Bride was beaten very easily by Punch in the Coffee-Room Stakes; while Kaiser (9 st. 4 lb.), though made a strong favourite for the Prince of Wales Stakes, had once more to put up with place honours, Carnelion (7 st. 2 lb.) just beating Duke of Parma (5 st. 13 lb.), after a rattling finish. The racing on the Two Thousand day was much better in every respect. Three very smart animals contested the sweepstakes over the T.Y.C., at weight for age; and, though 2 to 1 was laid on Tangible in running, he was beaten the moment he had done pulling, and Horse Chestnut won easily. The chief interest of the day, however, centred in the Guineas, which is thus described: :THE TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS STAKES for 3 year-olds. R.M., 1 mile 17 yards. 84 subs. 2 Mr. R. C. Vyner's Camballo, by Cambuscan-Little-Lady (J. Osborne) 1 3 `On the last day of the month nearly 3,000 spectators, including nearly every prominent athlete both past and present, assembled at Lilliebridge, to witness the four-mile match between W. Slade (onemile amateur champion) and J. Gibb (four-mile amateur champion). The pair met in the Four Miles at the Championship Meeting last month, when Slade, who had previously won the mile, did not finish the distance. On this occasion, however, he completely wiped out this defeat; for, after waiting on Gibb until reaching the top of the straight in the last lap, he came right away, and won by forty yards, in the unparalleled amateur time of 20 min. 22 sec. 30. FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION. A terrible explosion took place this afternoon at the Bunker's Hill Colliery, North Staffordshire, the property of Messrs. W. Rigby and Co. The mine is situated not far from the ill-fated Talke Colliery, where so many lives were lost a few years ago, and is but a short distance from Bignall Hill Colliery, the scene of the lamentable catastrophe last Christmas-eve. The bodies of forty-two men and boys were recovered, and from their appearance death must have been instantaneous. The damage done to the pit was comparatively trifling, beyond the destruction of nearly all the lower stopings. Some of the bodies were so horribly burned as to be utterly unrecognisable by their features; others, by their peaceful expression, seem to have had a painless death, produced by after-damp. A son of the manager (Mr. Sumner) was at the engine at the top of the dip, and was blown against some timbers with great force, while his hair was scorched off his head. He died soon afterwards. He was highly respected in the neighbourhood, and had been married only a fortnight. Of all the men in the part visited by the explosion not one escaped to tell the tale. How the accident happened can only be known so far as the scientific investigation of the Government inspector can reveal it; but there appears to be good ground for believing that it was caused by the firing of a shot for blasting purpose MAY. 1. OPENING OF THE ALEXANDRA PALACE. The new palace of popular entertainment, built in its own pleasure-grounds on Muswell-hill, Hornsey, in place of the edifice destroyed by fire so quickly after its completion two years ago, was this day opened to the public. The weather was as bad as it could be on the first day of May, and the whole company of many thousand visitors had to remain indoors; but there was plenty of gratification for them in the vast and splendid building. The most distinguished part of the assembly consisted of the municipal dignitaries, in number approaching one hundred, of many English cities and borough towns, with the Lord Mayor of London at their head. These came in their official character, and the members of the Metropolitan Board of Works also attended; but among the visitors and spectators were many persons of rank, members of the House of Lords and of the House of Commons, judges, prelates, foreign ambassadors, and other gentlemen of position, with a bright-looking crowd of ladies. The ceremony was merely that of presenting an address to the Lord Mayor, and of his declaring the palace open. This was followed by a grand concert, and a banquet in the afternoon. The building, which covers an area of seven and a half acres, is a parallelogram in form. The great hall in the centre, 386 feet long by 184 feet wide, has a semicircular roof supported on four rows of columns, and is adapted to receive 12,000 persons. It is adorned with a series of statues of the Kings and Queens of England, and the roof is decorated with bright cinque-cento paintings. In addition to the central hall are two large open courts, with corridors around them for picture galleries, &c. An Italian garden will occupy one of the courts, and there are also handsome conservatories. 4. A PERILOUS BALLOON JOURNEY.