The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-04 00:00:00

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS.

LONDON AND SOUTH-EASTERN EAILWAY.—Traffio
re-
turn for the week ending Doc. 31, 1853 £15,594 10 10
Corresponding week last year 15,076 12 5

Increase in 1853 £sl7 18 5
LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST RAILWAY.—
Traffic return for the week ending Dec. 31,
1853 £10,531 0 7
Corresponding week last year 9,971 2 8
Total of the half-year to this date, 1853 369,755 9 10
Total of the half-year to this date, 1852 336,538 611

GLASGOW AND SOUTH-WESTERN RAlLWAY.—Traffic re-
Larn for the week ending Dec. 31,1853 £1,876 17 3
OoiTesponding week last year 4,754 9 10

Increase in 1853

2122 7 5

BELGIUM.—Tiie official journal publishes a decree o
the King, dated the 31st December, suppressing the im
port duty on foreign coal.
MORE DESTRUCTIVE FIRES. Yesterday afternoon,
between 1 and 2 o'clock, a fire, which at one period
ihreaten.id most serious consequences, broke out on the
premises of Mr. Crane, oil and colourman, situate at the
corner of Ryder's-court and Lisle-street, Leicester-
square. The flames commenced from some unexplained
cause, in the basement floor, in which a valuable stock
of oils and other goads were deposited. The engines of
the Lyndon Brigade and West of England quickly
attended, and two of the powerful machines were set
to work ; but the fire could not be got out until the
flames had penetrated into the grand cigar depot of Mr.
Micholeske, No. 21, in Ryder's-court. Fortunately, the
damage done at each place, although considerable,will not
prevent business from being carried on as before.
Both sufferers were insured. A fire broke out, at a late
hour on Monday night, on the premises of Mr. J. Coles,
No. 1, Brett's-buildings, Hoxton. The building was
occupied as a trimming manufactory. The flames when
first discovered were raging in the ground-floor, and so
rapidly did they extend that at one period there seemed
not the least chance of saving any portion of the pro-
perty. The engines of the London Brigade were soon
on the spot, and a plentiful supply of water haviv been
obtained from the mains of the East London Company,
the engines were set to work ; but the fire was not sub-
duel until the premises were partially destroyed. The
loss will fall upon the London and British Empire
Mutual Fire Offices.
ACCIDENT AT THE SOUTHAMPTON DOCKS.—Yesterday
morning, between five and six o'clock, the various per-
sons in and about the v:cinity of the docks were some-
what startled by a loud crashing no s., and upon discovery
it was found to be caused by the failing of the immense
"shears" (or in plainer terms, " crane"), which were
erected at the south side of the docks for the purpose of
raising boilers in and out of ships, &c., and other dead
weight. So strong was the constin.etion of this
machine, that as much as fifty tons could be raised at
one time by its beautifully constructed levers. The
exact cause of the accident has not yet been satisfac-
torily ascertained, but it is conjectured that the
foundation could not have been sufficiently strong to
bear its itnmen- e weight. In its fall it carried away
a very large porti in of the dock wall adjacent, and had
it not happened that the shears fell inland, and not into
the dock, there is little doubt but that the Peninsular and
Orieeltal Company's steamship Madrid, which has been
undergoing repair for some time pa 4, and which is
placed directly beneath them, must have been partially,
if not wholly destroyed, as well perhaps as some lives
have been sacrificed. The "pair of shears" was erected
some few years ago by the Dock Company at an enor-
mous expense, and from their now damaged appearance
there is no doubt that they must be replaced by new
ones, which will incur an expense of some few thousand
vuunl-3. The noise of the crash was heard for more than
a mile distant.