Mr. William Gray, who had been in the employ of Messrs. Vivian during the last twenty-one years, and his skill and experience were generally acknowledged. The injured men were brought up out of the pit as speedily as possible, and were at once attended to by a number of medical gentlemen who had hastened to the place immediately the alarm was spread, and every aid and appliance were supplied abundantly by the manager. The occurrence caused considerable alarm in the neighbourhood. Mr. Wales, Government inspector, was also in attendance. The total number of men and boys killed by the explosion, together with those who died since, from their injuries was twenty-three. About thirty others were badly injured. At the inquest the jury found that the explosion was caused by fire-damp in the west stables, and that blame attached to some one, but to whom the conflicting nature of the evidence prevented them from saying.

23. ARRIVAL OF THE QUEEN OF HOLLAND.-The Queen of the Netherlands, attended by the Baroness de Dedem, Baroness Pabst, the Baron Schimmelpenninck Van der Oye, and Captain Gavaerts de Simonshaven, arrived at Claridge's Hotel. The Queen passed through Malines, where she was joined by the King of the Belgians, who accompanied her Majesty to Calais, whence she crossed to Dover, and proceeded by railway to London. The Queen was en route for Torquay, where she made a sojourn of several weeks.

26. FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT.-About half-past three o'clock p.m. three platelayers, in the service of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway Company, were killed near the Elephant and Castle station of the Metropolitan Extension. The deceased men, named Price, Horman, and Emmold, all married, and aged respectively about thirty-two, thirty-five, and fifty, were at work repairing the up-rails of the main line at a distance of a few yards from the Elephant and Castle station. At this point there is a slight curve, which, unless proper care be taken in looking out, might slightly obstruct the view from the platforms. A passenger train from Victoria to the city had passed on the Metropolitan Extension about half-past three o'clock, and almost immediately afterwards a luggage train belonging to the Midland Company, which has running powers over the line, followed towards the city on the rails on which the unfortunate men were at work. To get out of the way of this, they stepped on to the down-line, not observing a coal train which was coming towards them at the rate of about twenty miles an hour. It was supposed, from the manner in which the bodies were found, that the poor fellows could not have seen the coal train till it was upon them, and the noise made by its approach would be deadened by the other passing train. They were all knocked down by the engine, which cut off Horman's head and mutilated the other men. soon as the train had passed, their bodies were seen lying close together, and Inspector Reed, who was on duty at the station, at once went to the spot with several porters. Emmold and Price were alive, but unconscious, and as soon as possible they were conveyed

As

to the station. Doctors were sent for, and Mr. Williams of Walworth-road soon arrived. Price was then dead, and the other man was taken to St. Thomas's Hospital, where he also expired about five hours after admission. The bodies of Emmold and Horman were conveyed to the deadhouse at Camberwell. It was stated that the driver of the coal train was not aware that an accident had happened till he arrived at Battersea, when he first observed marks of blood in front of the engine. The deceased were said to have been sober and well-conducted men, and the intelligence of the shocking manner in which they met their deaths caused a painful degree of excitement.

LOSS OF THE INMAN STEAMER "CITY OF BOSTON."-Letters appeared in the papers commenting on the non-appearance of the "City of Boston" steamer, which was eighteen days overdue.

The "City of Boston " left the port of Halifax for Liverpool on the 28th of January, with fifty-five cabin and fifty-two steerage passengers, of whom the following is the official list

:

Cabin.-From New York: Allen Ebbs, wife, child, and infant; Mr. Ryland and wife, W. M. Cochrane, M. A. Praeger, Mrs. M. Cosgrove, James Cosgrove, James Adshead, R. C. Lawton. From Halifax Captain Hamilton, 65th Regiment; Mrs. Kildahl, child (13 months), and infant; Lieutenant H. Horace Baker, R.E., and Mrs. H. H. Baker, two children, Frederick and Florence, and nurse (name unknown); Captain Sterling, wife, infant, and nurse; H. C. Morley, deputy-assistant superintendent of stores; Mrs. Orange and child, Lieutenant Orange and female servant, Lieutenant Kildahl and female servant, W. E. Potter, Captain Forbes, Mr. Leconte, Master T. R. Robinson, Master Thomas H. Robinson, Mr. J. Allen, Mr. A. K. Doull, Mr. E. Billing, Mr. J. B. Young, Mr. J. Barron, Mr. Walter Barron, Mr. P. Power, Mr. James N. Paint, Miss F. Paint, Mr. G. A. Knox, Mr. William Murray, Mr. C. S. Silver, Mr. E. J. Kenny, Mr. John Thompson, Mr. John D. Purdy, Mr. Charles Fisher, Mr. S. R. Montgomery, Mr. William Parkes.

