The Sun.
London, England, 1837-01-11 00:00:00

TILE LATE EXPLOSION AT LIMERICK.—The
amount of property destroyed on this melancholy occasion,
the loss sustained in furniture, shop • goods, and the fall of
houses, cannot be less than 9,000/., at the lowest estima-
tion. How the innocent sufferers will be remunerated is
matter for earnest consideration. Their case is really de-
serving commiseration, and we know the public sympathy
for their distress is universal. There is something peculiar
in the circumstances of this terrible casualty which present
a strong claim for compensation. Respectable shopkeepers,
but a day or two since in comparative affluence, are hum-
bled, with their families, we might hazard the assertion, to
the verge of beggary, and not by their own carelessness
or indiscretion. Thursday evening there was a meeting,
to set forth the grievances under which they labour.—
An explosion somewhat similar in its nature, but far more
disastrous in its effects, occurred during the siege of Lime-
rick in 1693. One of the towers which defended the en-
trance of the quay fell down in the day-time ; it contained
250 barrels of gunpowder, which were blown up by the col-
lision of the stones. This accident occasioned the utmost
consternation in the city and neighbourhood, and several
lives were lost. The governor and several of the corpora-
tion were near the place, some of whom escaped. Mr.
Sheriff Bowman, Counsellor Lacy, and Mr. Sellis, were
killed, and two hundred and ten persons were killed,
or either wounded in a shocking manner. Mr. Butler
and Zec. Holland died of the fright. The whole town shook
to a general degree ; the glass of the windows in general
was shattered to pieces, and the roofs of several houses
broken ; some persons were killed by stones which were
blown up, and fell a mile from town. The noise of the erup-
tion was heard at the distance of 20 miles, and the concus-
slon of the earth was felt at Kilmallock.

ELEMENTS OF Woon.—Two German chemists,
Messrs. Petersen and Schodler, have made elaborate expe-
riments, in order to ascertain the quantities of carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen contained in each species of wood.
They have analysed twenty-four different kinds, and after
having dried them and reduced them to powder, having
taken 100 parts of each in weight, found that the quantity
of carbon in each does not vary more than from 48 to 50
per cent., the hydrogen from five and one-third to nearly
six per cent., and the oxygen from 43 and one-third to 451
per cent. The proportions would be different in relation to
volume ; for instance, a cubic metre of oak weighs, 479,
while the same body of poplar weighs only 221.
Mr. W. W. Maitland, whose fine old mansion of
Loughton Hall, Essex, was recently destroyed by a most
calamitous fire, has, with most unexpected liberality, pre-
sented the eighteen firemen of the London Establishment
who were sent down with engines to assist at the time of
the fire, with the sum of twenty guineas to be divided
amongst them, Mr. Maitland adding a request that Thos.
Overton, who had a fall from a ladder, by which he was
much bruised, should receive as his share 21. The loss of
Mr. Maitland by the fire is understood to exceed the
amount of his insurance by more than 20,000/. ; yet, in ad-
dition to the above instance of generosity, Mr. Maitland.
supplied 450 of the poor of Loughton and the neighbour-
hood with roast beef and potatoes for a Christmas dinner,
adding, in the more distressed cases, a trifling in
money.
The weather for the last eight days has been ex-
tremely cold. On Friday we had a heavy fall of snow,
succeeded by frost, which still continues. Firing is ex-
tremely dear, and quite out of the reach of the poor. The
mendicity funds are quite exhausted, and at this moment
hundreds of starving creatures are in our streets. In a vil-
lage adjacent to town the inhabitants have even burnt their
beds, and they now endeavour to procure a fire in one house,
whence they all flock to boil their potatoes—and next day
they get a fire in another house. Ought not something be
done for the relief of the poor in this town and neighbour-
hood ?—Ballyshannon Herald.