Finding we were fast sinking, we got the boats out, and had the passengers and crew safely put into them. Soon afterwards she went down. We were picked up by a schooner, and landed the next morning at Holyhead."

Mr. Enos Faulkener Mackintosh, chief officer of the barque "La Plata," who was in charge of the watch at the time of the collision, stated: "The ship was bound to Lima, with a general cargo, consigned to different merchants in Peru. She was built of iron, 275 tons register, and the owners were Messrs. Imery Tomlinson, at Liverpool. We left Liverpool on the 6th, at 9.50 p.m. On that day the ship was lying three miles off Point Lynas, bearing S.S.W.; the weather was hazy, with a fresh breeze from the N.E. The course we were steering was N.W. by W., when a light was seen right ahead. At first it seemed to be a fixed light, and we expected it was that at the Skerries. About two or three minutes after ten o'clock we saw the light a little on the starboard bow, as also a green light, which proved to be the steamship which had recently crossed the barque's bows, and immediately starboarded the helm a little, and directly I had done so I saw the steamer's three lights and her red and bright light. Seeing a collision was inevitable, if not quickly prevented, the helm was put hard aport. After this was done some person in the steamer shouted out to me to port the helm, but in another minute the vessels came into collision, the barque's bow striking the steamer in the main chains. The barque's fore compartment was stove, and immediately filled. We took to the pumps and endeavoured to keep her afloat, but she sunk about ten o'clock in the morning. We were picked up in our boat by a steamer."

Captain Pearson, of "La Plata," estimated the value of her cargo (chiefly general goods) at 30,0007., and the ship at 5000%. Captain Charlesworth valued the "Liverpool" steamer at 20,0007., and her cargo at 40,0007.

8. DEATH OF A SERVANT THROUGH WEARING CRINOLINE.Mr. Payne, coroner, held an inquiry at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, respecting the death of Mary Scannell, aged sixteen. Mrs. Tweeland, 20, Bartholomew-close, said that deceased was engaged in removing the Christmas decorations from over the mantelpiece. A branch of holly fell inside the fender and blazed up, setting fire to her crinoline, which was extended by means of steel hoops. The hoops prevented her gathering her clothes together, and her efforts to extinguish the flames only caused them to burn more

fiercely. In her terror she ran downstairs into the yard, where several persons, attracted by her shrieks, came to her assistance. Mr. Humphreys, house-surgeon, said that the deceased was brought to the hospital on a shutter, still burning. Her injuries were fearful, her body being completely charred, except where the stays afforded a slight protection. The coroner having summed up, the jury returned a verdict "That deceased was burnt to death by misfortune."

- SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY. — An accident of an alarming and destructive character occurred near the railway station at Knottingley. At a distance of about 200 yards from the Knottingley station there is a junction of two lines of rails, one of them being from York and the other from Leeds. Parliamentary trains leave York and Leeds for London every morning, arriving at the Knottingley station, where they form one train, at half-past eight o'clock. Up to about ten minutes past eight o'clock a.m. the weather was fine and clear, but at that time it became suddenly foggy, and at half-past eight o'clock, the time at which the trains were due, the fog was so dense that it was impossible to see more than a few yards. It was at that time that the accident happened. At about 130 or 140 yards from the station there is a bridge spanning the rails, and immediately beyond this there is a pointsman's and a signalman's box. The junction of the lines referred to is some thirty or forty yards. beyond, and at some distance down the lines there are signals by which the drivers of the trains are informed whether they can with safety approach the station. Whether the signals were wrong, or whether the drivers of one or both the trains were negligent in their duties in not properly observing them, or whether, in consequence of the dense fog which prevailed, the signals were misunderstood, did not clearly appear; but, at all events, the train met with an accident of serious consequence to the company and to several of the passengers. The two lines of rails are joined into one at the distance of a few yards from the pointsman's box, and it was just at the junction where the accident occurred. As was perfectly regular, the Leeds train proceeded towards the station first, and in the usual course the York train would have been signalled to approach when the line was clear, but unfortunately it ran forward before its time, became entangled with the Leeds train, and caused serious mischief. Neither of the trains was moving very rapidly at the time, or the consequences would have been most disastrous. As it was, when the carriages came into collision two or three of them were thrown off the line, and two of them were turned over and smashed. One of these carriages was empty, but several of the occupants of the other were very seriously injured. The screams of the injured and frightened were most alarming. One man, Mr. Leatham, of Higham Ferrers, attempted to escape from the carriage, but in doing so his leg was jammed between it and a

stout signal-post. Just at the point where the leg was caught there was an iron lever and other arrangements for the working of the signals above, and a small projecting iron ledge on which the lever rested was crushed into the leg in a frightful manner. A woman named Mrs. Robinson, of Hull, was also caught between the compressed timbers, and was rather severely injured. The driver of the Leeds train, whose name is Knapton, attempted to save himself from injury by jumping off the engine, but he unfortunately broke his leg. The stoker, who remained on the engine, escaped without injury. In addition to the smashing of the carriages, the line was injured to a slight degree, and the levers of the signal and that connected with the points were broken. The brickwork of the signal-station was also much damaged, but the accident did not, fortunately, interfere with the traffic on the line. As soon as the accident happened, Mr. Abbott, the station-master, sent for all the medical men in Knottingley, and for as many as could be had from Pontefract, and then proceeded to see to the comfort and convenience of the injured passengers. About thirteen more or less seriously hurt were removed to the neighbouring hotels, where every attention was paid to them. They were told that every thing which the hotels could provide was at their service, and for those who wished it telegrams of the occurrence were forwarded to their relatives and friends. The medical men were unremitting in their attention to the requirements of the wounded. In the afternoon, Mr. Beckett Denison, the chairman of the company, went to the scene of the accident, and ordered that the sufferers should have every thing they required, and that no expense should be spared.

9. OPENING OF THE METROPOLITAN RAILWAY.-The inaugural ceremony connected with the opening of this railway was celebrated by an experimental trip and a subsequent banquet at the Farringdon-street station. It is now eight years ago since the first practical steps towards the realization of the idea, the success of which was thus honoured, were taken, and to the late Mr. Charles Pearson, the solicitor for many years to the Corporation of London, belongs the credit of first originating it. The early struggles of the company were enormous, and more than once the scheme was almost abandoned as hopeless. Perhaps it would have been abandoned for ever had it not been for the well-founded and universal outcry at the impediments to circulation in London arising from the mighty tide of traffic passing through it. It was this consideration that induced the Corporation of the City to subscribe 200,000l. towards the line, and this support, with the aid of the Great Western and Great Northern Companies, enabled the present company to begin the work with a fair prospect of success. Even then the preliminary difficulties were only overcome. There remained the great and novel task of burrowing under ground for between three and four miles, of undermining streets and houses, of working in the midst of water-pipes, gas