The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-01 00:00:00

LLOYD'S SHIPPING-(THIS DI Y.)

LONDON, Jan. I.—Wind this day at Noon, W.N.W.;
light breeze, and dull, cloudy weather. It blew very
heavily during the night.
PORTSMOUTH, Dec. 31.—Wind, W.N.W. Arrived
Louisa Maria, from Callao, for Antwerp, short of provi-
sions and with foremast sprung ; Speedy, Southampton,
for New South Wales.

FALMOUTH, Deo. 31.—Wind, W.N.W. Sailed—Oscar
(s), for Balaklava.
PLYMOUTH, Dec. 31.—Wind, N.N.W. Arrived—North-
umberland, from Southampton, for Adelaide, S.A.
COWES, Dec. 31.—Arrived—Czar Peter, from Callao.
Off Port— Union (s), from Nov York.
SOUTHAMPTON, Dec. 31.—Wind, N.N.W. Arrived—
Atrato (s), from the West Indies. Sailed—Sumroo, for
the Crimea ; E,eine Hortense, do.
HULL, Dec. 20.—Wind, W.N.W. Arrived—Admiral
Moorson, from Richibucto ; Indian, Quebec.
TORBAY, Dec.' 31.—Wind, N.W. Arrived—Rubicon,
from London, 'for Calcutta. Off Port—Hampden, from
Hamburg, jar Sydney ; Token, London, for the IN est
Coast of Africa.
KINGSTOWN, Dec.3o.—Arrived—Dorweat, from Quebec,
for Workington.
DUBLIN, Dec. 30.—Arrived--St. Peter, from St. John's.

T(FATAL BOILER EXPLOSION AT NEWCASTLE-ON-TTNE.—•
On Tuesday morning, a boiler explosion took place at
the chemical works of Messrs. Pattison and Co., which
are very extensive, covering 17 acres of ground, and
giving employment to 1,500 men. Before the explosion
it was discovered that the boiler leaked, and the fire was
ordered to be drawn out, which was just about to be
done when the explosion took place, killing two men
and seriously injuring two others, besides doing damage
to the amount of from 5001, to 6001. The deceased had
worked many years on the premises, and were much re-
spected. Each leaves a wife and family. A piece of
the boiler, weighing a ton and a half, was carried 60
yards, and fell through one of the workshop:,

* Tho expediency of an invasion of the Russian borders
from that quarter was forcibly pointed out in one of the
letters on the chances of the present war, which appeared
immediately after its declaration, in the Allgoneine Zeit ling
of Augsburg, and are ascribed to a high military authority,
of Germany. It is, however, almost superfluous to re-
mark, that the success of such a plan must chiefly depend
upon the proper execution of its details, which cannot bo
furnished except by some reliable persons, possessing a
thorough knowledge .of men and things in the above-men-
tioned quarters. The same letters discuss the probabilities
of the capture of Sebastopol, and say that it would be
tearing out an eye to the Russian giant.

T.HE PRUSSIAN GUN-BOATS NIX AND
SALAMANDER.

_ -. --4,

The Prussian steam gun-boat Nix was on Friday
placed in the Queen's dock at Keyham, and the Sala-
mander in No. 1 dock, preparatory to their being sur-
veyed next week by the Admiralty officials prior to their
exchange for her Majesty's frigate Thetis, 33, now in
Hanivaze. These paddle gun-boats were built some
four years since by Mr. Scott Russell on the banks of
the Thames for the Prussian Government. They are
about 170 feet long, the decks being 42 feet broad at the
paddles, aid 25 feet at the close of the sponsons.
They are lightly rigged, schooner fashion, the masts
very wide apart, and are fitted with oscillating engines,
by Russell and Co., of 140-horse power. The hulls
are very fine and sharp, and have submerged rudders
at each end, forming the lower parts of the stem and
stern respectively. The stem rudder is furnished with a
screw which will fix it securely when not required for
use. Tfiis rudder is worked below the deck, and the one
aft by a wheel on deck, in the ordinary way. The paddle-
wheels are about 16 feet diameter. Each boat is provided
with four large guns, 68-pounders, and two 32-pounders.
When not in use the four large guns are stowed amid-
ships, two with their mouths pointed forward and two
aft. In ordinary steam-vessels there is no increased
width of deck near the paddles, but in the gun-boats
under consideration there is a sufficient addition to
the:deck lengthwise, in the front and rear of each paddle-
box, to admit one of the large guns. This increase is
sustained by framework in connexion with the sponsons,
which are beams running across the upper part of the
hull, and overhanging the ship's side. Upon this over-
hanging portion the large guns will have to work
when in action. The two 32-pounders point over each
quarter, but there are ports forward for these, near the
bows, to be used when necessary. Public attention
having been much directed towards the boats, their ap-
pearance at Plymouth has created great interest, and a
general opinion prevails that they will be found of little
service to the nation; while their light and elegant con-
struction may render their speed most useful in rivers
and harboure, it will prevent their attempting an over-
sea voyage. It is considered that, should it be pos-
sible to bring them in a position to use their heavy
metal, the working of the 68-pounders would soon tear
to pieces the stanchions in which the ringbolts are fixed,
and the bulwarks which form the ports, because the
deck, which overhangs eight feet, affords no sufficient
support for eitherstanchions or bulwarks. As only two
of these guns are likely to be worked at one time, it might
have been better to have but two, and to have placed
them amidships- The decks of the Nix and Salamander
are perfectly open and unprotected ; there is no shelter
whatever fur the artillerymen, who could be easily swept
off by a few well-directed shots from the enemy. The
greatest defect., however, of these boats consists in their
being built of iron, apparently half-inch plates, a thick-
ness which would stand no chance of resisting a can-
non ball, even of moderate dimensions, for, should one
strike the hull near the water, the vessel must inevit-
ably be disabled. The Prussians are most polite and
attentive to visitors. Port-Admiral Sir Willem Parker,
accompanied by Captain Robb, of the Cxsar, 91, made
a cursory inspection of the gun-boats on Saturday after-
noon. Captain Sundwall and the other Prussian officers
have, during their visit to Plymouth, been entertained
by the Port-Admiral, by Admiral-Superintendent
Michael Seymour, and other official personages con-
nected with the port.

FESTIVITIES AT BROUGHAM HALL.—Lord Brougham
is spending the Christmas at Brougham Hall, in this
neighbourhood, and it affords us much pleasure to state
that his lordship is in the enjoyment of good health, and
as full of repartee and joke, although he has crossed
man's allotted span, as he was in his younger days.—
Weittnorelanc4 Quote.