The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-25 00:00:00

THE LATE FIRE AT WINDSOR CASTLE:

Yesterday a meeting of the inhabitants of Windsor
wag held at the Town-hall, "for the purpose of adopting
congratulatory addresses to her Majesty and his Royal
Highness Prince Albert, on the preservation of her Ma-
jesty, the Prince, and the royal family and household,
under the perilous circumstances of the late fire at Wind-
sor Castle." The chair was taken by the Mayor (Mr.
W. B. Holderness), and amongst those present were—
Alderman Bedborough and Twinch, and most of the
members of the corporation ; the Rev. R. J. Gould and
the Rev. F. H. Morgan (curates of New Windsor), Cap-
tain Layard, Mr. Leslie Hore, Messrs. Oxley, Last,
Long, Phillips, &c.

The MAYOR having opened the proceedings by reading
the requisition convening the meeting,
The Rev. R. J. Goma) moved the following address
to her Majesty :

"TO HER MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA.
"May it please your Majesty—We, the undersigned in-
habitants of the borough of New Windsor, desire to ap-
proach your Majesty's throne with our most humble, hearty,
and loyal congratulations, on the preservation of your Ma-
jesty, your Royal Consort, and all other members of the
royal family and household, under the alarming circum-
stances of the late fire at Windsor Castle.
" We feel that, as a Christian people, we are bound to
return our most humble thanks to Almighty God for his
gracious dealings towards us in thus preserving our be-
loved Sovereign, with her whole family and household,
from all personal injury.
" That the same good and gracious Providence who has
so highly favoured us in this deliverance may long continue
to bless and protect your Majesty, will ever be the prayer
of your Majesty's loyal and devoted subjects."
The reverend gentleman, after describing the origin of
the fire in much the same terms as have been already
used in this journal, proceeded to describe the present
state of the rooms immediately over the dining romp,
where the chief fire took place. He said the beds, the
floors, and every morsel of wood about them were as
black as a grate. This particular nest of rooms' formed
the dormitory of the domestics, and had the fire occurred
but two hours later, great would have been the loss of
life, for the whole of the servants must have inevitably
been smothered in their beds. The first intimation he
had of the calamity was the beating of the tattoo at tl4
infantry barracks, immediately opposite his own house.
It was then half-past ten o'clock, and it struck him as
something very extraordinary. Immediately afterwards
there was a loud calling by the officers of " all up ;" his
family were dreadfully alarmed, and they unanimously
agreed that the French were come at last. (Laughter.) It
was only due to the Guards to say that in less than five
minutes from the first call the men were all up and
equipped, the barrack engine was drawn out of the yard,
and the whole of the battalion rushed towards the Castle.
Mr. MINTON seconded the resolution.

Mr. Alderman BEDBOROUGH then proposed, and Mr.
JOHN CLODH seconded, a similar address to his Royal
Highness Prince Albert. •

Both addresses were ordered to be engrossed and to
lie for signature at the Town-hall until Saturday, when
the one to her Majesty will be forwarded through the
Home Secretary, and that to Prince Albert through the
Hon. C. B. Phipps.

GENERAL ORDER, HORSE GUARDS, MARCH 21, 1853.
Her Majesty the Queen expressly desires to recognise
the steadiness and zeal with which the detachment of
the 2d Life Guards and Scots Fusilier Guards behaved
on the occasion of the late fire which broke out at
Windsor Castle. Her Majesty, in graciously expressing
her Royal approbation, has been pleased to declare that
nothing could exceed the good conduct of the officers and
men.—By command of the Right Hon. General Viscount
HARDINGE, Commanding-in-Chief.—G. BROWN, Adju-
tant-General.

The workmen were engaged the whole of yesterday in
ripping up the wainscotting, &c., near the flues which
heated the Royal residence, but as yet the exact seat of
the fire has not been found out. Bridges, the engineer
of Watling-street, chief station of brigade, and the fire-
men under his command, have left the Castle, and it is
generally understood, that as soon as the walls are laid
bare, Mr. Superintendent Braidwood will be again sent
for to make another inspection of the place, in order to
find, out, if possible, the exact cause of the fire.

BLACKBURN ELECTION.