Steerage.- From New York: William J. M'Crea, wife, and infant; Janet Barnesley and two children, John Moran, William Lapsworth, John Gibson, Benjamin Woodhead, James M'Manaus, Kate M'Manaus, Michael Parkinson, Edward Parrey, James M'Donnell, T. Fox, Thomas Barton, M. J. Harding, John J. Ashton, William Moalesdale, William Barnsley, George Fearns, James H. Hamsley, George Jennings, John Taylor, Mary Taylor, Thomas Bolton, John T. Bailey, Joseph Davies, Ellen Davies, William Davies, Thomas Davies, W. J. Threstrer, John Davies, Evan Thomas, Samuel M'Culls, Michael Dempsey, William Carr, Charles Grattan, James White, Francis M'Carthy, L. Floyer, Thomas Francis, William Thompson, A. R. Conk. From Halifax: James M'Cain and wife, Joseph Holland, James Graves, Mary A. Erskine, Patrick Cassidy, George Rowling. The vessel had a crew of 84 men:-Commander, Captain J. J. Halcrow. Mates

J. Mortimer, first; J. Craven, second; and W. H. James, third. Surgeon-Thomas Spring Rice. Subordinate officers-William Smith, purser; Alfred Joseph Garnett, bar-keeper; James M'Gregor, chief steward.

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From the day she left Halifax nothing was seen or heard of the unfortunate steamer. Like the "President" in 1841, and the City of Glasgow" in 1854, she disappeared amid the waters of the Atlantic with all her crew, and no one escaped to give tidings of her fate.

It was long before the public gave the "City of Boston" up for lost, and the hopes of those who had friends on board were buoyed up from time to time by rumours brought by various ships of her appearance in distant waters. It was thought that she might have been driven by stress of weather far out of her course, and put into some foreign harbour, but not an atom of authentic intelligence was ever received to allay the anxiety of the public, and how she met her fate will most probably now remain for ever a mystery.

The "City of Boston" was built by Messrs. Todd and M'Gregor, at Patrick, near Glasgow, and was launched on November 15, 1864. She was a remarkably fine specimen of naval architecture, having, like the rest of the numerous fleet belonging to the Inman line, been built with especial care. She had always received the highest premium at Lloyd's, and was ranked in the highest classification by the Association of Underwriters in Liverpool. She was large, commodious, and handsome, and was propelled by engines of great power. She was an iron vessel, and in her construction the greatest care was taken in selecting the very best material as regards tenacity and strength. Like the rest of the Inman fleet, she was shiprigged, a large spread of canvas being assigned to her to act in aid of her propeller in securing steadiness and speed in sailing. The ribs, beams, and plating of this fine vessel were all exceedingly strong, and built of the best material; the whole of the framing was securely bound together by heavy stringer plates and ties, and the ship was transversely divided into eight compartments by seven strong and well-secured water-tight bulkheads, which reached from the keelson to the upper deck. The "City of Boston" was provisioned for fifty-eight days, and this apart from her cargo, which consisted in great measure of supplies of food. The propeller attached to the vessel was a new two-flange one, fitted during her last visit to New York, her original three-flange propeller having been broken in her last voyage from Liverpool. Some were of opinion that the strength of the new propeller would not be sufficient to enable her to make headway against the adverse winds which she must have encountered. The cabin passengers included a few officers of the Royal Artillery and other regiments on their way home from Canada.

MARCH.

