TERRIFIC CYCLONE AT CALCUTTA.

North Otago Times, Volume II, Issue 40, 24 November 1864, Page 1 (Supplement)

TERRIFIC CYCLONE AT CALCUTTA.

FRIGHTFUL POWDER EXPLOSION AT

ERITH, NEAR LONDON

EXTENSIVE COLLIERY STRIKE.

FIRE IN LONDON.

GENERAL SUMMARY.

London, Sept. 26. The Australian July mails were delivered in London on the 14th and 20th September. The Queen remains at Balmoral, and continues in excellent health. The Prince and Princess of Wales arrived at Elsinore on the 6th of September. They were well received, notwithstanding the antipathy of the Danish people to England The Crown Princess of Prussia gave birth to a son on the 15th of September. The Duke of Newcastle's health has considerably improved. One of the vacant garters has been conferred on the Marquis of Lansdowne. Lord Palraerston, though in his eighty-first jear, appears to be almost übiquitous. He is performing Im duties as actively as ever. The British Government have despatched the Earl of Airlie to the United States, with their views on the present aspect of affairs, mid instructions to offer himself to the Confederacy as a medium of communication with the British Government. The " Times" discloses a plan which Ptussia intended adopting in case England had gone to war for Poland. Russia fully expected the breaking out of this war, and issued instructions to the Russian admirals on the American and Californian coasts to leave their respective posts, by different routes, for a known place of rendezvous. The fleet was then to hold itself in readiness, in the event of war being declared, to bear down on the Australian •colonies. Melbourne was to be first attacked ; next Hobart Town ; then Adelaide, Sydney, and New Zealand. The ships from the New York station would have mustered 156 guns, Japan and California, 43 guns. The number of seamen would have been 2971 *, officers, 127. The vessels were principally armed uith 68 pounders, but the orders to the admirals were to obtain whatever rifled guns they might require at New York. However, the Polish dispute is now fot gotten, and we are again upon good terms with Russia. The convict question continues to excite much discussion. It has been suggested that by means of a convention with Russia, for a'compensation she might take charge of our convicts, or cede a portion o v f her Siberian possessions, where our criminals could be sent.

Captain Speke, the d scoverer of the sources of the Nile, is dead. He accidentally shot himself while crossing a fence. The Emperor of Abyssinia still keeps the Bri ish Consul in irons, because he delayed making a favorable reply to his offer of marriage to Queen Victoria. Assaults in railway carriages continue to increase. The London and South-Western Company have caused circular panes of glass to be inserted in the various compartments of their carriages, so that occupants in the seveial divisions can see each other. The new screw propeller invented by James Steele, of Liverpool, averages four times the speed of the ordinary screw, with the same tngine and same pressure of steam. The month's home news discloses an unparalleled increase of _ brutal murders and other criminal offences in Great Britain.

A frightful colliery explosion has occurred near North Shields. Eighteen persons were killed.

A great fire has taken place in London. The estimated loss is Ll 00,000. Haberdashers' Hall, Graham street, was almost totally destroyed. Franz Muller, the supposed murderer of Mr Briggs, was arrested at New "Yoik on the 24th°of August. He arrived in custody at Luerpool on the 16th of September. He pleaded Not Guilty. The examination caused a wonderful sensation. Muller's defence has keen warmly taken up by the German Society, fho believe his innocence.

Colonel M'Murdo retires from the Inspeclorship of the Volunteers. A shock of earthquake was distinctly felt n Cheshire on the 21st inst.

During the past week 47 wrecks were revn ted, making a total in the present year of 1255. The Poor Law expenditure for the year tiding the 25th March last was £6,527,000, eing an increase on the previous year of USO 000. Official documents just issued disclose that here are 1,142,684 paupers and insane per-

ons in Great Britain. Statistical details in the " Gazette show hat the total net value of the foreign trade i eleven ports in China amounts to 104 mil•ons. . ~ The Queen has conferred the Victoria Cross a assistant-surgeons Manley and Temple, •eutenant Pickard, ensign Down, and drumter Stagpoole, for bravery during the New Zealand campaign. The Roxburgh Castle and the Light Bnade have sailed with reinforcements for New ealand. , At the Donoaster September meeting, the reat Yorkshire Handicap was won by Magira Bonum, Revolver second, Raglan third. he St. Leger Stakes wore won by B air thol, General Peel second, and Cambuscan iird. Portland Plate—Persuasion 1, Wolga , Lyra 3. Doncaster Cup—General Peel 1, [ynpolita 2, Miner 3. The great one-mile champion handicap sdestrian match was won by Brunell. Time,

tnin. 26 sec. The two-mile swimming match lor tne lampion cup was won by Gurr, of London. be 32min. 4 sec. The fight between Mace, the English pugiit, and Coburn, the American, for £500 a k, is to come off in Ireland on the 4th itober.

