shaft, the other running at the north side of the bed, and reaching the shaft by a right angle. In that part of the workings between these two passages seven or eight colliers were employed, and five more worked on the south side of the bed, in a part separated from the rest by a wall of coal, but having communications with the principal passage. In the rear of the first of these divisions, many of the props which supported the roof, had been removed on the preceding Friday, and the workmen occasionally heard the superincumbent earth falling in behind them. In consequence of this circumstance, the carburetted hydrogen gas was forced forwards to the place where the men were working. All were provided with the safety lamp; but, unfortunately, one of them, who was working on the north side of the principal passage, having taken off the top of his lamp, which was red hot, with the view of letting it cool, an explosion took place almost instantly. Several of the colliers, who were nearest, were scorched and destroyed on the spot; most of the hurriers and thrusters, running for refuge into the principal passage, were killed by the splinters which were torn from the sides and roof, or by being dashed to the earth by the tremendous blast that issued from the cavern. The five colliers, who were working in the southern division of the pit, were suffocated. One collier, who was working within a few yards of the place where the explosion occurred, miraculously escaped, by running into the northern passage; and another, who was at work in the very furthest part of the pit, at the extremity of that passage, escaped by the same means, though he was twice thrown down by the

violent expulsion and recurrence of the air. So great was the shock, that four men standing at the pit's mouth, were thrown down by the blast of air that issued from the shaft. The men, who were at work on the western side of the shaft, were also thrown down, but they all escaped without material injury. The "bottom-steward," was immediately sent for, and he descended into the pit, which he found full of smoke. He took measures, with all possible despatch, to produce such a current of air as would clear away the smoke, and allow persons to explore the passages; after which, at great hazard of suffocation, as well as of another explosion, several men entered the passages, and by five o'clock the following morning, had found and taken out twenty-two dead bodies, besides several who were bruised and maimed. At 5 o'clock on Thursday morning, the smoke gathered in such quantities, that it was found impossible, without the most imminent risk of fresh casualties, to continue the search; and there was only too much reason to be assured, that two men, whose bodies were not then found, had been killed. The search was therefore abandoned, and the entrance to the pit stopped up, in order to put out the fire by depriving it of the support of air.

Twenty-four men and boys lost their lives by this disaster; and seven more were severely hurt.

OLD BAILEY. Cornelius Wood, aged 20, was put to the bar charged with having violated the person of Mary Eyre, on the 7th of December last.

Mary Eyre, a strong, coarse woman, and by no means of a prepossessing appearance, stated her age to be 26 years, and gave her

evidence to the following effect :I am a servant out of place, residing at No. 16, Cleveland-street, Fitzroy-square: Jane Green lodged in the same house with me. On the 7th of last month I asked her to accompany me to Finchley, where I had lived as a servant, and whither I was going to get a character from my former mistress. On our return, at about 5 o'clock in the evening, we called at the White Lion public-house, to inquire when a stage would pass to town. The landlord told me, there would be no stage going for some time, but said there was a cart at the door, in which we might get a ride. He spoke to the driver of the cart, James Day, and he agreed to take us. My friend and I got in, and sat on the seat. There was another man in the cart besides Day, but I could not see who he was at this time. I told the driver where I was going, and that I wished to be set down as near Tottenham-court road as possible. We drove on till we came to the Wellington public-house on the Highgate-road, where I had left a cloak in the morning. Having got my cloak, I took my seat again in the cart. The prisoner Wood then drove, and turned the horse off the Highgate-road. I asked why he did so, and he said it was to avoid the turnpike. He drove to a public-house, which I have since understood to be the Crown at Holloway. Day asked me to treat him there, which I refused. The other man got out of the cart soon after, and I did not see where he went. The cart then stopped at another public-house, the Cock, where Day again asked us to treat him to some gin. I gave him sixpence to get some, but he got halfa-pint, and I gave him sixpence

more.

The half-pint was drank between Day, the ostler of the house, Mrs. Green, and myself. Soon after this, Day said that he lived close by, and was going no further. He told us to get out, and pointed out the road to London. I complained of his conduct as a gross imposition, but we got out and proceeded towards town. Soon after, another cart, with a gray horse came up, and I asked the man to take us to town, as my companion was very ill. While speaking to the carter, another man came up, and told him not to take us, for that we were not going his way. The man in the cart then drove away. We walked on a little way, when a man overtook us, and told us that the man in the cart had taken us the wrong way. I said, that as my friend was very ill, I was anxious to get to some place where I might find a stage. The man said, "If you will go across a few fields here, you will get into the Highgate-road, and find a stage in a short time;" and, at the same time, he offered to accompany us, and show us the way. We thanked him, and accepted the offer. He led us up a little lane. At this time I did not suspect, that he was the man who had been with us in the cart from Finchley. We went over a stile, and into the fields, and thence over a second stile. I complained that it was so wet and muddy that I should prefer returning. Mrs. Green was close by me when I said this. The man said, "Do not go back, there are the lamps at a short distance, they are the lamps of Tottenham-court-road." I looked, but could see no light. While the man was thus speaking I observed him, and then found he was one of those who had been with us in the