3. COLLIERY EXPLOSION AT DUKINFIELD.-An explosion occurred at the Astley Deep Pit, Dukinfield, the deepest mine in the world. This pit, which is 800 yards deep at the lowest point, was worked in two seams, the black mine and the cannel seam, and the explosion occurred in the former, in what is called the 1200 or 1600 brow. At this point eleven men were working, and nine of these perished. In the whole mine some ninety-three miners were engaged, but the explosion was confined to the region where these eleven men were engaged. No indication of the concussion of the air current, or any other such effect, reached the surface; but the miners in other parts of the vast workings heard the shock, and ran to render their fellow-workers in the 1200 and 1600 brows all the assistance in their power. An awful spectacle met their view. The roof was blown down for a great distance. Two men were reached when just succumbing to the after-damp, but they were brought to the surface, and under able medical treatment were recovered. About ten o'clock the exploring party that had descended the mine reached three dead bodies, frightfully burnt, and bearing the appearance that death had resulted from suffocation. Owing to the enormous amount of roof that had fallen, the explorations went on but slowly, and, though the ventilation had been restored, the air was very heavily charged with gas, and the searchers had often to be relieved. It was not until the morning, about two o'clock, that three other bodies were recovered, and the three remaining men were brought to the bank later in the forenoon. The news spread through the district like wildfire, and hundreds came round the pit mouth with anxious faces and tearful eyes, expecting their husbands and parents to be brought out dead. No fewer than 320 men were employed in the pit during the day, and had the explosion occurred then, at least sixty men would have been at work in the place where the nine poor fellows met their death. Though the pit had been in full operation incessantly night and day for twelve years, only four men had been killed by falls of the roof, and this was the first explosion. The readiness of the miners to render all necessary assistance was exceedingly prompt and praiseworthy, and one of the searchers ventured too far, and was brought out insensible, but soon recovered. The following is a list of the killed :-Joseph King, married; William Henry Holmes, recently married; Henry Morton, single; William Lee, married, four children; Solomon Cambridge, married, four children; William Hammond, boy; Abraham Norminton, William Hudson, and a stranger.

The inquest upon the bodies was concluded on the 12th, before

Mr. Coroner Johnson. Mr. Thomas Wynne, Government Inspector for the district, was also present. The evidence showed an extent of recklessness and inefficient management which drew from the jury a special presentment. Proof was forthcoming that one of the deceased men, Solomon Cambridge, notwithstanding an admonition to the contrary, was preparing to blast with gunpowder, and that it was in consequence of an explosion of accumulated gas that the workings were almost destroyed for a long way, nine human lives were sacrificed, and men were burnt at a distance of not less than 860 yards from where the shot must have been fired. It was also given in evidence that under the direction of Elijah Swan, the manager, the free current of air in the remoter parts of the pit (nearly a mile from the shaft) had been interfered with by bratticing and crosssheeting, thereby increasing the heat and causing the gas to generate in the goafs; and the miners who were examined gave their opinion that a sudden outburst of gas had resulted from a fall of roof, and that immediately the shot was fired the gas escaped and was thus ignited. It also appeared that there had been constant neglect on the part of the overlookers in not periodically testing the temperature of the mine when they went down, and that it was not an uncommon thing to know of gas existing in the goafs and not to report it. Mr. Wynne, the Government inspector, in the course of his evidence, detailing the condition of the mine, said that whenever he had been in the pit the difficulty of coaxing the air to the far end had always been apparent; that he had at times found a difference of as much as twenty degrees in the temperatures of the air at the shaft bottom and at the extreme far end of the workings; that the placing of sheets across the main intake was a sad mistake; that he had found enormous escapes and consequent waste of air; and that the whole of the 1600-yards workings were foul and charged with gas, rendering an explosion inevitable if a shot were fired. He also spoke very strongly upon the inefficiency of Swan the manager, about whom he had previously on several occasions complained to the proprietors of the colliery. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidentally killed by an explosion of afterdamp in consequence of the firing of a shot ;" and they added this appendix, "The jurors are further of opinion that Elijah Swan is not competent to have the sole management of a mine of such magnitude as the Astley Deep Pit."

9. FIRE AT NINE-ELMS.-A fire which broke out, at ten o'clock in the evening, in the newly-built factory of Messrs. Day and Martin, blacking manufacturers, in Vauxhall-road, Nine-Elms, destroyed a large amount of property. The building, about 250 feet in length, contained a quantity of oils, vitriol, and other highlyinflammable substances, which caused the fire to spread very quickly; and, as the flames rose high into the air, the sight from the opposite side of the Thames was both terrible and grand. The steam fireengines arrived early, and got an abundant supply of water, but it was an hour before they could subdue the conflagration.

The