Berwick Railway, the passenger-train ran into the luggage-
train with a fearful crash, and every person in the train
was more or less injured.—A labourer on the Midland
Railway, at work near the Loughborough station, was
knocked down by a train which came up before he
could get out of its way, and so much hurt that he died
in a few hours.

A Dreadful Loss of Life took place on Lake Erie on
the 6th instant. The "Commerce" steamer, having on
board a part of the 23rd Fusileers, on her way from
Montreal to London, Canada West, was run into by the
American steamer "Dispatch," and sunk. Assistant
Surgeon Douglas Grantham, four non-commissioned
officers, twenty privates, eight soldiers' wives, and four
children, perished.

Mr. W. Johnstone, the scene-painter of the Haymarket
Theatre, Died Suddenly on the 8th. He was walking
home from the theatre after the first performance of
Mr. Jerrold's new play (the scenery of which was his
last work) in company with Mr. Stirling Coyne, when,
passing through Chandos-street, he fell in a fit, and
almost immediately expired.

Captain Henry Whittingham was Run Over by a
Timber-Waggon on the 20th, after having escaped the
varied dangers of the deep for nearly half a century.
He had been for many years in the service of the General
Steam Navigation Company, and previously Commander
of the Sir William Carter, a cutter, belonging to the
late Mr. Rothschild, and used for the conveyance of
specie to and from the continent. Captain Whittingham
was passing Thornton-street, Bermondsey, when he fell
under the hind-wheel of a heavily laden timber-waggon,
and before the horses could be stopped, the wheel rested
on his breast.

A fatal Experiment in Aerostation was made on Friday
evening, the 24th. A monster balloon, fifty feet long,
twenty-two in diameter, and capable of containing
15,000 cubic feet of gas, ascended from the Phoenix
Gasworks, under the direction of Mr. Monro, the
superintendent, and descended safely in the parish of High
Laver, Essex; but a poor labourer, named Frederick
Clark, while assisting to secure the balloon in its descent,
was so dreadfully injured by the grapnel, that he died
a few hours afterwards.

A Soldier was Rolled to Death on the 27th, at
Portsmouth. A party belonging to the 28th Regt., while
doing fatigue-duty on Southsea Common, were
returning to quarters, drawing after them a very large
iron roller, charged with iron shot, when, in descending
the road to the centre of the glacis at a rapid pace to
escape the rain which was falling, one of the men fell.
In an instant, the ponderous machine passed over him,
and his head and body were so fearfully crushed, that
instantaneous death resulted.

  SOCIAL, SANITARY, AND MUNICIPAL
                   PROGRESS.

An improvement in the sanitary condition of the
country is shown by the Quarterly Returns of the Registrar
General, which appeared at the beginning of this
month, in the several divisions and counties. They
comprise the births and deaths in the winter quarter
ending 31st March last; and the marriages in the
autumn quarter, ending 31st Dec., 1849. The marriages
have been progressively increasing in the years 1847,
1848, and 1849. In the autumn quarter of 1849 they
were 43,632; higher than in any autumn quarter since
1845. In the whole year 1849 they were 141,599.
During the same period, the number of deaths has
declined. The deaths in the first quarter of 1850 were
less, by 21,065, than in the first quarter of 1847, and less
by 21,414 than in the first quarter of 1848. In 1849 the
deaths were 98,607, the births were 144,602. The
decrease in the number of deaths is ascribed to various
causes; to the comparatively healthy weather during
the months of January, February, and March, and to
the abundance of food. The high prices of 1847, when
wheat was 70s. a quarter, induced farmers to extend the
breadth of land in culture in 1848, especially in Ireland.
Indeed, all over Europe the breadth of land under
potatoes, wheat, and other cereals, in that year, was sufficient
to yield, on average crops, enough of food to supply the
markets. The crops were generally above an average.
Cholera was fatal only in a very few cases during the
quarter. "The annual rate of mortality in the first
quarters of the eleven years 1840-50, was 2.754 per cent,
in the districts comprising the chief towns, and 2.222 per
cent, in the districts of small towns and country parishes.
In 1850 the mortality in the first class of districts fell to
2.401 per cent, and in the second class to 2.067 per cent.
In the most favourable winter quarter which has been
experienced since 1846, the mortality of the inhabitants
of towns exceeds the mortality of the rest of the country
by 16 per cent." These facts show how much remains
to be done, to improve the health of towns. In regard
to the increase of population in England, the return
states that the 144,602 births in 1849 exceeded the
98,607 deaths, by 45,995. 46,423 emigrants left the
ports of the United Kingdom, at which there are government
emigration offices; of these, 40,927 left the English
ports, but probably great numbers were of Irish
extraction.

The Utility of Ragged Schools has been fully developed
at their several anniversary festivals this month. The
eighth annual meeting of the supporters of the Field
Lane Ragged School took place on the 1st inst. The
Report, read by the Secretary, stated that 320 children
had been received into the school during the last twelve-
months; that the girls were well instructed in knitting
and needlework, and that the boys would shortly be
able to furnish shoes to the school at the cost price of
the material. A collection was made, which, with some
donations, amounted to £40.

The sixth annual meeting of the Ragged School Union
was held in Exeter Hall on the 14th, Lord ASHLEY in
the chair. The Committee's Report contained many
facts illustrative of the good done by the establishment of
Ragged Schools, the number of which throughout the
country, as well as in the metropolis, is rapidly increasing.
The number added to the list during the year is 14.
The schools now consist of 94 in all. The number of
voluntary teachers was 1350; the children, on week
days, 5174; week evenings, 5093; Sunday evenings,
10,366. The number of paid teachers is now 156. The
scholars in the industrial classes are now about 1200.
The subscriptions, which last year were £338., now
amount to £520.; the donations, not including the fund
raised for emigration, and a legacy of £1000. left by the
late James Grant, Esq., amount to £1,631.

The annual meeting of the Domestic Servants' Benevolent
Institution was held on the 1st. The report of the
committee stated that there were upwards of 4000
subscribers belonging to the class of domestic servants,
and that they possessed a permanent fund of £4200.
The total receipts of the last year were £1609 17s. 2d.;
the pensions £17 10s. The investments were, for £1258
18s. 1d. at 3 per cent, consols, purchased in the year,
£1180.

At the annual meeting of the Female Servants' Home
Society, on the 9th, it appeared that this society, since
1835, has given aid to 3800 servants. From the
commencement of the registry system in 1844, 17,000
servants have placed their names on the books, and
5180 families have applied to be provided with domestics.
During the past year 423 female servants have been
received into the "Home," of whom 398 were provided
with situations.

The thirty-fourth annual meeting in aid of the funds
of the Royal Infirmary for Children was held on the
1st. This institution has relieved upwards of 170,000
children, and relieves, on an average, 400 every month.
It is proposed to extend its utility by making it a
hospital as well as a dispensary; and for this purpose
£1077 was subscribed in the course of the evening.

The Artists' General Benevolent Institution had its
thirty-fifth annual Festival at the Freemasons' Tavern,
on the 11th, under the presidency of Sir Robert Peel.
Lord Hardinge, Colonel Rowdon, Mr. Cockerell, Mr.
Hardwicke, and other gentlemen, took part in the
proceedings. During the dinner, £718 was received,
including £100. from the Queen, £50 from Sir R. Peel,
£50 from the British Institution, and £20 from Lady
Chantrey.