OFFICIAL DECLARATION
Fielden (Liberal) 631
llornby (Conservative) . 574

THE MILITARY CALLED OUT.

The fearful scenes of riot and confusion our corre-
spondent anticipated in giving an account of the nomi-
nation, have occurred, and bodies of the military have
had to be called in for the protection of .the voters and
of the peaceably disposed. On Wednesday after the
nomination, the large bodies of people assembled in
front of the hustings, paraded the town in sections, and
frequent collisions occurred, resulting in brutal and
long contested fights. The same lawless system pre-
vailed almost throughout the night, and electors were
forcibly carried off from their homes that they might not
be able to record their votes on the following day. In-
formation was lodged at the police office yesterday
morning, by the wife of Duncan Milner, a tinman, re-
siding in .Darwen-street, that during the night their
house had been broken into, when her husband was
dragged from his bed, beaten, and forced away from
home. She said his head was severely lacerated by a
blow from a bludgeon whilst endeavouring to resist
the violence of his assailants, and produced, in much
distress, a handkerchief dyed with his blood. Other
voters are reported 'to have been similarly treated,
and to be missing, and the name of one of them
given was Christopher Duxbury. Milner was a
voter pledged to support the liberal candidate. Great
exasperation prevailed on both sides, and large numbers
of ruffians were brought into the borough from other
towns upon the plea of being necessary to protect the
voters. A body of 190 men were reported to have been
brought from Preston on Wednesday morning, who were
to be paid ss. per day, and to be liberally supplied with
stimulants, with some of the worst characters in that
town as their leaders. These men were undoubtedly
hired by the tories. There were also similar bodies of
ruffians brought from Clitheroe, Darwen, Accrington,
Church, and other towns ; whilst. Blackburn itself is re-
ported to-supply an extensive force of native ruffianism
rioting, and the re-
"
under the leadership of a chief rejoicing in the sanguinary
with Dick.
renewed
appellationyesterday of" B—y
opened
turns of the polling booths soon showing that Mr.
Fielden, the liberal candidate, was likely to be success-
ful, the exasperation of the other party became so great
r bo l
aesnmdhatidst
that it was necessary to call in the military. Attte
were made to prevent voters going to
theo p , p
being currently reported that a party of
Hny i
taken possession of the halley Banks Bridge,
at the
bottom of King-street W , by which electors from the
populous district of Whalley Banks would be kept from
the polling booth, a large party of the friends of Mr.
Fielden went to open the communication. A dreadful
collision resulted, and great numbers of men had
to be carried into the neighbouring houses with heads
bruised, and in a bleeding and almost insensible state.
The windows of the Bridge Inn, a conservative house,
were completely smashed to atoms, and the glass and
liquor casks in the bar were destroyed. Riots took place
about the same time in front of the Hornby Arms, and
of the. Pump-house. In one of these cases a coach con-
veying voters to poll for Mr. Fielden was stopped in
King-street, the horses heads turned round, and the
driver ordered away. Hearing of these outrages soon
after ten o'clock the magistrates determined to send for
military aid ; and a little before eleven o'clock a corn,
pany of the 4th Infantry, under Captain Willoughby,
and a squadron of the Ist Dragoons under the command
of Captain Hurst, entered the town. 'The mayor, Mr.
James Pilkington, M.P., Mr. Dugdale, Mr. Hoole, and -
Mr. D. Thwaites. the magistrates, put themselves at the
head of the military, and the riot act was read in front
of the Court-house' in King-street. The military and
magistrates then divided into two bodies, and went
through the various districts of the borough to disperse
the mobs. Mr. Hoole repeatedly addressed the people
in a friendly and conciliatory style, warning them that
the riot act had been read, and advising them to retire
peaceably to their homes. All the shops were closed,
and
,the town remained in a very excited state all day.
The streets in every part of the town were exceedingly
crowded all day, and more especially towards the
centre.
The following are the returns issued from Mr. Fielden's
committee-rooms :