-An aeronaut named Youens has had a narrow escape from death in his descent to the earth. He had been engaged by the Messrs. Sanger to ascend from Nunhead Grounds, Peckham, and commenced inflating the balloon at eight o'clock in the morning, but in consequence of a scarcity of gas the balloon was only three parts filled when the time to ascend came. Several gentlemen wished to accompany Mr. Youens, but he declined to take anyone with him. The ascent was rapid until he got into a south-south-east current, which carried him back to the place from which he started. A slight breeze sprang up again from the southward, and ultimately Mr. Youens found himself over the River Thames. When between London Bridge and Southwark Bridge the balloon appeared stationary. At a quarter to eight it was carried by a south current towards St. Paul's Cathedral, and Mr. Youens states that C he was driven back towards the Thames no fewer than six times. By throwing out some ballast he got into a south-south-west current, which carried him over the railway bridge at Ludgate Hill, and shortly after eight o'clock the balloon fell with great velocity into Farringdon Market. Mr. Youens was unhurt, but a thief, taking advantage of the confusion caused by the crowd which gathered around the place where the balloon fell, stole the aeronaut's watch. The neighbourhood of the market was impassable, owing to the crowd. 5. THE ROYAL ARCH FREEMASONS.-The Prince of Wales was installed to-day as First Principal of this body, in the temple at Freemasons' Hall. The "Royal Arch," is a restricted and high degree in the craft, entrance to it being only gained after a brother has been for a given time a Master Mason, and the Grand Chapter is wholly composed of rulers in the craft who have reached certain positions in regular Chapters. The Grand Master of the craft is always placed in the position of First Principal, and the elevation of His Royal Highness to this position created an interest second only to the ceremony of last week at Albert Hall. After the ceremony of investiture His Royal Highness made a short address to the Grand Chapter, expressing his high gratification at the reception he had received from his brethren, and his great appreciation of the high honour they had conferred upon him. He said that he had many pressing engagements, but he had felt it a duty as well as a pleasure to be present on the first night after his installation as Grand Master of the Order to attend to the business of the craft, for he did not intend to treat Freemasonry as a mere pageant; he should, as far as his other duties would admit, devote himself to its working on all occasions. DISTURBANCE AT A FUNERAL.-A scandalous disturbance occurred at the funeral of the late Baron Pigott at Sherfield Churchyard, near Basingstoke. The Baron had been dead more than a week, but it was not till the day before the funeral that his two sons, who are members of the sect known as the "Plymouth Brethren," intimated that they did not wish the Church service to be used. Mr. Osborne Morgan's opinion was at once telegraphed for, and he replied that the clergyman was bound to read the service, but that, if interfered with, he might refuse to continue it, but could not stop the burying. The clergyman went early to the churchyard, and exhorted the crowds to seemly and decent behaviour. He then met the funeral at the gate, and was proceeding with the opening words of the service when some of the mourners shouted to him to stop and others to go on. Meanwhile the bearers, commanded by one of the Baron's sons, pushed along and threw the coffin into the grave near the gate. The clergyman shut his book and walked quietly away. The case was subsequently brought before the magistrates, and Mr. Arthur Pigott, the late Baron's eldest son, was fined 17. for the disturbance. gave notice of appeal to the Queen's Bench. He EXHIBITION OF MULES AND DONKEYS AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE. The second annual exhibition of mules and donkeys at the Crystal Palace was held during this week. The number of entries this year was eighty-two as against seventy-three last year, and judges of these peculiar kinds of live stock report progress in the quality as well as in the quantity of the present show when compared with its predecessors. With respect to numbers, the donkeys have decidedly the advantage of the mules, being in the overwhelming majority of sixty-six to sixteen. The costermongers' donkeys have improved both in number and condition. The present exhibition comprised quite as much variety, both in the mule and in the donkey breeds, as did the show of last year. The Poitou jackass is a conspicuous figure, and the very perfection of ugliness rather a prevailing characteristic, by the way, in these mule and donkey shows, although a certain beauty is not altogether wanting in some of the animals. One mule, which took a first prize, stands as high as seventeen hands, while among the donkeys the height dwindles down in some instances to about twelve hands. One or two individuals are estimated as high as 150l., and one at least is not to be parted with by its owner for love or money. This is the famous donkey recently presented by the costermongers to the Earl of Shaftesbury and bearing the name of "Coster." The catalogue abounds with curious information as to the capacity of some of the mules and donkeys in the way of work, one being declared capable of drawing a ton, whilst another is warranted to do a journey of thirty miles in a day without complaining in the least. 