The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-10 00:00:00

THE 3D LIGHT DRAGOONS,

The Governor-General of India having approved of
he embarkation of this regiment on its return home,
after 15 years and 6 months' service in the East Indies,
the corps was to move down from Auzeerabad, in the
Bengal presidency, and embark at Calcutta on the Ist
of January, 1853.
The Commander-in-Chief in India issued the follow-
ing general order, previous to the embarkation of the
regiment for England
"Head-quarters, Simla, Nov. 22, 1852.
" Her' Majesty's 3d Regiment of Light Dragoons are
under orders to return to Europe, after discharging an
honourable service of fifteen years' duration in India.
"In this term of service are comprised the advance
into Affghanistan in 1842, and the great battles of the
SUttej VIZI-Ptinjab campaigns of 1845-6 and 1848-9.
" Throughout these successive arduous operations the
conduct of the corps has been conspicuous for gallantry
and soldierlike steadiness ; and its contribution to the
general result has been repeatedly and signally noticed
in official dispatches commemorative of victory.
" The Commander-in-Chief hopes that this further re-
cognition of services well performed may not prove un-
acceptable to the corps on the eve of departure, coming,
as it does, from one whose fortune it has been, on vari-
ous occasions, to see its standards borne forward in a
like gallant spirit on fields of note in Europe.
"The satisfaction which the Commander-in-Chief feels
in publicly recording these facts is much enhanced by
his being able to add that in the present, as in former
days, the distinguished service in the field of her
Majesty's 3d Light Dragoons has been combined with
exemplary conduct in quarters. The unusual good
health of the corps during a series of years may be con•
sidered a further proof of the zeal and attention of the
regimental authorities and of the orderly disposition of'
the men.
"The Commander-in-Chief cannot suffer the 3d Light
Dragoons to leave his command without expressing to
Colonel White and Lieutenant-Colonel Yerbury, under
whose superior and immediate command the regiment
has repeatedly distinguished itself, and to the officers
and men generally, his regret at losing their services,
and his conviction that they will earn fresh honours for
themselves as often as the opportunity is afforded.
"In further expressing an earnest hope for their pros-
perous passage to their native country, Sir William
Gomm begs to assure the whole corps that he will
always feel a lively interest in their welfare."
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barked for foreign service in June, 1839, or upwards of
13 years ago.
CIRCULAR RELATIVE TO BARRACK LIBRARIES.
The following circular has been issued for the guidance
of commanding of ters and paymasters of regiments :
"The question of allowing officers to participate in
the advantages afforded by the barrack libraries having
been brought under my consideration, I have much sa-
tisfaction in acquainting you, with reference to the cir-
cular from this department of the 6th of May, 1845,
that the General Commanding-in-Chief has concurred
with me in the propriety of extending to officers of the
army the privilege which has hitherto been withheld
from them in this respect.
" These institutions were originally established for the
sole use of non-commissioned officers-and soldiers, and I
should have hesitated, therefore, to` entertain this pro-
position,
-had I considered it w'clAilti interfere wit% the

Ziir
means of amusement and instruction specially s slimed
for them during their leisure hours ; but I feel oo (lent
that, with the great additions thlrt have been may c of

late years to the contents of the libraries,' and‘nder
proper regulations, the extension of the privilege proibsed
to officers may prove advantageous by extending the
interest taken in, and the utility of these establishments,'
. .

without inconveniently or injiiriously interfering with
the use the soldiers make of them at present.
"It will be necessary, however, to guard against such
a possibility arising out of the unnecessary detention of
books by officers, and I have to request that special
instructions may be issued to the officers commanding
the several barrack library stations within your com-
mand, that the booki shall be delivered out to

officers and men without partiality, and in the
strict order in which. they are applied for, and that
you will take means effectually to prevent any officer
detaining books beyond the prescribed period ; and,
further to enforce this rule, that a proportionate penalty
to that imposed on soldiers be enforced.from officers in

any case of detention of books beyond the times allowed
by the rules of the library ; and, should any officer so far
abuse the advantage now afforded to him as to incur this
penalty three times in any quarter, he *hall be deprived
of the use of the library.
" The rate of payment to be made by officers, who may
become subscribers to the library, will be one day's pay
of their rank per annum, and- the same should be paid to
the paymaster of the regiment in quarterly sums, avoid-
ing fractions of a penny, and credited in his accounts in

the same manner as the subscriptions of soldiers, under

the directions contained in article 398 of the explanatory
directions of July 1, 1848, but a nominal list of the offi•

