The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-10 00:00:00

London, 74 3i

MISCELLANEOUS.
British American Land, 23n
Ceylon Company, 10f
Consolidated Discount, lim., 14
Consolidated Discount, limn ,la
Contract Corporation. lim., 4I
Crystal Palace, 334
Crystal Palace, 6 per cent. perpetl. deb. 112
Discount Corporation, limited, 101
Egyptian Commercial and Trading, lira., 4
Ei,glish and Australian Copper, 214
Gem Crc dit and Finance of London, lim.,
General Steam Navigation, 284
Hudson's Bay. 17
International Financial Society, 111 I
Italian Irrigation (Canal Cavour), 4
Ditto, 6 per cent. Bonds, redem. 1670, issued 90, 82
Joint .stock Discount, limn., 6i 64
London Financial Association, lim., 264
London Provincial Marine, 24 1
Mercantile Credit Association, lm., 74
National Discount Comany, l, I
National Steam Navigaption, Bin.im., 5
North British and Mercantile Insurance, lim., was
Ocean Marine (Insurance), 19}
Peninsula and Oriental steam, 784 71
Ditto, new, 474
Rio dt Janeiro City Improvements,
Ditto, new, 44
Royal Mail steam, 814 1
Thames and Mersey Marine (InSUranCe), lim., 7 .
Van Diemen's Land, 10

Frightful Occurrence at the New Govern-
ment Offices, Westminster.

Great excitement was occasioned yesterday afternoon in
the immediate vicinity of the Government offices at White-
hall, owing to the following melancholy accident, by which
several persons were seriously, and it is feared, one or two
fatally—injured.
Large contracts to erect new Government offices have
been entered into, and a number of houses were razed to the
ground on the south western side of Downing-street, and also
in King-street and Charles-street, Westminster. The space
thus cleared extended probably 300 feet in one direction, and
200 feet in the other. Upon this site the foundations of the
new offices had been dug out, the concrete beds formed,
and since then an immense forest of scaffolding had been
erected, in order for the contractors to proceed with
all possible despatch with the erection of the various
buildings. Upon the top of this scaffolding, it is necessary
to state, were immense beams of timber, supported by heavy
uprights, fastened with iron dog stays; and upon the top
of the last-named were what is technically called " gantries,"
large timbers about 6ft. square, and which stretched hori-
zontally the whole length of the scaffolding, and having iron
rails similar to those in use on a railway for the purpose of
the " travellers," heavy pieces of machinery, to pass along
when large pieces of stone were required to be lifted.
Whilst the men were so engaged yesterday afternoon the
weight of what they were lifting strained the "gantries"
and the ponderous machine caused the dog stays
to start, and the other portions of the woodwork
got out of gear, and the consequence was that the travel-
ler and four men who were at work were precipitated
to the ground, a distance, it is believed, of 30 feet. The
poor fellows were struck by the timber as it fell and were
also injured by the traveller, so that it was at first thought
they had all been killed. A strong body of the A division
of police immediately came from Gardner's-lane station, and
assisted in getting the unfortunate men out of the ruins.
They were at once removed to the Westminster Hospital,
where Mr. Watts, the house-surgeon, did all that surgical
aid could devise to alleviate the sufferings of the unfortu-
nate persons.

One man, named William Power, agod 33, of Cheshire-
cheese-eourt, Chelsea, was found to have received serious
injuries to his head, his lips were cut open, and his fore.
head knocked in. Very little hopes are entertained of his
recovery.

Henry Pritchard, of 54, Hanover-street, Pimlico, was
found to have his head, face, and ribs seriously injured, but
not quite so badly as the former.
Miles Hughes, of 2, Gardner's-lane, who was only mar-
ried on Sunday last, has also received injuries to the head,
hips, and back.
Joseph Lamb, of John-street, Walworth, was only in-
jured on the arms, and after being attended to by Mr.
Watts, he expressed a wish to go home to his family,
which request was complied with.
There will no doubt be a rigid inquiry as to the cause of
the accident.