Fielden. Hornby
O'clock. Liberal. Conservative.
8.30 ................ 124
9.0 ................ 228 152
9.30 ................ 319
10.0 ................ 396
10.30 ................547
11.30
................. 565
12.0
............ 576
520
12.30
................ 588
1.0 ................ 593
1.30
2.0
Placards appeared on the walls soon after twelve
o'clock in the folloging words :"---
"Borough of Blackburn.—The Riot Act has been
read. All well-disposed persons are called upon to dis-
perse. Those who do not disperse will be apprehended
and prosecuted. By order of the Mayor and Magistrates.
—Sessions House, Thursday, March 24, 1853."
Notwithstanding this notice several riots took place.
Mr. Robert Rainsford Jackson, partner in business with
Mr. Montague Fielden, was attacked in Penny-street
soon after one o'clock by a mob, but escaped into a
house. The military were sent for to several quarters
about the same time, but their presence was enough to
restore order.

ASSAULT OF ARMS BY THE NON-COMMISSIONED
OFFICERS OF THE SECOND LIFE GUARDS.—A grand
combat took place yesterday afternoon, in the. Riding
School of the Windsor Barracks, amongst the non-com-
missioned officers of the 2d Life Guards, with foils and
sticks. Col. Williams, and all the officers, were present.
Many of the assaults were splendidly and successfully
isontested. After the combat which lasted nearly the
whole of the afternoon, the officers gave a sumptuous
dinner to all the non-commissioned officers of the regi-
ment, .which was served up in the mess-room. Corporal-
Major Percey presided. The customary loyal and pa-
triotic toasts were drunk with the greatest enthusiasm,
and the evening was spent in social harmony.
THE COST OF THE SOUTHAMPTON PETITION.—It Cost
Sir Alexander Cockburn and Mr. Willcox, the members
for Southampton, above 1001. a day for nearly a fort-
night, to defend themselves from the petition that was
presented to the House of Commons against their re-
turn, and the only witnesses in favour of that petition
that placed their seats in jeopardy, have been ordered
by the House of Commons to be prosecuted for perjury.

TERRIFIC COAL PIT EXPLOSION AT WIGAN.

THIRTY TO FORTY PEOPLE KILLED.

WIGAN, LANCASHIRE, THURSDAY.
An explosion of fire-damp, attended with a most de-
plorable loss of human life, occurred here yesterday
(Wednesday) afternoon, soon after one o'clock, at the
Arley Mine of the Ince Hall Coal, and CannelCompany.
The number of those actually known to be killed is
twenty, but twelve others are known to be missing; and
twenty-five are still in the mine, whose fate has not been
ascertained. About twenty also have been more or less
seriously hurt by the-explosion.
The Arley Mine, in which the accident happened, is
one of four mines, each having an up-cast and down-cast
shaft, all situated within a circuit of two miles, at the
distance of about a mile from Wigan, all of which be-
long to the Ince Hall Coal and Cannel Company. The
Arley mine was sunk about three years ago, and has
been worked ever since ; it has no communication with
the neighbouring mines, and, with the exception of one
which took place at the sinking of the mine, this is the
first accident of any description that has occurred in it.
The depth is about 414 yards, and the mine is divided
into four districts, there being a separate current of air
for ventilating each. Their situation corresponds with
the points of the compass, the No. 4 district, in which
the up-cast shaft is situated, and in which the explosion
took place, being to the north.