cart. I am positive the prisoner is the man. We went on till we came to the third field, where there was a kind of gap or bog, and I could not get over it. The prisoner helped me over it, and left my friend behind. When I came into this field I said, "My good man, are you going to show us the road or not? For God's sake show us the road." He then made use of some very indecent expressions to me, and I said " Oh, no!" and became very much alarmed. The man then struck me in the forehead, and I fell; he attempted to keep me on the ground, but I succeeded in getting again on my feet. He struck me again, and again: I screamed and called "murder," and called Mrs. Green to assist me, but she cried out that she could not get through the place, as she believed she had broken her leg. Prisoner struck me often, and at last my strength left me, and I could resist no longer. [Here the witness detailed the particulars of the violence which had been offered to her. When the prisoner left me, I missed my basket and shawl; the basket contained two handkerchiefs, a purse, with half a sovereign and 6d. in it. I followed in the direction which the prisoner took, but could not get over the hedge. I then saw him with his hand in my basket. I called out to him to assist me in getting out, but he said he could not help me, as he himself was up to his knees in water. At last I extricated myself, and he then threw the basket to me, but my purse, shawl, and handkerchiefs were gone. I returned and assisted Mrs. Green to get out. She was very ill. We both called out "murder !", until we could call no longer, in the hope that somebody would come to our

assistance. Mrs. Green could not get out without my assistance: she was stuck in the mire. At last we got out of the field. I then turned round, not knowing which way to go; but we walked on till we saw something which turned out to be a cottage. We knocked at the door, and an old man came to the window, let us in, and afterwards showed us the road. We then met with a gentleman, who hearing us crying very much, asked us what was the matter. We told him we had been robbed and very ill used. He then consented to see us home.

Jane Green, gave nearly the same account of the transaction as that given by the prosecutrix.

Wm. Carroll, the poor old man at whose cottage the prosecutrix and her friend, Mrs. Green, had called on the night of the robbery, corroborated their evidence as to their complaints of ill usage when they called on him, and as to their appearance on that occasion.

James Day. The prisoner was in company with me the day we came from Finchley to Holloway. I took him up at his own house that morning, and he was with me all day. We took up two women at Finchley-that woman (pointing to the prosecutrix), and another, a smaller woman. We left the White Lion about five o'clock, and came on towards Highgate. We went afterwards to the Cock. I then said to the young women, that I was not going any further, and they went on towards town. I missed Wood; he did not say to me where he was going. I saw no more of him that night. It would have been in his way home to have gone with me, and by my house.

The jury retired: after having

been absent from court an hour and a half, they returned a verdict of Guilty.

The prisoner was executed. 15. A beautiful tomb of John de Sheppy, bishop of Rochester, was discovered in Rochester cathedral. The Bishop died in 1360, and was buried in a niche not far from the altar-rails; and over him was erected a gothic tomb, on which there is a full-length figure of the bishop in his robes and mitre. It is in good preservation, and was discovered by Mr. Cottingham the architect, who is now employed to make estimates prior to the intended restoration of this cathedral to its original beauty. The niche had formerly been bricked up, and the foundation of the tomb appeared partially under the brick work.

19. EARTHQUAKE IN SANTA MAURA.. The city of Santa Maura, in the Ionian Islands, and several villages in the island of Leucadia, were destroyed by an earthquake, which took place between eleven o'clock and noon. The only house left standing in the town was that of M. Zambelly, president of the Tribunal. All the other buildings were so injured, that they could neither be repaired nor be made to serve as a temporary shelter to the unfortunate inhabitants, of whom 24 were buried in the city ruins, 34 in those of the villages, and a far greater number were dangerously wounded. Immediately after the shock, an exceedingly heavy shower of rain began, and completed the misery of the inhabitants. The town of Prevesa also suffered seriously. This earthquake was felt only

near the coasts.

20. PARIS.-Mademoiselle Mars, the ornament of the comic theatre, lately offered in vain to remit to

her lover, the chevalier Braque, a debt of 12,000 francs, which he owed her, if he would cement at the altar the union which has now existed between them for eight years.

But the lady is twenty years older than the gentleman, and though agreeable and young on the stage, she cannot, in a tête-àtête, conceal, notwithstanding her delightful conversation, the ravages of time. A rupture has accordingly taken place between them in the following manner. The chevalier requested that a party of twenty-eight persons should be invited to dinner, and at the end of the repast he addressed the company as follows:-"I must tell you a curious anecdote. An antiquated coquette, misusing her power over a young man who had devoted the best years of his life to her, presumed to make him her's for ever, by indissoluble bonds; but the young man, being in time aware of her designs, saw his danger, and departed from the syren. I am this

young man, and Madame, pointing to Mademoiselle Mars, is the coquette." He got up instantly from table, and left the room, leaving all the company astonished, and the lady in convulsions, arising from despair and anger.

21. CAMBRIDGE.-The following is a summary of the members of all the Colleges in