houses, 7 shops, 6 bridges, 1 county bridge, 10 ware-
houses, 18 barns and stables, totally destroyed; while 5
dyehouses and stock, 17 mills, 3 stoves, 139 cottages, 7
tradesmen's houses, 44 large shops, 11 public-houses, 5
bridges, 1 county bridge, 200 acres of land, 14 ware-
houses, 13 barns, 3 places of worship, and 2 iron
foundries, are partially destroyed. Such is the return
made to a committee appointed to institute inquiries on
the subject. The number of adults thrown out of
employ is stated at 4986, the number of children
2142—altogether 7128, whose earnings, when at work,
amounted to £3748 per week. The total loss caused is,
according to the most moderate calculation, estimated
at not less than £250,000. The Bilberry reservoir dam,
it appears, was built in 1840, by Messrs. Sharp and
Sons. The foundation has always been suspected: one
of the men who has perished sent his family away, only
a few days before the catastrophe, and was among those
who watched the bank during the night. In addition,
it seems, there existed some quarrel, through which the
safety-machinery had got out of working order. A
coroner's inquest has commenced an investigation into
the circumstances which led to this disaster.

At Holmfirth, the subscriptions for the relief of the
sufferers amount to £2000, at Huddersfield to £10,000.
A city meeting was held in the London Tavern on
Monday,—the Lord Mayor presiding,—when a fund
was commenced with upwards of £1000. The Leeds
subscription began with about £2000.

The Rains which caused the disaster at Holmfirth,
have done much damage in various parts of the northern
counties. The rivers which flow through Lincolnshire,
Yorkshire, and Derbyshire were swollen till the water
burst the banks, and in many places covered the
surrounding country, converting all the low grounds into
immense lakes. In the neighbourhood of Manchester
the river Irwell rose to a height which has not been
remembered for many years; and a little above the
town, where it flows through the Walness, the left bank
was overflowed, and a great portion of Lower Broughton
was laid under water, in some places to a depth of nine
feet. Two rows of houses situated between Broughton
lane and the river Irwell, could not be approached
without boats, and it was apprehended they would be
carried away; but boats were got and a number of
people brought away. In the evening the water
subsided. A considerable portion of Peel Park was also
under water, from the overflow of the Irwell. The
river Medlock, which runs through the south of
Manchester, overflowed near the lower part of Oxford Street,
placing a considerable quantity of property under water.
The houses in Little Ireland were flooded, so that the
inhabitants were obliged to betake themselves to the
upper storeys, and were so much alarmed that the
assistance of the police was called in, and a boat obtained
to remove them where it was found necessary. Several
of the mills on the banks of the river were flooded in
the lower storeys, and some of them were compelled to
cease work in consequence of the boiler houses being
flooded. The river Mersey overflowed its banks from
Stockport to Stretford, and the public roads crossing the
river were in some places flooded to a depth of four feet
six inches, rendering it dangerous for omnibuses and
other vehicles to cross.

In the afternoon of the 16th inst., a waggon belonging
to Messrs. Archer and Co., Golden-lane, City, was
proceeding with a load of sugar along the Hampstead-
road, when the waggoner was attracted by a scream,
and upon looking round saw a boy, about fourteen years
of age, lying on the ground, and Cut in Two by the
wheel of the waggon. The deceased was, with other
boys, scraping the sugar from the casks, when he slipped
from the cart under the wheel.

A Fire broke out at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, on the
20th, about six o'clock in the morning, which very
nearly destroyed the whole building; that part in which
it raged was gutted by nine o'clock, but all danger of
its extension was then over. The cause is not yet
known, but is believed to have been either a spark from
a candle left as a light on the staircase, or a beam
running into a flue. The college is insured. Mr. Nunn,
who was sleeping in an adjoining room to that in which
the fire broke out, had a narrow escape.

SOCIAL, SANITARY, AND MUNICIPAL
PROGRESS.

The differences between the Operative Engineers and
their Employers remain without prospect of settlement.
A meeting of the Central Association of Employers was
held on the 4th instant, when it was resolved to open
their establishments on the Monday following to any or
all the operatives required, on each signing a copy of
the following declaration: "I do honestly declare that
I am neither now, nor will I during the continuance of
my engagement with my present employers, become a
member of, or support any society which, directly or
indirectly, by its rules, meetings, or funds, professes to
control or interfere with the arrangements or regulations
of this or any other establishment, the hours or
terms of labour, the agreements of employers or
employed, or the qualifications or period of service. I do
also further declare that I will not, while in my present
employment, call in question the right of any man to
follow any honest calling in which he may desire to
engage, or of any employer to make what arrangements,
and engage what workmen he pleases, upon whatever
terms they choose mutually to agree." On the following
day, a general meeting of non-society men (skilled
workmen) took place at Lambeth, to consider the
course necessary to be pursued in consequence of the
above resolution. Several workmen addressed the
meeting, and the following resolutions were
unanimously adopted: Resolved—1. That in consequence of
the conduct of our employers in sending forth a document
for us to sign previous to returning to our employment,
we, non-society men, are compelled to consider
the best means of maintaining our independence and
freedom of action for the benefit of all. 2. Resolved—
That it is expedient, in consequence of the aggressive
acts of our employers, to take into consideration the
necessity, as non-society men, of forming ourselves into
an associated body in conjunction with the Amalgamated
Society, to resist the tyranny of capital. 3. That
a deputation from this meeting be appointed to confer
with the executive council of the Amalgamated Society,
in order to adopt proceedings in reference to joining the
above society.

The registrar-general's Quarterly Report of Births,
Deaths, and Marriages has been published. In regard
to the births and deaths, it is for the autumn quarter
ending 31st December last; as to the marriages,
it is for the quarter ending 30th September. The
deaths in the quarter were 99,248—a number below the
average. The average deaths of former autumn quarters
have been 2·099 of the population; the deaths of the last
autumn quarter were but 2·020 of the population. The
mortality of the large town districts in the last quarter
of 1851 is slightly below the average; but the mortality
in the small towns and in the country districts has
increased to some extent, and thus left the mortality of
the kingdom above the average. In London, 14,355
deaths were registered in the quarter, while only 12,956
deaths were registered in the corresponding quarter of
the previous year. Scarlatina, measles, small-pox, and
fever, have been epidemic in many districts, and are
still prevailing. There were 1050 deaths by bronchitis;
1053 from pneumonia—showing a prevalency of the
tendency to inflammations of the air-tubes and lungs.
Consumption was unusually fatal; 1737 persons
died of this disease, which was the cause of one-
eighth part of the total deaths. Typhus or continued
fever was fatal in 770 instances, erysipelas in 116.
In the South-eastern division of the country, the
mortality was near the average—Brighton, however,
being extremely unhealthy; in the South Midland
division health unusually good; in the Eastern Counties
division, the deaths were fewer than usual; in the
South-western division, above the average; in the West
Midland the average; in the North Midland, very little
above the average. The sanitary effects of agricultural
improvements in the Newark districts, is strikingly
shown by the mortality returns. The village of North
Clifton, where the drainage was bad, low fever was seldom
out of the place; but now, through the influence of an
intelligent farmer, the place has been well drained and