The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-28 00:00:00

MONEY MARKET

AND
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE,

TWELVE 0' CL 0C K.
ADVANCE IN THE RATE OF DISCOUNT.
The directors of the Bank of England have
rather unexpectedly raised their rate of discount
this morning from 4to 4 per cent.
This advance is no doubt due to the continued
large demand recently experienced for discount
accommodation, although it has been caused by the
payments falling due at the end of the quarter.
But this increase in the inquiry, together with the
money sent into the country for harvest purposes,
with that taken abroad by excursionists, and, above
all, the large sums recently removed from the mar-
ket for subscriptions to foreign loans and now lying
idle, must have formed the chief reasons to induce
the upward movement.
A prospectus has been issued of Allan's Transat-
lantic Telegraphic Company, requiring a capital of
£150,000, in shares of £lO each, for the construc-
tion of a line to Portugal, with power to increase,
to enable its completion to Halifax. This company
has secured the exclusive right to use the well-known
cable and system of deep sea telegraphy, perfected
and patented by Mr. Allan, between Great Britain
and America, which effects a saving of about 33
per cent. on first cost, with about 50 per cent.
extra working powers as compared with others.
The cable, from its peculiar principle of con-
struction, smallness of bulk and weight, renders, it
is stated, the carrying and submerging it a simple
mechanical operation comparatively without risk of
injury to its electrical integrity, for ocean depths
and distances. The object of this company is to
establish telegraphic communication between Lon-
don and New York, the two great termini or centres
of telegraphic communication in the Old and New
World by submarine line or lines, from Falmouth, to
Halifax, Nova Scotia, the inlet to all the telegraphic
lines already in operation on the American Continent,
thus organising a telegraphic communication be-
tween Great Britain, the Canadas, British Columbia,
and America generally. Although the directors are
satisfied that, with the system of cable adopted, the
direct line from Falmouth to Halifax could be safely
and satisfactorily laid, it is proposed, as a measure
of prudence, to carry out the establishment of trans-
atlantic telegraphic communication, in the first
first instance, by a less direct route ; and to con-
struct, firstly, the section from England to Oporto,
the length of cable for which distance will be only
about 600 miles, and would be highly remunerative
in itself ; it will also fully demonstrate the practi-
cability of safely submerging and working this form
of cable in ocean depths. The length of cable from
Oporto to Flores, one of the Azores, would be about
1,400. Thus this route has the great advantage of
its longest unbroken distance being only 1,400
miles.
A call has been made by the London and South-
Western Bank of £2los. on the new shares, making
£2O paid up.
The last week's railway receipts ascertained up
to this day are in round figures as under
:-
1865. 1864.
Great Western ... ••• ••• ... £76,741 .£75,505
North Western ..• ... 120,450 113,872
South-Western ... • ..• ... 26,949 27,433
Brighton. •• • ... 25,153 23,214
Midland ... • ... 50,531 49,412
South Eastern ... ... 30,821 30,436
Great Northern ... ... 39,378 37,336
Lancashire and Yorkshire 43,671 40,328
Bristol and Exeter ... ... 7,580 7,203
North Eastern ... 73,927 69,602
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln 19,569 18,030
Great Eastern ... •.. ... 34,831 34,508
These returns, when compared with those of the
corresponding period of last year, are generally of
a favourable character. On the Lancashire and
Yorkshire there is an increase of £3,343 ; on the
Bristol and Exeter of £377 ; on the North Eastern
of £4,325 ; on the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lin-
coln of £1,489 ; on the Great Eastern of £313 ; on
Great Western of £1,236 ; on the North Western
of £6,578 ; on theßrighton of £1,939 ; on the Mid-
land of £1,119 ; on the South Eastern of £385; and
oo the Great Northern of £2,042 ; while South
Western shows a decrease of £484.

Two o'CLocE.

At the Paris Bourse this morning, according to
Beater's telegram, the 3 per Cent. Rentes were
68f. 27c., offered. No business.
, An active demand for money prevails, and the
lowest rate out of doors is the Bank minimum.

proportionate alteration of per cent. in the
rate for money on deposit account has been made
to joint-stock and private discount establishments.
l'or money at call the rate is now 3i per cent., for
Gay
days' notice of withdrawal, 3i, and for 14
r3re, 4 per cent. The joint-stock banks will give
l per Cent. ; the London and Westminster make
their usual exception for sums under £5OO, for
'which they will not allow more than 2i per cent.
t The English Stock Market has been subjected
toil a further decline, consequent upon the rise in
arierate of discount. Consols are 89f for money,
Oil for the account. The New Threes and

