Summary Of News For October.

SUMMARY OF NEWS FOR OCTOBER .

THE WAR . IN the early part of the month it was strongly reported that Sebastopol had fallen . It proved , however , that all th » t had been accomplished was the carrying , on the 20 th of September , by the AlUed Armies , of the fortified position of the Russians , estimated to have been defended bfrom 40000 to 50000 menon the heihts of

y , , , g the Alma . The action lasted about two hours and a half . The loss of the English in killed and wounded has been officially stated at 99 officers and 1884 men , and that of tho French G 5 officers and 1260 men . The Russian loss is estimated to have exceeded Sfinn .

After the battle of Alma , the Allies proceeded to turn the scene of operations to the south of Sebastopol , establishing their position , supported by thc Agamemnon and other vessels of war , in the port at Balaklava , on 28 th September . From this day until the 17 th October , the Allies were engaged in making preparations for the bombardment of Sebastopol . On that day , the bombardment is said to have commenced , and to have continued up to the 21 st , some of the forts having been silenced , but no authentic details have yet been received ^

Marshal St . Avnaud , the Commander of the French troops , died of disease and fatigue on the 24 th of September . He was succeeded in his command by General Canrobert . A pension of . £ 4000 a year has been granted by the Emperor , to his widow . The greater portion of the Baltic Fleet is expected almost immediately to return home for the winter .

ACCIDENTS AND OFFENCES . ON the 3 rd , William Steinfall , a German , was convicted at the Middlesex Sessions , of having stolen Prussian and Austrian bank-notes to the value of , £ 50 , and a gold watch , the property of Adele Rudergauski , a young Hungarian girl , whom he had induced to live with him under the pretence of making her his wife . The prisoner was sentenced to nine months' imprisonmentwith hard labour .

, On the 4 th , a destructive fire broke out at Memel , in some large warehouses stored with flax and hemp , and rapidly extended until the Theatre , several Churches , the Exchange , and other principal buildings were destroyed . The loss is estimated at about £ 250 , 000 .

On the evening of the 5 th , an immense fire occurred at Gateshead , and afterwards communicated across the river to Newcastle , by which property to the extent of upwards of £ 200 , 000 is estimated to have been destroyed . ' We regret to add that 33 persons were killed and an immense number wounded . The cause of the Are has not been discovered . On the 11 th , the iron ship , Ajax , from London to Plymouth and back , struck on a reef of rocks to the westward of the Mewstone , which lies on the eastern shore outside Plymouth Sound . The Ajax had on board between 200 and 300 persons , the whole of whom were fortunately saved , principally through the assistance promptly rendered by the Confiance .

On the 12 th , the Cleopatra , mail-steamer , arrived at Liverpool from Quebec , and reported the loss of the United States mail-steamer , Arctic , owing to a collision with the Vesta , with tlie sacrifice of upwards of 350 lives , on the 27 th September , about 50 miles from Cape Race , during the prevalence of a dense fog , being out from Liverpool only six days . Of the number on board—185 first and 75 second class passengers and 130 crew—onl y 45 were saved—14 passengers and 31 of the crew . On Sunday , the 15 th , a most daring robbery was committed at the shop of Mr . Baumgart , watchmaker and jeweller , Regent-street . Mr . Baumgart only occupied the lower part of the premises , the remainder being used ns » lodging-house . On the