The explosion, so far as we have been able to collect, is
attributed to the indiscretion of the underlooker, Thomas
Jones, who was not in the mine at the time the accident
took place. During the morning some slight accident
occurred to the guide-rods in the up-cast shaft, and the
underlooker immediately reduced the ventilating power,
to enable the joiners to repair the wood-work. The
ventilatiori, it may be here observed, is effected by
means of a furnace at the bottom of the up-cast shaft.
The underlooker neglecting to consult Mr. James Dar-
lington, who is the resident manager, and acting on his
own view of the matter, kept a portion of the men down
in the mine during the inactivity of the furnace, which
could not then be worked. Immediately the repairs had
been completed, the furnace was raised to an immense
heat, to restore the ventilation ; and it is supposed that
the explosive gas, having accumulated in the meantime,
was ignited in consequence. A man named Joseph
Hunt, who was killed by the explosion, had the care of
the arrangements for ventilating the mine that day.
The explosion occurred at about twenty minutes past
one o'clock, and appears to have been confined almost
to the district in which the furnace is situated. Several
of the men, who have been brought out alive from other
parts of the mine, state that the noise was so faint that
they thought it was no more than the shutting of a door,
and continued at their work for some time afterwards.
Had it not been that most of the men (about seventy-
five) who were in the mine at the time, were collected
near the furnace, instead of being dispersed through the
workings at their employment, the result would proba-
bly have been much less disastrous. On the other hand,
the loss of life must have been much greater had the ac-
cident occurred a few minutes earlier, .as 64 men had
just ascended the shaft. The number of men usually
employed in this mine is from 140 to 150, but Wednes-
day being one of the pay-days, there are generally fewer
men in the pit at that time of the day.
Immediately after the explosion a number of men des-
cended the down-cast shaft, in order to explore the mine
and recover the bodies, the up-cast shaft having been
disabled by the explosion. A constant stream of water
has been kept through the down-cast shaft, and the ven-
tilation of the mine was speedily restored in every part
except that in which the accident occurred. The efforts
to recover the men have been unremitting, both yester-
day, during the night, and this morning, and about 50
of the sufferers have been found, about half of them be-
ing dead. It is probable that a number of them are still
in the No. 4 district, of whose life very little hope can
be entertained ; and it is probable that the ventilation of
this portion of the mine will be effected by this time (2
o'clock) to-morrow (this day). The bodies have been
taken to the chemical works of Mr. Latham, close to the
scene of the accident ; and those recovered alive have
been conveyed to their homes, where the wounded are
attended by six surgeons, provided by the Ince Hall
Company. From their reports, the majority of the suf-
ferers under their care seem likely to recover.
About three o'clock this morning some of the men
were recovered from the most remote district of the
mine, which is about three-quarters of a mile from the
down-cast shaft.

The men who have been brought up alive appear t°
have sustained most injury from the after-damp, veal
few of them being burnt.
The following is the most accurate and complete list
we have been able to obtain of the persons killed, who
have been already found to the number of 20 :
John Stanley, hooker-on, about 27, Chapel-lane,
Wigan.
Joseph Hunt, 37, Ince-lane, fireman, married, six
children.

Edward Hunt, 12 or 13 (son of Joseph Hunt),drawer,
Ince.

Wm. Connolly, jigger, about 23, Wigan, unmarried.
John Marsden, 33, Wigan, married, with two or three
children, hooker-on.

Win. Taboner, 21, Ince-green, labourer, unmarried.
Joseph Taboner (brother of Wm. Taboner), 18, Ince,
unmarried, employed as a Jigger.
George Hargreaves, 24, drawer, married, two children.
Michael Cunliffe, jigger.
Matthew Burns, 21, draWer, unmarried, Scholes.
Thomas Baxendale, 30, labourer, married.
Wm. Gent, 19, Wigan, drawer, unmarried.
Eli Gelly, 33 or 34, Wigan, collier, unmarried. Thomas Ellison, 20, Wan collier, unmarried;
Matthew Rigby, 23, Wigan, drawer, unmarrieu..
John Huyton, about 70, Wigan, labourer, 'name",
'
James Harrison, 45, Wigan, horse tenter and furnace-
man, married, six children.
Centas Morgan, 18, Wigan, collier, unmarried.
John Meldin, 20, Wigan, drawer, unmarried.
James Hardman, 13, Ince, door tenter.
In addition to the above, the 12 following are known
to be missing :
Richard Bannister, 30, Chorley, collier, married, with
five children.

Joseph Blackledge, a boy, Chorley, drawer.
Wm. Manight, 25, jigger, Wigan, married, with
one or two children.

Samuel Gent, brother of Wm. Gent, mentioned above,
drawer, Wigan, unmarried.

Robert Jones, 26, Wigan, married, with three chil-
dren, collier.

Thomas Wright, 35, Wigan, collier, married, with a
family.
...

Rat. Lewis, 22, Wigan, collier, married, no children.
Wm. Byrom, 28, Wigan, collier, unmarried.
Ralph Valentine; 25, Wigan, laboUrer, married, with
one child.

Thomas Owen, 30, Wigan, collier, married, with two
children.

