The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-03 00:00:00

T-AAST SIX NIGHTS of Mr. ALFRED
MELLON'S CONCERTS.
ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA HOUSE, COVENT-GARDEN
LAST NIGHT BUT FIVE.
3ldlle. C. Patti and Madame Parepa, 3ld le. Krebs, Mr.
Levy, Mr. J. Winterbottom, an 1 Si.,:nor t ottesin. Urand
Op:rat c Selection from L'ETOILE DU NORD. New
poik.a, "Eh Lambert !'' (first time). Burlesque Quadrille,
.. ean2-y-Toole-y-technic," &c. Bands of ;he Coldstream Ind
Grenaci.ier Guards.
Condsctor—Mr. ALFRED MELLO:S:
Promenade, Amphitheatre Stalls, and Amphitheatre, One
Shilling ; Dress Circle, 28. ed.; Private Boxes, £1 Is. and
108. cid.
Ta-morrow (Tuesday), a CLASSICAL NIGHT, on which
ccca.sion will be performed, for the first time in London,
Liounod's Second Symphony in E.
On Thursday next, a BEETHOVEN NIGHT. And on
Saturday next, the last night of the ConeeVe. Mr. Alfred
Mel on's Benefit will take pia e.

THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY- LANE.-
Manager?, Messrs. E. Falconer and F. B. Chatterton.
THIS EVENING, AN APRIL FOOL. Mr. R. RoxhY,
31-. G. Belmore ;‘Miss llndspeth.
After which, the Second Part of Shakespere's Play of
yiEti ttY TUE, FOURTH. Mr Phelps; Messrs R. Roxby,
Etimund Phelps, G. F, Neville, Barlett, A. Raynor, Ray-
riao:ld, F. Morton, Vic.`; Mrs. 11. Vandenhoff, Mrs. Wallace,
xiss E. Falconer, and Miss Collier.
Commence at Seven.

THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET.--
Lessee. Mr. Buckstone.
THIS EVENING, T3ACCHUS AND ARIADNE.
After which, MADEMOISELLE DE BELLE
ISLE.
Messrs. Howe, Farren, Gordon, Baird, ,te ; Mesdames
Beatrice, Ange', Sze. ..
And THE CAST LE OF ANDALUSIA. Messrs. Weiss,
Buc.stsone, Chippendale, Compton, Rogers, Farren, Matthi-
eon, Sz.c, ; Uessiames Weiss, Keeley, Griffith, &:.
To comn2ence at 7.

10 OPAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.-
Sole Lessee and Manager, Mr. Geo. Vining.
TiNIS EVENING, BORN TO GOOD LUCK. I addy
O'llairerty, Mr. Dominick Murray.
Alter which, THE STREETS OF LONDON. Messrs.
Vining, J. W. Ray, D. Fi her. D. Murray, J. Nelson,
H
Forrester. H. Mello n ; Mrs. Henry Manton, Miss Ema.
Barnett, and Miss F,nny Gwynne.

ROYAL ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.
Manager, Mr. Benjamin Webster.
EMINENI` TALENT AND COMEDY.
Those celebrated artistes Mr. and Mrs. Mathews are engaged.
THIS EVENING, and during the week, Mr. Arthur
Sketchly's original Comedy of MOW WILL THEY GET
OUT OF IT. Mr. and C. C. Mathews, mr. and Mrs. F.
Matthews. Mr. F. Robinson, Mr. 11, J. Montague ; Miss
Wentworth, and Mrs. Stirling.
To conclude with USED Ur. Mr. C. Mathews, Mr. Ash-
ley ; Miss Wentworth.

NENV THEATRE-R 0 YAL, ADELPHI—
S,)le PrOptikitOr and Manager, Mr. B. Webster.
THIS EVENING, GOOD FOR NOTHING. Messrs. J.
Clarke, Billing-ton, Eburne, and Mrs. Alfred Mellon.
After which, THE IRItH AMBASSADOR. Sir Patrick
0' Plenipo ,with songs', Mr. John Collins. supported by
Metsrs. Billington, Stephenson; Miss Henrietta :_•iuiras and
Dirs. Billington.
To conclude with TEDDY THE TILER. Teddy (with
songs), Mr. John Collins.
Commence at 7.

OYAL STRAND THEATRE.
ItSole Lessee and 31angzeress. Mrs. Swanborough.
i 1115 EVENING, SHORT AND SWEET. Messrs. Par-
selle and James ; Mesdames Carson and Johnstone.
Followed by, at Eight, MILKY WHITE. Messrs. Craven,
Stoyle, James ; Mesdames Swanbor 2.114). and Mandela.
After which, the great Burlesque, THE MILLER AND
HIS MEN. Messrs. Fenton, James, and Thorne; Mesdames
Swanborough, Simpson. Johnstone, Hughes, and Carson.

