The Chain-pier at Brighton was seriously damaged during the storm,

on Tuesday evening. Several of the suspension-rods on the east side of the second and third bridges of the pier were struck by it; soma parts of the structure gave way, and the pletform of the thiid bridge tumbled down ; the platform of the second bridge hung by the rods on the west side. The Brighton Gazette thus describes the accident. "At abcut half-past seven on Tuesday evening, a most tremendous gale front the west came on, attended with heavy rain and flashes of exceedingly vivid lightning. A very short time previously, the Pier Master, Mr. Matthews; had re:. turned from tl e pier-head. The pier at that time was in every respectin it* ueual state. The wind then began to Wow with the greateat fury ; .so that, though

Mr. Matthews lives within a few yards of the entrance Of the pier, he heard no crash whatever. Few persons of course were on the cliff during so violent a storm ; but report says that some /ward the crash, and saw the lightning play

along the chains, and that at one moment there was a blaze of light at a parti- cular spot. We give these reports as -e-have heard them without in the least degree vouching for their accuracy. Although the wind them, and the waves

roared, it is possible that a crash might have been heard ; and this is all we can say upon that subject. In respect to the lightning, we ourselves remarked its Vividness ; and when the situation of the pier is considered, composed chiefly, at least in the upper works, of iron, it is not improbable that the electric fluid may

have been attrarited by the metal ; but this i$ no more than an opinion—there is no proof or collateral fact to lead such conclusion. The pier-bead is lighted hy a gas-lamp. To supply this, a pipe is conveyed along the west side of the pier.

In the concussion, the pipe was snapped in two, and the light extinguished of course ; but we do not Imagine that the as in the pipe which runs by the side of the pier could by any possibility have ignited, so that a flame or blaze could

hardly have at isen from this cause. The violence of the concussion doubtless caused so great a friction among the rods, caps, chains, railings &c. as to pro- duce a rapid emission of sparks, which in the datkness of the night might easily be mistaken for the effects of lightning. It is known that such were the effects produced when the Antheum fell in : eye witnesses describe that event as having been attended with a blaze of sparkling tile."

After describing very particalarly tire nature and extent of the damage done to the pier, the above-mentioned journal gives at length its reasons for believing that it was occasioned by wind, not by lightning. At present, however, the cause is matter of conjecture.

The town of Deal was visited on Tuesday night, about half-past seven o'clock, by one of the most violent storms of wind, rain, and hail, accompanied by tremendous peals of thunder, that has been wit- nessed there by the oldest inhabitant ; but its ravages have not occii- Sioned so much injury as we feared. At Deal Castle, at which Lord Carrington now resides, most serious apprehensions were felt by its inmates, as two chimnies were thrown down, the materials of which fell upon two of the beds of the visiters, and some of the beams in the roof were broken. Much valuable stock has been destroyed in the marshes ; the cattle taking fright and running into the dikes, where they were drowned ; hut it is not known that any thing disastrous took place among the vessels in the Downs, which were numerous. l'he wind having shifted in the morning, nearly the whole of the outward-bound vessels have proceeded to the westward.

On 'Wednesday last, Mr. Thomas Hiatt, of Chester, was out on a Shooting-excursion, in company with Mr. Robert John Mostyn, of Calcot Hall, near Holywell. They had nearly reached Northop, on their way to Chester in a gig, when one of the springs broke, and the horse, at other times a very docile animal, took fright, became totally unmanageable, and set off at trill speed. Mr. Mostyn, who was driv-

ing, stood up, and endeavoured by main force to rein him in ; but Un- fortunately, the reins snapped asunder, and he was thrown backwards out of the gig, and had his elbow and shoulder-blade dislocated. Not-

withstanding his accident, he had sufficient presence of mind to call to Mr. Hula for God's sake to keep his seat. It is probable that this salutary advice either was not heard, or was disregarded, in the confu-

sion of the moment, by Mr. }quit t ; for the unfortunate gentleman either leaped out, or was thrown out of the gig, immediately afterwards, and killed on the spot. Immediate assistance was at band. Mr. Mostyn was conveyed to the Vicarage, where he experienced the ready hospi- tality of the Rev. Henry Jones and his lady ; and hopes are entertained of his ultimate recovery.—Maccicafield Courier.

• On Sunday afternoon, a yacht was run down, in the Mersey, by a sloop, and two of the crew were drowned.

A verdict of wilful murder was returned, on Monday last, by a Co- roner's Jury, at Cowes, against Captain- Coulston, of the Jamaica brigantine, Rival, for having caused the death of one of his crew, Charles Forrin, by the most brutal treatment. The liana was in very bad health; - and the Captain repeatedly beat bins with a rope's-end, broom- sticks, &c. ; and upon one occasion kicked him violently in the side.

A robbery of a somewhat singular nature has been committed at Kirtling, near Newmarket. The box wherein the contribution of a

benefit society of poor people at the village public-house is kept, has recently been robbed of the entire money belonging to the club,— about 82/. Although the box was provided with three different locks (one of which was a patent one, for greater security), and the three

different keys kept by three people, no clue has yet been elicited bow the money could be abstracted, as the box was firmly and separately locked at the time of the discovery ; neither had the locks at all the ap- pearance of having been picked.—Bury Herald. [ We should look closely after the parties who hold the keys.]

A private of the 8th Hussars, on his way from Abergavenny to the head-quarters of the regiment at Gloucester, on Monday last, to take

his trial for insubordination, managed to seize a loaded carbine from one of his guards, placed the muzzle of it to his breast, and shot himself through the heart. The deceased was a very fine young man, only nineteen years of age, a native of Ireland, and addicted to drinking. A Coroner's inquest was held upon the body in the afternoon, and a verdict returned of .felo de se.

Mr. Hunter, a brewer in Margate, cut his throat on Wednesday week. His affairs, it is said, had been in is bad way. A Coroner's Jury re- turned a verdict of felo de Sc.