The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-19 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

Since the promulgation at Chatham of the order
from the Horse Guards inviting volunteers from the
depot and other companies of Royal Engineers for
the works department in India the names of nearly
300 volunteers have been received at headquarters,
Brompton, or about 100 more volunteers than are
required by the terms of the Horse Guards' order-
The list of the candidates has been forwarded to the
Deputy-Adjutant-General, to be submitted to the
Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief for his ap-
proval. The Royal Engineers selected will not
proceed to India until the month of July next, and
in the meantime they will go through an extended
course of instruction at the Topographical and Sur-
veying Schools, most of the noncommissioned offi.-
cers and men who have volunteered having already
completed their course of fieldwork instruction on
the Royal Engineers' practising ground at
thatham.

Capt. H. Schaw, Royal Engineers, who is at the
head of the Electric Telegraph and Photographic
Schools at Chatham, has proceeded, by order of the
Government, to Corfu, for the purpose of superin-
tending the demolition of the fortifications in
that and the neighbouring islands previously to
their being finally evacuated by the British
forces. A party of nine officers of the Royal
Engineers, together with a number of noncommis-
sioned officers, have left Chatham with Capt. Schaw
to assist the officers and men of the 29th and
30th Companies, now stationed at Corfu, in de-
stroying the fortifications. During the absence of
Captain Schaw the charge of the schools at Bromp-
ton barracks will devolve on Captain R. M. Par-
sons, who has joined at headquarters for that pur-
pose.

The Boiler Explosion at Aberaman.
ABERDARE, Wednesday Evening, 5 p.m.
I have just telegraphed you of the terrible explo.
sion which took place this afterncon at Aberaman
Works, and now send you such particulars of the
catastrophe as I have been able to collect from a
hurried visit to the spot.
Aberaman Ironworks are the property of Mr. C.
Bailey, M.P., who is also the proprietor of large
works of a similar kind at Beaufort and Nan-
tyglo, in Monmouthshire. They ere situated
at the mouth of a small valley about a mile
from the town of Aberdare, and give employment to
the dense population of the long straggling village of
Aberaman, and they are connected with the Taff
Vale Railway by a branch line which effects a janc-
tion with the former near Treamon-station. This
afternoon the works were proceeding as usual, and
there was nothing apparently to apprehend from
any portion of it, when of a sudden a loud crash
and hissing of steam was heard, and at the same in-
stant the whole of the boilers and engine-house of
the blast engine were enveloped with vapour. The
startled workmen, at a safe distance, turned towards
the scene, and were appalled at the sight of two
huge tubular boilers, elevated to the height of a 100
feet and more, rushing with fearful velocity over the
roof of the puddling furnaces, upon which one of
them descended with dire effect, crushing the iron
roof as though it were pasteboard, smashing two
puddling furnaces, destroying about GO yards of the
roof, and involving everything in a common ruin.
The
distance o t e
ofr monsteroo
yards pursfuroemd its course
bed in which one
h course and fell at a
minute before it was fastened
as firm as mortar and
atone could bind it. The
consequences were dread-
ful, One end of the engine house, a massive build-
ing of stone, four stories high, was knocked to
atoms, and the roof, deprived
support, came down with tremendous violence on
the ma wn wi
magnificent engine below, battering everything
except the more
and hot water massive beams to pieces. The steam
from the boilers were scattered with
the force of
sent flying a whirlwind, and heavy pieces of iron
about in immense quantities, striking
men and children down in great numbers. But the
merciless steam and boiling water did most mischief
in the way of destroying life. Some of the
poor fellows who were working immediately
beneath the engine house and boilers were
scalded frightfully, and one ;poor Irishman
named Patrick Castelloe was literally buried in a
mass of not ashes saturated with boiling water;
his limbs were contorted in the most awful manner,
and when he was dragged out from the ruins his
charred body presented few marks of humanity about
it. Another man named Mereditch was standingtohne
the further side of the puddling furnaces wheu_ne
boiler fell on the roof, killing him instantl.hr. r m"an
of his feet was sevend from the leg. A"t e
scalding and
shower of debris
the additional injury inflicted
byriaamea d Henry Wil-
falling upon him. A little
boy
ywhea piece of metal
named Thomas Lewis was killed tram
Hams was playing in the yard
_0
a gon thee
pletely falling e
pletely open that th e brains were
struck him in the forehe
inked up. The engineman
ground when he vra! P
a
ru of the engine house, and had
was buried in the ad and split his head so corn-
ustained exceeds £lO,OOO.
that the damage s
•
Alany bodies it is said are yet missing.
not been recovered when I left the scene. It is esti-
mated

MISS BA'FEMAN.-LEAII.-THIS EVENING,
the 120th appearance of the great Tragic Actress, Miss
EMAN, in the character of LEAH. In consequence of
the unbounded success with which Miss Bateman's imperso-
nation of the priicipal character in the new Five Act Drama
of LEAH has been attenUed. Mr Webster begs to announce
Mar it will be performed EVERY EVENING until further
uotiee.

ROYAL ST, JAMES'S THEATRE. under the
Management of Mr. B. WEBSTER.
Cro,iiled with rank and fashion.— The New Comedy of THE
SILVER LINING every Evening.—Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Mathews, lire. Stirling, Mrs. Frank Matthews, and Mr. J.
L. Toole every evening. The following eminent artistes are
engaged:—Mr. Benjamin Webster, Mr. J. L. Toile, Mr. Paul
Bedford. Mr. Frederic Robinson, Mr. Ashley, and Mr. Chas.
Mathews ; Mrs. Stirling, Miss Herbert, Mrs. Frank Mat-
thews, Miss A. Cottrell, Miss Fanny Josephs, Miss Went-
worth, and Mrs. Charles Mat:aews.
THIS 14.VENING, and during the Week, at 7 o'c'ock,
entirely new Comedy, in 3 Acts, by Lideestor Bucking-
m ,Esq., entitled TIE SILVER LINING: Mr. Charles
Mathews, Mr. Frederic Robinson, Mr. Ashley, Mr, John-
trone, Mr. Montague ; Mrs harles Mathews, Mrs. Frank
Matthews, Miss Cottrell, Miss Wentworth, and Mrs. Stirling.
To be followed by Mr. Charles Mathews just translated
from the French) in his characteristic ch ar cter of Un Anglais
Timide, entitled COOL AS A CUCUMBER.
To conclude with 1851; or, THE SEN4ATIONS OF
I'HE PAST SEASON : Mr. J. L. Toole, Mr. Paul Bedford,
licr. A. Cottrell, and Miss Fanny Josephs.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
ITana•er, 3lr. W. H. Swanborough.

TLIIS EVENING, ON AND OFF.
To be followed by UNLIMITED CONFIDENCE. Mr.
)elford, Mr. Pars.-lle ; Mies Marie Wilton, Misi Thorne.
After which, the Grand Christmas 13nrle,3que, 0 IiFFIE
[I
%11%.,TD EURYOICE : Messrs. Honey, Wood, James Fenton,
ATesdames Swauborougb, Marie Wilton, 'Hughes, &c.
Concluding with MARGATE bAN DS.
Commence at 7.