BLACK SILKS.—The price of Silks in the raw
material has already r sen 15 per cent., and it will soon
reach a far greater per-centage. Messrs. JAY, therefore,
Invite their numerous patrons to take advantage of the stock
they have on hand, which they can now dispo,,e of on favour-
able terms ; but the same qualities will naturally 13, more
Co,tly as the price of silk fluctuates to a higher average
JAY'S,

217,219, and 251, Regent-street.

0013NTRY and SEASIDE DRESSES
'J Messrs. JAI', of Regent -street, have nosuit w
atle in
floc
the
a
variety of WASHING- SILK DR.EiSMS,
country and seaside, and at the c.earing out price of only
XL Ds. Gcl. the dress.

JAY'S,
247, 249, and 251, Regent-street.

COALS.—The LILLESHAL L COMPANY'S
COALS.
Direct from their own Collieries.
Marqui5'.......259. per ton. Double 2ls. per ton.
Top I
245. „ De, p
Well screened and delivered within five miles 01 their De-
pots, Westbourne Park-road, W., and 17, South Wharf, ,
yaddington, W., and Maiden-lane, N.
Best Coke
Terms cash.
JOHN SCOTT, Sole L.g2nt.

rIE THIRD EDITION OF " THE SUN,"
Containing the Latest SPORTING INTELLIGENCE
Dun be had Every Evening of
G. Et. GLLNIE, NEWS AGENT,
No. 4, Connaught-terrace, Hyde-park.

THE LATEST EDITION of '.THE SUN"
supplied, as soon as published every Evenin.ez by
Ii.E.NRY BROOKS, Newspaper Agent, 21, Old Caveudish
street, W.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
THIS DAY.—Morning, 3h. 13m.—Afternoon, 311. 35:n
ro.,vonao-,v.-Nlorning, 3h. 501n.—Afternoon, 4h. 10. n

y , "
eut,UU
_

LONDON, MONDAY, OCT. 3, 1864.

Every now and then the country is startled from
its propriety by an awful catastrophe, which, for
the time being, absorbs the attention to the setting
aside of all other objects of interest and importance.
Since the fatal accident at the Hartley mines there
his not been such a fearful event as that of last
Saturday at Erith. The explosion of powder-mills
is, of course, at any time a serious evil, but in the
present case the catastrophe at Erith seems to have
been attended with the utmost loss and productive
of extraordinary injuries to human beings. Doubts
less it will be almost impossible to ascertain the
exact amount of injury occasioned by this affair.
Many persons have sustained a severe shock to
their nerves, and other minor but annoying circum-
stances will assuredly have occurred, such as change
of plans and loss of time consequent upon the
sudden calamity. It is, however, when we come to
reflect upon the fearful sufferings that have taken
place and the sudden deaths occasioned that it

seems requisite to consider thecause of such a serious
event, and to think if any means could not be
adopted to prevent the recurrence of such an
awful catastrophe. It appears that the beginning
of the accident was not in the mills, but originated
in some barges that were proceeding to take the
casks of gunpowder to the magazine. It is sup.
posed that one of the men on board must have
dropped a piece of lighted tobacco when smoking,
and thus ignited the powder. This is only sur-
mise, but most likely it is the correct interpretation
of the awful event. Unfortunately, there may be
no means of ascertaining if such be the fact or not
for all those on board the barges have, it
is fear, been destroyed. It is certain that the
mischief begun there from the fact that a
man who was at work near the spot where the ex.
plosion took place beheld a light suddenly appear
on board one of the barges. He thought it was a
flush of lightning, bat was speedily undeceived, for
he wan blown into the air, and afterwards was
struck by a piece of timber and much injured, It
is positively frightful to contemplate the agonies
endured by the unhappy persons who felt victims
to this awful occurrence. It is most important
then that on the supposition of the accident arising
from smoking having taken place in consequence of
smoking being practised on board the barges that
more care should be taken to prevent the habit
being adopted than is at all the case at present.
People aro always too apt to think that because
nothing appears immediately dangerous that no
114.rni Hill ensue, and that it is idle to make such a
fuss about a trifle.
Events have shown, however,
that this is not the case,
for frightful sufferings arid
terrible deaths occur in consequence
of
a moment's
carelessness. This has been
proved in innumerable
iaatances, and the serious accidents on the railway
lines have borne testimony to
the fact that want
of thought will be productive of most dis-
astrous occurrences. Surely some plan
might
b 3 devised, by
means of which the insane habit
07 smoking may be put a stop to in places where it
is courting death and destruction to themselves and
othu.s fur the men to do it. It is, at all events,
worthy of the trial, and whether or not the circum-