The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-17 00:00:00

DREADFUL EXPLOSION.

FEVERSHAM. JULY 15.—A most distressing and
alarming accident occurred in the vicini►y of Feversham
can Wednesday. We have received the following details
from an eye witness:—

The Messrs. Hall have for some time been engaged in
extensive preparations for the manufacture ot gun
cotton, in which a number of men, women, and boys
were employed. About three minutes past 11 o'clock
on Wednesday a most terrific report alarmed the in••
habitants, and in less than halt a minute a second report,
equally loud, occurred. A lew seconds more, and the
rising of a &rise body of smoke cenvinced those who
knew the position of the different departments that it
was in that part in which the '• cotton was prer ared
for explosive purposes, and from the great number ot
persons employed it was well known that there must be
much loss of life.
A great number of persons ran instantly to the place,
and proceeded to extricate the sufferers.
In a short time about twenty persons, more or less
injured, were removed, most of them to their homes, and
medical attendance orib-red. By two o'clock ten li'eless
bodies had been removi.d—some of them with scarcely a
wound, and others sadly mutilated, so much so as nut to
be recignised.
As it was known that seven or eight more were miss-
ing, the search was coninued, and about eight o'cliwk
two more bodies were found. The search will of course
be resumed this day, though it was feared from tie num
ber of detached limbs, &c., found that the remainder of
the missing are blown to pieces.
S-me very miraculous escapes occurred. One bj
was carried out of the buildine, with only a slight mark
on his face; a man was running about in a state 0.
nudity, he being but very little if at all hurt. Mr. W.
Hall, one of the partners, was conversing with Mr. Da3.i
one of the superintendents of the factory, on his ;ay to
the office, and was but a short distance from the place
general when the explosion happened. Mr. Monk, the
superintendent of the Messrs. Halls' works was also on
his way, and in three or four minutes Mr. Hall and the
other two would have been in the office with Mr. Toppin
(another of the superintendents), who is amunAst the
killed.

T'S THEATRE.—Her Majesty the
Queen H"Dowager'sMAJESTY'S
EsT
box was on Thursday occupied by the
Marquis
and Marchioness of Clsnric,rde, the Marquis
,
and Marchioness; of Ely, Lady Emily de Burgh an i
party. Amongst the company were the Conle Monte
molin and suite, the Duke o f Wellington and Mr. Ar-
buthnot, his Excellency the Duke de Broglie and suite,
his Excellency the Austrian AMhassador, the Princess
~
Galacovitz, the C. amt and Coll" d te's a J Irriac, the C untNarquis de
de Hearne, the Marchioness of Douro,
the M
Villa Franca, the Earl of Bective, the Earl and Countess
the
Bruce, the Earl of Munster, the Esti of Cardigan,
Earl of Westm treland, the Earl of Clanwilliam, the Earl
of Ell,smere, the Countess of Pembroke, the Viscount
Clifden, the Viscount and Viscountess Maidstone, M. C.
de ICaudrtatifakv, Lord and Lady Brab tz ,n, \{r. and
Lady Emma Vesey, Lady Woodford, Lady Roe, Lady
Rose Grevitle, Lady Mary Wertley, Lord and Lady
Mountgarret, Lord and Lady Craven, Lord William
Lennox, Lady Seymour, Lady Shawe Stewart, Sir Ed•
ward Codrington and the Misses Codrington, Sir John
and Lady Canimb,ll, Sir flesketh Fleetwood, Sir Wil•
Liam and Lady Clay, the Hon. Captain Vane, the Hon.
Mr. Arbuthnot, the Hon. George Bytaa, Colonel Camp-
bell. Captain Smith, Captain Meynell, R.N., Major
Buckl. y, Mr.. Fitzhu.:ll, Mr. Milhanke, Mr. H.,) d
31.13„ and Mrs. He Mrdgson,
.. B rinsle y Sheridan, g'"T
Nili:.
Lu,,hington,
M P. the Hon.Ju lan Fane, Mr. Broadwood,
M.P., Scc.
THs NIGHT BALLOON ASCENT AT VAUXHALL.—
The annou
neetue
ant that another display of nocturnal
would
rake place on the Royal Property on
aerostatics
of visitors, both withnd
Thursday attraete.ria throng
The upheavinge of the aerial
without the gardens..
naons ter
irehand there were expectant
were not manifested until nearly twelve o'clock,
but for fully 9,n hour bet,
crowds round the exterior
the
the gardens, along the
banks of the river, and en
..biruidges,
g " This completed,
during the pro
eess of the performartee of
the balloon slipped cable at a‘fetiwi
thousand teef, there
and on reat.h 1 titre t,fa,ane
ti;ii.outes before twelve,
.. ing an aCi - •
Wa' 4 sttleulut ptroteehnie outpour.ng,
n..nsisting of
,
bouquets and fires of variegated odours. r
he process
of firework di%phy,-U was conducted by means of a sup-
plementary car attached to that in which the voyageurs
themselves were s,‘a.ted. They were Mr. GyP3on,
who
on this occasion made his sixi-ninth ascent, this being
his second nocturnal one ; Mr. Coxwell, Editor of the
Aerostatic Magazine; and Mr. Augustus Bernal. Under
the INfinginn.' of a 4,'en,le buoy,int breeze, the balloon
F,H, le iin s itiqy tier ,torth. At att-ut Po le, c b',-low the
car the ti.-ework% Kerw dischar,4ed oy means of a slow
!name with perf et eaf,t y , itlurniostin2 the huge douse
of gas awl canvass above with much ii' velty and effect,
and :on cis, ea; husiastie cheering, The aeronauts were
up shoot thirty-five mutates, had a view of the river,
hoard Sr. Paul's and other clucks strike twelve, And at
length landed in Aeton• fields, where some parties came
to their asiiatance, acid . they made good their arrival at
As 7erdso st tWCJYb ml"utes put fro
a