. .
cers subscribing should be annexed to form 212, showing
the rates payable by each.
" I have much pleasure in adding, that in the begin-
ning of next year a further supply of books will be issued
for the use of military libraries.—l have, &c.,

" W. BERESFORD.
" To the officer commanding -- Regiment."

ACCIDENT ON THE MIDLAND RAILwAY.—On Friday
night an accident of a very alarming nature occurred
about last two-and-a-half miles from Bristol, on the
Bristol and Gloucester portion of the Midland Counties
Railway, and which produced the utmost consternation
throughout the surrounding neighbourhood, but was
fortunately unattended by fatal results. The following
may be depended on as correct particulars of the acci-
dent, which was one of an unusual character, viz., the
explosion of the locomotive engine boiler. It appears
that a powerful engine, No. 363, was employed in
drawing the up goods train, which has to start from the
terminus at Temple Meads, Bristol, at eight o'clock
p.m., and was upon this occasion unusually light, carry-
ing but little more than seventy tons of goods and a
few empty pickle trucks. The train started punctually
and the engine, No. 363, was preceded by another loco-
motive, No. 360. Soon after leaving Bristol there is an

incline, on commencing the ascent of which the rails were
found to be so slippery and greasy that the wheels would
not bite sufficiently to enable the train to progress, and
after a short time the train came to a standstill, upon
which the engine-driver, who is stated to be a most care-
ful man, signalled the guards to put on the breaks in
order to prevent the train from running back into the
station. This had scarcely been done when the boiler
of the engine No. 363 exploded with terrific violence,
shattering everything connected with it to atoms,
and frightening the cottagers, &c., of the surround-
ing neighbourhood, who describe it as having been
accompanied by a noise like thunder, and shaking
the cottages in such a manner as to induce them
to -

imagine it the shock of an earthquake. Indeed,
so violent was the force of the explosion that large pieces
of brass and iron belonging to the engine were hurled to
a great distance, and picked up in the surrounding fields. ln a miraculous way the engineer, Henry Barnes, escapedi
altogether without injury, and the stoker received only
a few contusions, none of which are likely to prove
of a dangerous Character. Both the men owe their
escape with their lives to their carefulness and strict
attention to their duty. According to the company's
regulations the drivers of good engines are required to
take with them upon their tenders pieces of elm timber
called " sprags," with which, when the rails are in a
greasy state, and impediments to progress take place,
they assist the breaks by forcing the " sprags" between
the tender wheels and checking any tendency to back-
ward revolution. Upon the occasion in question, on find-
ing the train at a standstill, they each seized a " sprag,"
and jumped off the engine for this purpose, and they had
butjust got alongside the tender when the explosion
of the boiler took place. Had they remained on the en-
g their ves. The superintendent states that he is alto-
gether unable to account for the explosion, as he thinks
it impossible that it could have been occasioned by any
deficiency of water in the boiler, there having been no
delay in despatching the train, and consequently there
had been no wasteful expenditure of steam, andit had
he
can-
not either account for any defect in the boiler, asand
,
very recently undergone a thorough examination
complete repair.
CAUTION TO FARMERS.—Mr. Hy.
now
of Laugh
of Tickencete, near Stamford, and
of his valuable agriis-
near Falkingham, has just had
arsenic,
administered, it e
, cultural horses poisoned withho ahadTh
charge of them.
time
supposed, by the servant w
for soFie I
Ormond, fermteornly.
man a
character , selijc7t is believed the
their appearance.
and enjoyedapprove
enainMr. Ormond's.