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 headvarters,
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
prcceed 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 non•eommissioned offi-
cers and men who have volunteered having already
completed their course of fieldwork ins:rue' ion on
the Royal Engineers' practising ground at
Chatham.

Capt. E. Sehave, Royal Engineeri, 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 non-commis-
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 afternoon at Aberaman
Works, and now send yon 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 are 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 j mac.

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 blaot 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
iron
roof descended with dire effect, crushing the
paddlinga s though
furnaces, it were
destroying
about
b pasteboard,
out
6 smashing
yards o f the
two
roof, and involving everything in a common ruin.
The other monster pursued its course and fell at a
distance of 100 yards from the bed in which one
minute before it was fastened as firm
ful, One end of the engine -- as mortar and
stone could bind it. The consequences
in of stone, four stories hi -i•--enees were dread-
house, a massive build-
atoms, and the roof, deprived
except the more massive beams to pieces.
of more than half its
support, came down with •
the magnificent tremendous violence on
high, was knocked to
engine below, battering everything
The steam
and hot water from the boilers were scattered with
the force of a whirlwind, and heavy pieces of iron
sent flying
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. aome of the
poor fellows who were working immediately
beneath the engine house and boilers were
scalded frightfully, and one ;poor Irishman

named Patrick Castelice was literally buried in a
mass of hot 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 standing on
the further side of the puddling furnaces when the
boiler fell on the roof, killing him instantly. One
Henryr wil_
of his feet was severed from the leg. Arolher wen._
named Thomas Lewis was killed from Ecaldoifari ar
ebrids
the additional injury inflicted by ashow
falling upon him. A little boy Warned ra
lianas was playing in the yard
when
is head so com-
nhapiece of metal
struck him in the forehead and split
pletely open that the brains were falling on the
p•
The engineman
ground when he was
left the scene, It is esti-
mated that the damage
t ined exceeds £lO,OOO.
was buried in the ruinspoiefktbed
eung.ine house, and had
not been reoovered when I
Many bodies it is said arausyeat miesing.