The week has been full of catastrophes. On Saturday last
a gale broke over London and knocked down a chimney 140 feet high, in Shoe Lane, crushing another chimney and a house near it, and severely wounding six persons. On the same day a boiler under repair blew up in the Peterborough railway station, wounding six men, reducing another "to pulp," and blowing a boy through a brick wall with such violence that the greater part of his skull was found in his cap. On Monday the loss of H.M.S. Bo»zbay off Montevideo was reported, with the addition that the ship had been destroyed by fire, and ninety-three souls had perished by that terrible death. On Wednesday it was known in Liverpool that the screw steamer Columbian, 730 tons, had been struck by the gale and foundered, only three men out of thirty-six being saved. All these accidents, however, seem less horrible than one which occurred at Edinburgh on Friday. The gasfitter had been lighting the building pre- paratory to the evening's performance, when the scenes caught fire, the "flies" followed, and in a few minutes the whole building was in flames, the roof fell in, and the conflagration lighted up the whole side of the Calton Hill. The fire was actually seen from Dunfermline, in Fifeshire, fifteen miles away. AS the fire dimi- nished, the Dean of Guild, Mr. Lorimer, and a body of soldiers exerted themselves most strenuously to get it under, but the chimney stack of the theatre fell in, striking a neighbouring chapel and crushing two men. One of them had his head free and screamed piteously for help, and Mr. Lorimer and several men rushed to his assistance. They were warned that the wall above them was giving way, but persevered till suddenly the wall fell in, crushing the wounded man, the Dean of Guild, and three other persons. The strongest regret is expressed in Edinburgh for Mr. Lorimer, who died in the discharge of his duty, and who was not even rash. There was a man to save ; he was a builder, and thought the wall would stand, and if on such occasions the leader shrinks, nothing great will ever be risked.
