The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-23 00:00:00

CRYSTAL PALACE.

Great preparations are making or the appropriate cele-
bration of Christmas at the Crystal Palace. The Handel
Orchestra now affording such ample scope for a large
audience, it has been determined to concentrate all the
amusements this year at that past of the great transept.
The naves and transept will be gaily decorated with holly
and evergreens and flags, and various emblematic devices
appropriate to the season. A featire of novelty will be por-
traits of the various Princes of Wales, surrounding the
great transept. At the garden end of the transept, the large
prismatic mirror, designed and manufactured by Messrs.
Defries and Son, which was shown at the Exhibition, will
be brilliantly lighted up. The naves of the Palace are also
completely lighted with handsome new candelabra, made
to a design of the company, founded on the lights made
use of in Paris at the fete of the Emperor in August last.
A considerable addition has been made to the exhibitors'
department, by the transference of goods from the Inter-
national Exhibition. Among otaer matters of interest,
also, will be the model of the "Warrior steam ship, the Aus-
tralian gold trophy, and many other interesting objects.
The Christmas tree of this year will, it is said, outstrip
all its predecessors. It will le nearly 100 feet high,
and will be placed near the trolical screen. It will be
backed up by national flags and banners, conspicuous among
which will be those of the Prince of ✓Vales and the Prin-
cess Alexandra of Denmark. The various fine arts courts
and picture galleries will be supplemented by Magni's
statue of the "Reading Girl." This work of art, as well
as Monti's " Sleep of Sorrow and the Dream of Joy," will
be exhibited at the entrance to the Italian Court, subscrip-
tion boxes for the relief of the Lancashire distress being
placed thereon. Commencing on boxing-day—which this
year falls on Friday—a daily series of amusements suitable
to the season will be given, under the direction of Mr. Nel-
son Lee. Boxing-day is always a great day at the Palace.
Last year over dU,OUU persons were present. Ample prepa-
rations have been made this season for special trains from
London-bridge and -Victoria and intermediate stations, as
well as from the country districts.

VALUABLE HORSES FOR THE EMPEROR OF
RUssii.—On Monday last two magnificent stallions, valued
at 3,000 guineas, were shipped on board the Maid of Kent,
steam packet, by Messrs. Ashton and Eve, for conveyance
to their purchaser, the Emperor of Russia.—Dover Express.
THE GREAT DUKE'S LAST WORDS.—When the
Duke of Wellington was sick, the last thing he took was a
little tea. On his servant handing it to him in a saucer,
and asking if he would have it, the Duke replied, " Yes,
if you please." These were his last words. How much
kindness and courtesy is expresse.d by them.—Child's Com-
panion.

EXTENSIVE FIRE AT A SIIIPPING-YARD IN LIVER-
POOL.—Soon after six o'clock yesterday morning a fire was
discovered in the extensive shipbuilding yard of Messrs.
Cato, Miller, and Co., at Brunswick Dock, Liverpool. An
alarm was immediately given, and hose and reels from the
Brunswick Dock fire station and the West of England fire
engine, were speedily in attendance, as were also hose and
men from the Seel-street station. The fire had broken out
in the store shed connected with the mast and spar makers'
shop, and it contained a large quantity of materials of an
exceedingly combustible nature. These consisted chiefly
of a number of barrels of pitch, of resin, and an iron tank
containing oil of naphtha, besides a considerable quantity
of dry timber. Above the sheds were piles of timber set up
to dry, and a large amount of timber of various kinds was
piled in proximity to the seat of fire. As may be readily
conjectured, the conflagration raged with great fierceness,
and in an incredibly short time the interior of the shed was
completely filled with flames of intense heat, which, burst-
ing through the roof, seized on the piles of dry timber on
the top, and caused an extensive and alarming blaze, which
illuminated tha sky and was seen from a great distance. A
detachment of men were despatched from her Majesty's
ship Hastings, and they arrived at the scene of the fire soon
after it had broken out, and they immediately joined the
fire brigade in their efforts to extinguish the flames and to
save property. Fortunately there was a good supply of
water, and by the combined efforts of the firemen and the
tars, the fire was confined almost entirely to the shed in
which it broke out, and there it was subdued in about an
hour and a half after it had been discovered, not however
before a large amount of property had been destroyed. The
full amount of damage done cannot be yet ascertained, but
it is considered that about £1,200 in value of property has
been destroyed. The loss is covered by insurance with the
Liverpool and London Insurance Company.
THE DISTURBANCE AT THE WORCESTER RAILWAY
STATION.—The directors of the West Midland Railway
company have held a meeting, when the circumstances that
gave rise to the late disturbance between the railway offi-
cials and Mr. Watton, the late proprietor of the refresh-
ment rooms at Shrub Hill station, were inquired into. Se-
veral resolutions were passed, in which the opinions of the
directors were most emphatically stated. The resolutions
were to the effect that, "having been under the necessity
(acting under legal advice) of ordering the officers of the
company to take possession of the refreshment rooms at the
Worcester station, improperly retained by Mr. Watton,
they deeply regretted that any personal conflict should have
arisen. That conflict, however, they state, originated from
Mr. IVatton's own act, in attempting with an organised
party and on Sunday morning to seize by violence, and in
spite of remonstrance and warning, the rooms thus tempora-
rily placed under the protection of the company's servants.
They lamented the course taken by Mr. R. W. Johnson,
one of the directors, at the recent public meeting, and were
happy to find that after the explanations that had been ex-
changed he was prepared to express his regret for having
on such an occasion discussed and reflected upon the acts
of the board, and also and especially upon the general
manager of the company, Mr. Sheriff (the mayor of the
city), whose prudence and humanity they said were impro-
perly called in question. The board requested Mr. John-
son to give a public explanation of his conduct, so as to re-
move the erroneous and unjust impressions produced by his
speech; and Mr. Johnson has accordingly, in a public letter,
stated that circumstances had come to his knowledge since
that meeting which hai greatly modified the opinions he
then expressed. He felt that he was placed in a very
delicate position at the meeting, and he was sorry that
tub estion, which elicited the expressions he then made
use of, had
he was led by the excitement of the moment to use ex-
but. He has expressed his regret that
pressions which might have given to the public an erro
neous idea of the merits of the case, and he indignantly re-
pelled a charge which had been publicly brought against
him, that he was " making political capital" out of the
events referred to in his letter ; the question was not one of
"political opinion," but one of "legal right," and he
trusted t
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