6. MUTINY AND MURDER AT SEA.-The" Jefferson Borden," an American schooner, arrived at Gravesend to-day, bringing a shocking account of a mutiny which took place on board on the 20th of April. In addition to the captain and his wife th crew consisted of eight men only. It seems that the mutineer one of whom was a Russian, another a Frenchman, and the third an American, began by murdering the two mates, and then aroused the captain, who was sleeping below, with the intention, they said, of securing him and his wife, and after removing the valuables, of scuttling the ship. The captain, however, had time to arm himself with two revolvers, and the mutineers, being wounded, retired into the forecastle, where the captain was able to confine them by nailing planks across the door. During the rest of the journey the vessel was managed for five days by one seaman and a boy, until, coming into contact with a Norwegian vessel, one of her hands was placed at the disposal of the "Jefferson Borden." In the absence of medical attendance, Captain Patterson carefully watched the injured men, and on reaching Gravesend Dr. Russell was summoned to go on board to examine their wounds, which were found to be severe. They were subsequently removed to the London Hospital, and when in a fit condition to be taken before the sitting magistrate of the Thames police court, they were con victed, and sent to America to take their trial, in accordance with the Extradition Treaty. 7. WRECK OF THE "SCHILLER."-One of the greatest disasters at sea that have ever been recorded took place this night near the entrance to the British Channel. The fine German mail steamship" Schiller," an iron screw steamer, which ran from New York to Hamburg, calling at Plymouth and Cherbourg, was totally wrecked on the Retarrier Ledges, near the Bishop Lighthouse, Scilly, and more than 300 lives were lost, as well as the whole cargo. The "Schiller" left New York on the 27th of April having on board fifty-nine first-class passengers, seventy-five second class, 120 in the steerage, and a crew of 101 officers and men all told, making a total of 355 persons. She also brought the Australian and New Zealand mails, in all 250 bags; specie to the value of 300,000 dols. for Cherbourg; and a full general cargo. In the first part of the voyage hard weather was experienced, and during the three days before the disaster it was so thick that no observations could be taken. On the night of the catastrophe the fog suddenly increased, and in fifteen minutes it was impossible to see the length of the steamer. Sails were at once taken in, the engines were reduced to half speed, and the number of men on the look-out was increased. Almost immediately afterwards the "Schiller" struck heavily on the Retarrier Ledges. She made four great lurches, and then settled on the rock. When the ship struck, at ten o'clock in the evening, most of the male passengers were on board looking out for land; the women and children were mostly in bed. It took only a few minutes for the sea which then ran to force her over on her broadside, where she lay constantly washed over by the breakers. Captain Thomas, who commanded her, is said to have acted calmly and kindly, using all the means he could to get assistance, and to quiet the terror-stricken passengers. Against the wind, the waves, and the fog, the distress signals could not be seen or heard. The officers and crew succeeded, with great difficulty, in launching the starboard gig. It was instantly filled with men, eager to save themselves, and thrusting back the women and children. The port gig was also got clear, and both boats kept near the ship. The darkness was intense, and the Bishop Rock Light, though not half a mile off, could not be seen. The starboard lifeboat was launched by an almost superhuman effort, but it capsized. By this time a great many people crowded into the remaining boats, so that it was impossible to clear them. The captain fired his pistol over the men's heads to compel them to keep better order, but in vain. With the greatest difficulty the remaining five boats were swung out from the davits, ready to be launched as soon as the sea subsided. Heavy bodies of water washed over the ship, so that it was impossible to stand on deck. The women and children were collected in the pavilion or deckhouse, over the first-class cabins |