On Tuesday, about noon, the inhabitants of the houses in
Wharf Street, Suffolk Street, Birmingham, were suddenly alarmed by a strange noise ; upon bearing which they rushed out, and in five minutes no less than five or six houses and a smith's shop, occupying a frontage to the street of about a hundred yards, were swept down level with the ground by time force of an immense body of water, which had escaped by the bursting of the embankment of the Old Birmingham Canal Wharf, immediately at the back of the above premises.
A gamekeeper on the estate of Sir W. Middleton, Bart., at Shrub- land Hall, was on Thursday week accidentally shot by Lord Bingham, in the preserves of the honourable baronet. His Lordship was shooting, with the gamekeeper in attendance ; and while brushing the shrubs, a bare started out, when his Lordship pointed his gun, follow- ing the course of the hare, which unfortunately made too ards the spot where the gamekeeper stood, who was hid from the sight of his Lordship by the furze, and nearly the whole of the charge was lodged in the poor man's chest. Every attention has been paid to the unfor- tunate sufferer since the lamentable event ; and we are happy to say he is out of danger, and fast recovering—Siffolk Chronicle.
At Monmouth, a few days ago, a child of Mr. Sergeant Williams, about three years old, was shot by its mother. Mrs. Williams was standing at an upper window of the house, while the child, with an elder sister, who had a baby in her arms, was in the court-yard below. Mrs. Williams was talking and making signs to the infant, and in or- der to attract its attention, took up a pistol which was lying close to her, and which she did not know to be loaded. Her sleeve caught the trigger, the pistol was discharged, and the child received the ball in its thigh. Though severely wounded, it is expected to recover.
On Friday night, the illuminated clock in front of the Exchange, Nottingham, stopped ; but, unfortunately, although hundreds of persons
saw that the movement of the hands had ceased, thought of inquiring into the cause ; and the tenants of the different shops beneath the elegant building retired to rest, not thinking that they would awake to behold their property endangered by fire. It appears, however most probable, that, from the period of the clock being stopped until seven the next morning, when the circumstance was discoveied, si me wood-work connected with the gas-pipes of the clock had been igiii red, and the fire had gradually extended until it burst forth with destructive impetuosity. By eight o'clock the town was in a state of great alarm ; the fire was at that time rapidly spreading from the clock, and threat- ened the destruction of the whole building ; but the engines I, leg at length brought into play with great effect, the fierceness of t e confla- gration began to abate, and by noon the flames were got omen The clock-works and the great bell fell in about two hours before. The
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