Joseph Gaskell, 20, Wigan, collier, unmarried.
James Jones, Ince, 18, Ince, jigger, unmarried.
This makes the total number 32, besides which abou
25 are still in the mine, whose. fate has yet to be weer
taMed.

So far as the inquiries have extended, we have not
learnt anything indicating want of care or strictness on
the part of the owners or managers of the colliery. The
payments to the men in this mine are made fortnightly,
when the rules are read aloud to the assembled body,
besides which, a copy of the rules is posted up at the
bottom of each of the shafts. All the men are provided
with safety lamps, which are kept locked, and naked
candles are never .allowed, under any pretence, to enter
the mine.

The damage sustained by the mine itself appears to be
very inconsiderable, beyond the destruction of the doors,
air-crossings, &c., in the up-cast shaft, and the appear-
ance of the workings themselves would not indicate that
there had been any accident at all.

FATES OF THE APOSTLES--The following brief history
of the fates of the apostles may be new to those whose
reading has not been evangelical to know, that :—St.
Matthew is supposed to have suffered martyrdom, or
was slain with a sword, at the city of Ethiopia. St.
Mark was dragged through the streets of Alexandria,
in Egypt, till -he expired. St. Luke was hanged
upon an olive tree in Greece. St. John was put into 9,
cauldron of boiling oil in Rome, and escaped death !
He afterwards died a natural death at Ephesus, is
St. James the Great was beheaded at Jerusalem.
St. James the Less was thrown from a pinnacle or
wing of the temple, and then beaten to death with a
fuller's club. St. Philip was hanged up against a pillar
at Hierapolis, a city of Phrygia. St. Bartholomew was
flayed alive by the command of a barbarous king. St.
Andrew was bound to a cross, whence he preached to
the people till he expired. St. Thomas was run through
the body with a lance, at Coromandel, in the East Indies.
St. Jude was shot to death with arrows. St. Simon
Zelotes was crucified in Persia. St. Matthias was first
stoned, and then beheaded. St. Barnabas was stoned
to death by the Jews, at Salania. St. Paul was be-
headed at Rome, by the tyrant Nero.—Preston Chronicle.
STRENGTH or BAD HlTS.—Professor Miller ad-
verting, at a meeting at. Edinburgh a few days ago, to
the strength which a bad habit sometimes acquires, nar-
rated the following story, for which the learned
Professor must alone be considered responsible :
A
respectable clergyman had long failed in an attempt
to give up snuff-taking, and at last he preached
it,man of
an
but
was miserable all 'the
week after. When Sunday came round, he found
he was getting on very languidly, and to make the thing
w
elder, sitting immediately,
uanodrseserer:n nthaoe heyeoanogefasntithesint minister, took out his "mull," tapPea-
it on the lid, and with the utmost gravity took a com-
fortable " sneeshin." The minister could stand this no
longer—he stopped abruptly in his sermon, and said,
"John, for shame upon you, sir, how dare you do that? •
The elder looked up in amazement. The preacher con-
tinued, " Don't you remember what I said to you last,
Sabbath?" but the elder could not yet fathom what he ha",
done to cause offence. The minister's passion for snuff had
in the interim grown to such an intensity that it was a'
case of life or death, he could restrain no longer, and so, ad'
dressing the elder, he said, "I will not pollute my lips
by mentioning what you did, but I will show you what
it was; hand me up that box." Having got the box, he
gave it a certain number of taps on the lid, and went
through the other form of snuff-taking in imitation or
what he observed the elder do, saying as be went on,
"That is what you did, sir—and what is more, YO
(taking a pinch) did that too.'
NEW PIECE OF ORDNANCE.—A new piece of ordnance
for batteries and ships has been invented by Robert Arm"strong, Ist Dragoon Guards, Royal Barracks, Dubli.o
13:
its superiority over the old battery guns consists in.:,
being capable of being brought to bear upon any obj
within an angle of 90 degrees, without the necessity
Moving its carriage, therejcra fewer men will be require
to work it. A ship armed with guns of this description
could bring the whole of her broadside to bear upo.l?l7t
small object within the angle of 90 degrees, wall'
moving one single carriage.—Dublin Saunders.