The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-24 00:00:00

Liverpool Cotton Market—This Days

Market firmer. Saleß, about 6,000 bales, Im-
ports, 15,924, Previously, 8,290.

FRENCH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES,

At the last sitting the Minister of Public Instruc.
Lion announced that the Minister of the Imperial
Household and the Fine Arts had ordered a bust of
the late M. Biot, executed by M. Lcquesne, to be
placed in the Palace of the Institute. A paper was
received from M. Vionnois, describing six brick-
kilns of the Gallo-Roman period discovered at La
Roche-du.Thay, in the department of Ille- et-
Vilaine. The fragments of tiles lying about suffi-
ciently prove their origin, their shape being Gallo-
Roman, and some of them even bearing the
trade mark of the brickraaker, which, however, it
has been impossible to decipher. The tiles are flat,
40 centimetres in breadth, and two in thickness,
with lateral rims. The kilns were all alike, and one
of :hem is still in good preservation. It is rectan-
gular, 2 OS metres long by 1.70 in breadth ; its walls
are vertical ; the fire-place is 10 centimetres deeper
than the kiln itself, and separated from it
by a floor resting on three supports, and
pierced with holes, through which the flame
penetrated between the tiles placed verti-
cally in rows, The holes near the perimeter are
wider below than above, while the contrary is the
caee with those near the centre. From all this it
appears that bricks used to be burnt in kilns similar
to those now used for earthenware. M. Garraud
communicated a method imagined by him for
preventing the terrible consequences of explosion
by fire-damp, or at least for reducing them to
mere pecuniary damage without loss of life. His
plan is to determine explosions by means of
the electric induction-spark of Ruhenkorff's
machine before the miners descend into the
galleries. After describing the way in which
the wires ought to be arranged, he says
"Every day, before the miners go to their work,
several sparks must be let off in the galleries ; then
if an explosion ensues the gas will be destroyed;
if, on the coatrary, after several sparks there is no
explosion, there is no reason why there should be
any with en ordinary lamp. The Perpetual Secre-
tary remarked that a similar practice had long been
in use, thongh not with the induction-spark; men
being sent down into the galleries with lights fixed
a
to long poles, They creep along, holding the lights
aloft, because fire-damp always accumulates at the
roof of the gallery, end thus produce explosions
which are harmless in proportion to the frequency
with which the operation is perfernitd."

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B'o3l,

NATAL SUGAR.—Sugar has taken a proud position
as our largest staple. It is difficult, in the absence of
reliable statistics, to form an estimate of what the year's
crop may have b!en, but it cannot have fallen far short of
3,000 tons. The yield has been generally satisfactory. On
very few estates less than a tou per acre has been averaged.
On many two tons have been obtained, and several fields
are cited as baying yielded fully three fors per acre.—Aatai
Mercury.

THE SUN, LO►NUON, TUESDAY FEVENING, MAY 24, 1864.

LAW INTELLIGENCE—(This Day.)

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Holroyd.)
IN RE DOBSON.

This bankrupt had carried on a very extensive business
as a merchant, in Great St. Helens. The bankruptcy took
place a short time since. The creditors resolved to take the
proceedings out of court. The present was an application
with respect to certain moneys received by the assignees,
which it was considered ought to be paid over to the trus-
tees. The case was adjourned.