A HOUSE BLowN Ur.---At midday on Tuesday a
fearful explosion of gunpowder took place at a house
on the Butts, near St. Augustine's Church, Bristol. The
house contained four rooms, two of which are on the ground
floor. It has been tenanted during the last three years by
Mr. and Mrs. Floyd, who for a considerable time have ma-
nufactured fireworks. They had to complete a large order
by Staturday next in anticipation of the Ist November, and
yesterday morning, while Mrs. Floyd and a little boy were
engaged upon some portion of the work in a downstair
room, Mr. Floyd and two boys, Thomas Harris, aged 12
and Henry Elliott, aged 10, were in an upstair room used
as a workshop. Mr. Floyd was cutting out the cases, and
on one side of him the boy Harris was ramming some
powder into a tube or case, while Elliott, the other boy,
was engaged upon some portion of the work on the other
side. There was a quantity of powder on the bench in
front of them, and from this heap the boys were taking the
powder to fill the cases. Suddenly, from some unexplained
cause, while Harris was ramming the powder into a case it
exploded, burning his face in a frightful manner, and
igniting the various inflammable articles around him. The
flames caught the clothes of Mr. Floyd, and were soon
communicated to the heap of powder on the bench be-
tween him and Elliott. This powder exploded, and
the room was quickly in flames. The fire reached the
staircase, near which was stored a barrel of powder. This
exploded with a tremendous report, the shock being so vio
lent that the whole of the house, from roof to basement,
was blown down, and the occupants of the upstair rooms
were blown into the street. Floyd's clothes were then in
flames, and it is stated that he was about to rush madly down
towards the river, when some of the neighbours stopped
him. A police-constable was quickly on the spot, and he
hastened to give the alarm to the fire-offices and police-
stations, as the rafters and other portions of the ruins of
Floyd's house were burning fiercely, and the flames were
extending to the house adjoining it. Beyond some violent.
bruises Mrs. Floyd and the little boy who was at work
with her downstairs had a most miraculous escape. Police-
constable 121 (Wickham), at once conveyed Harris to the
Infirmary in a cab ; Mr. Floyd was taken there by a Mr.
Latham, and Elliott was carried to the institution imme-
diately afterwards. The firo reels were quickly on the
spot, and in a very short time the fire was extinguished
The violence of the shock was so great that windows in
four or five of the houses adjoining Floyd's were forced
out and broken to pieces. The narrow thoroughfare was
completely broken up and rendered impassable by the rub-
bish. Mr. Floyd was burnt about the body in a fearful
manner. Harris was frightfully burnt about the face,
head, and arms, and Ellioli, though badly injured, was not
burnt so much as the others. The boys live in St. George's-
road. The sufferers remain in the infirmary, and, on in-
quiry yesterday afternoon, the reporter was informed that
Floyd and Harris were in a very critical condition, and
that Elliott was progressing fayQurably.

Cam. Conaol. Gold, Um
Chiverton

Clifford Amalgamated.
Devon G. Cons. (Tavist
Drakewalls

East Bassett (Illogan)
East Caradon

lEasc Cant Brea.

Mast Grenville....
East Gunnislake...

(East Loved.

E. W'l Russell (Tavlstk
Gam. & StA übyu(G wen.
Gnat L 'xey, limited
Great South Tolgus
Great Wheal busy
G. Wheal Vor (Heist
Grenville
Ilcrod's Foot ....

Hingaton Downs
Margaret (Uny Lelant
Marke Valley
liwyndy Iron Ore, lie,
New Se um '
North itoskear
N.Wh'l Hassett(lilogan
North Whe,.l Crotty
Prosper trotted
Pr vidence 17.nyI,glant
S. Caradon (St. Cleer)
South Condurrow
S.Wheal Fran. (Mogan
Stray Park
Tin Croft • ••

Vigra and Clogan, lim..
West liassett(lllogan
W. Caradon (Liskeard
West C hi rerton
West Seton
Wheal Bassett 'Mogan
Wheal Buller (Redruth
Wheal Mary Ann (Men
Wheal Seton

irVheal Trelawnev (Lis,

ettErEILEN

104 11
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560 680
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163 175
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26 28
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195 200
17 18

Ag S tiARICS.

North Eastern,
Stockton and Darlington, A 5 per cent., 261
PREFERENCE SHARES AND STOCKS.
Great Eastern 4 A per cent. pr.,
Ditto, 5 per cent, pf., 91

LINES LEASED AT FIXED RENTALS.
Northern and Eastern, 5 per cent., 51
Wilts and b °menet, 86,

rOILEIGIC MINES
Frontino and tiolivia Gold, lim., 51
Kapunda, lim.,

BANKS.
Commercial Bank of India and the East, 2)
London Chartered Bank of Australia, 25i
London and ►► estminster, 95! I
National Provincial of Envlana.
Ditto, d and Imo', 45
Standard of British fiouth Africa, lei
ALISO ELLA.N.LOUS.
Atlantic Telegraph, 8 per cent. gust., lf
Gen. Credit and k'inanac 01 Loudon. lim.,
Hudson's Bay,
London General Omnibus Company, £1
Overend, Gurney, and Co., Um. 161

A MERMAID SEEN IN LOCH FYNIP--Our ;Jive_
rary correspondent transmits the following :—One
morning recently, before sunrise, a labourer, setting out for
his work along the shore of Loch Fyne, about five miles
from Inverary, saw, or imagined he saw, what is seldom
seen by mortal eyes. On a smooth rock by the water's
edge was reclining a creature which, in the struggling
light, he thought to be a seal. When ho approached it
splashed into the water, and as he saw its head bobbing up
and down, and its long grey hair floating on the waves, he
altered his opinion, and became convinced it was an ancient
mermaid. Unromantic wretch that he was, he began to
throw stones, to avoid which the creature moved further
from the shore, but soon, for some reason not explained,
changed its purpose, and made straight again for the rock,
on which it landed. The man, no doubt from the laud-
able desire of furnishing the British Museum with a true
specimen of a mermaid (a parson could hardly send such
a creature to the Zoological Gardens among wild beasts),
drew a large knife from his pocket and advanced. He
had hitherto kept a respectful distance. But he suddenly
stopped, for to his amazement the creature spoke. To
hear, in the early dawn cf a peaceful autumn morning, a
mermaid speak !—that surely were bliss beyond compare.
Not so thought the labourer; terror added wings to his
feet, and he fled, circulating over the parish that surely
his end was near, for he had seen a mermaid and heard
her tongue. Eventually, however, his delusion was dis-
pelled, for the mermaid turned out to be the wife of a
Glasgow professor, who had come down to spend his
holidays on the shores of Loch Fyne. It is superfluous
to add that the lady had gone out to bathe. We un-
derstand the man is still living !—Glavolo ,Herald