The great skiff race between Chambers and Cooper, for the championship of the Tyne, was won easily by the former. Obituary —Mr Walter Savage Landor, the Rev. Thomas Cator, Sir Charles Knightley, Sir John Batcliff, Sir W. F. Elliott, the Duke of Cleveland, the Earl of Cadogan, Viscountess Hardinge, the Earl of Morley, Sir Thomas Seabright, Lady Susan Reeve, Lady Mary Hamilton, Major-General Crawford, Lieut. - General Byall, Captain Wood, R.N. , SirH. L. Lea, Vice-Admiral Best, the Dowager Countess Effingham, the Rev Chancellor Treavor, the Bey. William Marsh, D.D., and Mr James Laing. AMERICA. New Yobk, 16th September. Various unfavorable and favorable war rumors circulated since Saturday last have caused violent fluctuation in gold. Market prices declined under Monday's panic to 223, recovering afterwards. The last quotations are 2245. The market is entirely unsettled. General M'Clellan has accepted the Chicago nomination, but declares that the Union must be preserved at all hazards. He'has been repudiated by the Peace democrats, who intend to select another candidate. Fremont will withdraw his candidature, and Lincoln will receive the support of the whole Republican party. Generals Lee and Grant are preparing for another battle. Atlanta has been evacuated, and entered by the Federals after heavy battles. General Sherman is concentrating his forces there.

Admiral Farragut, after taking Fort Morgan, is leported to be within shelling distance of Mobile.

Grant and Sherman have both most urgently applied to the Federal Government for more men, and the draft is to be immediately enforced.

The " Richmond Inquirer" says peace may easily be brought about. Its plan is to make the North and South one nation so far as foreign relations are concerned, by an offensive and defensive treaty, but with separate Governments for domestic affairs.

The platform adopted by the Chicago Convention is fidelity to the Union, and the institution uf immediate efforts for the cessation of hostilities, with the view of summoning a convention of states to re3tore peace to the country. Direct military interference at the approaching elections is to be regarded as revolutionary, and to be resisted. Mr Secretary Seward, in a speech at New York, has declared that the salvation of the Union depends on the re-election of Lincoln. He states that slavery is no longer an issue of the war, and will not be interfered with after peace is restored. He blames the democratic party for aiding the rebellion. Since last month severe engagements have taken place between Generals Lee and Grant. On the 14th August, Grant embarked troops under sealed orders. The soldiers declared that they were going northwards. When under weigh they steamed up the James river and landed at Deep Bottom. They went down James river by day, and up it by night. On the morning of the 15th they surprised the Confer]erates, driving them from a front line of rifle pits, and again dislodging them fiom their second line. The ground was valorou&ly contested. The Federals lost 1000 men. The position is six miles from Fort Darling, commanding the river and its bluffs. On the 19th of August, the fifth corps of Grant's army took up a position at Reams station on the Meldon railroad. They were surprised by the Confederates and driven back with a loss of three thousand men. The Federals, subsequently reinforced, recovered their lost ground. On the following days both parties were engaged fortifying. On Sunday the Confederates attempted another assault, with loss of General Haygood and one thousand men. The Federal losses in these fights, from the 21st to the 25th, is asserted by the " Times" correspondent to be 12,000 men. Several other engagements took place, each side claiming victory. The Federals remain in possession of three miles of railway on the Meldon Railroad, but the occupation of this position is not of such vital importance to General Lee as the northern press represent it to be. Lee's army has since been reinforced from Early's corps, and a heavy force is being concentrated to attack Grant's left.

General Sherman has ordered all the white inhabitants to leave Atlanta, and arranged an armistice with Hood for transfer to the Confederate lines of those who refused to take the oaths of allegiance to the Federal Government. CANADA. The Canadian Conference has decided that a union of the British North American piovinces would be satisfactory, provided the teim of alliance could be arranged. LATEST FROM CALCUTTA. A tertific cyclone passed over Calcutta on the 7th October. The destruction of life and property which occurred in five hours is unparalleled. Scarcely a house or building has escaped injury. Whole villages have been swept away. The Botanical Gardens are totally destroyed. The estimated loss is over £2,000,000 sterling. Of 200 ships in the river no more than 30 escaped. Twelve were sunk, and great numbers were dismasted and ashore The P. and O. Co.'s s.s. Tubal and Nemesis were dismasted, and the Bengal went ashore. Opposite Garden Beach the steamers Bentinck and Hindostan, and six tug steamers were wrecked. The estimated loss of life is, on the river, 300 souls; on shore, 1000.