The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-04 00:00:00

TtlE ECLIPSE EXPEDITION.

A report has been received from that portion of the
Eclipse Expedition which went to Oran. When the as-
tronomers reached there they found that M. Janssen,
so distinguished by his spectroscopic observations
of the red flames in 1868 in India, had arrived.
at Oran, having escaped from Paris with his
instruments in a balloon. He had fixed his
station about seven miles from the town of
Oran. As at this distance the ship would be
inconvenient for the English observers, a station was
chosen near the railway station, about two miles and a
half from the port. By a singular coincidence the piece
of ground selected was found to belong to an Englishman
resident at Oran, Mr. Hinshelwood, who most liberally
placed the whole of his land at the service of the Expedi
tion. The day of the eclipse came with much wind, and
rapidly driving misses of cloud ; still it was hoped
that some views of the eclipse would be obtained
through the clear spaces by which the clouds
'were separated. If the weather had permitted
the sun to be visible at the proper time, there would
have been no difficulty, with the instruments provided, in
obtaining full and certain information of the nature of
the coronal light. Alas !it was not to be. The earlier
stages of the eclipse were seen and a photograph taken,
but ten minutes before totality a dense bank of clouds
came over the sun, which extinguished all hope and ren-
dered useless the laborious preparations of many weeks.
M. Janssen was of course equally unsuccessful. Though
the darkness was almost appalling as it rapidly increased
up to the moment of totality, still the scene was deprived
of a large part of its impressiveness by the dense
mantle of cloud which Concealed nearly the whole
heavens.

AID TO THE SICK AND WOUNDED.—CoIoneI
Loyd Lindsay has written a long letter, descriptive of
the operations of the National Society for Aid to the
Sick and Wounded in War. The communication is of a
most satisfactory nature as regards the appropriation of
the enormous funds entrusted to the society, and in conclu-
sion it is stated that the most active sphere of action of the.
society is in the immediate neighbourhood of the battle.
fields in France, but that the needs and requirements of
the numerous military hospitals scattered throughout
Germany are not overlooked. The only hospital in Ger-
many under English management, that established at.
Darmstadt, by Dr. Mayo, which is still worked by him,.
has achieved most successful results, and earned the ad-
miration of the German authorities.

THE FIRE AT THE BIRMINGHAM EXCHANGE..
—A fire was discovered on Saturday morning, about tem
o'clock, and seems to have broken out in the office of Mr-
Ryland, in the front of the Exchange, Stephenson-place,
Birmingham. In a short time the flames burst throrgh
the windows, and the traffic of New-street was stopped by
a large crowd. The fire engines were at hand in a few
minutes, but for some time no water could be procured, as
the plugs could not be opened on account of the frost.
There was then danger that the handsome building might
be destroyed. Fortunately a plug was found in Warwick.
House-passage which could be opened, and in about three,
quarters of au hour the fire was subdued. The damage,
done is considerable, and the Exchange is somewhat dis-
figured by the fire.

VENTNOIL, ISLE OF WIGHT LOCAL BOARD AND
THE BOARD OF TRADE.- The Ventnor Local Board are
involved in litigation with the Crown. They are nego-
tiating the purchase of the foreshore from the Lord of
the Manor, and have erected a groyne on the shore for
the protection of the sea wall, of the esplanade. The
Crown also claims the right to the shore, and the Board.
of Trade wrote to the Local Board, asking a nominal
rental, requesting to be furnished with plans, etc.,
of the groyne illegally placed there. The Local Board re-
fused to remove the groyne, or, as the matter was in dis-
pute, to acknowledge the right of the Crown to the
foreshore, and at their meeting on Monday evening, a
letter was read from the Board of Trade, informing them
that desirous as this Board were of assisting useful works,
the last letter from the Local Board leaves them no option
but to place the matter in the hands of their solicito.m
which they have accordingly done."

THE MULLINGAR MunnEn.—An inquest was held
on Friday evening on the body of Thomas Waters, who
was murdered on the previous night near Mullingar.
Few additional facts came out in evidence, and nothing
was elicited to explain the motive of the crime. The-
deceased was a young man, about 26 years of ace, andi
lived with a widowed mother, who, with her family,
was dspendent on him for support. Two constables
deposed that at eleven o'clock on Thursday night they
found nearly in the centre of the road his two clotti
coats in an oil-skin overcoat, a s he had worn them
and a few yards distant his cap. They then searched on
the Knockdun road, knowing that it was by that road he
usually went home, and at the workhouse gate they found
the body. They observed no trace of a struggle. One of
them had seen Waters alive that, day, about three o'clock,.
perfectly sober. The doctor who made a post-mortem
examination stated that he found two gunshot wounds lib
his breast, and two leaden, pellets lodged in his chest. One
of them had gone, through his heart, and must have killed.
him instantaneously. It was impossible ha could have
inflicted the wounds on himself.

Mn. KNATCHBULL HUGESSRN, M.P., AND TUB
PRINCESS OF WALES.—Inv preface to. his new fairy tale
book for children, Mr, Knatchbull Hugessen, M.P., dedi-
cates the work to the Princess of Wales, in the following
words :—" This volume is published at the request of
man child-readers and other lovers of magic lore. I did
not venture to ask permission to dedicate a book to your
royal highness until the kind reception accorded by the.
public to my first attempt emboldened me to hope that
the second might not be deemed unworthy of such an
honour. It appears to me peculiarly appropriate that
stories, humbly framed after the model of the inimitable
Hans Andersen, should be dedicated to an illustrious lady
who not only resembles that author in her Danish origin,
but also in having won to herself the love of English
hearts by a spell no lees potent than that by which her
great countryinan has captivated the affections of count-
less English readers. It seems natural, also, that an
author who ventures upon that field of Fairy literature
—their mutual love of which constitutes one of the malul
ties of sympathy between the peoples of Denmark and
Englandshould desire to dedicate his ward to a princes
3
who represents in her own person the strongest and most
popular tie which unites the two countries." The book
entitled " Crackers for Christmas,"

SECOND EDITION.

SUN OFFICE, 2.30 P.DI.

LATEST I NTELLIG EN CE.

T 1 I WAR

THE BOMBARDMENT OF PARIS.
ROYAL HEAD - Q uARTE US, VERSAILLES,
January 3.
The east front of Paris has been so effectively
bombarded to-day by our artillery that only Fort
Nogent replies but feebly to our fire.

SENTENCE OF THE GERMAN BANKERS.
BERLIN, January 3.

Judgment was delivered to-day in the case of the
bankers who had participated in the subscriptions to
the French loan. Herr Gueterbock was sentenced
to two years, Herr Kulp to nine months, Meyer and
St. Goar to six, and Levita to three mouths' impri-
sonment in a fortress.--P-►euter's Telegrams.

BISMARCK AND LUXEMBURG.

BERLIN, January 3 OM p.m).

In a new note to Count Bernstorff, Count Bis-
marck declares that if Luxemburg behaves as badly
during the siege of Longwy as it did during the siege
of Thionville, a portion of the Grand Duchy will be
occupied by German troops.
Austria has determined henceforth to arrest and
detain during the continuance of the war all French
prisoners who have escaped from German for-
tresses.

It is officially stated that between Artenay and
Orleans, as well as along the other main roads
north of the Loire, the French country people are
starving, and must be fed by the German commis-
sariat.—Tines.

THE GERMAN LOSSES•
King William telegraphs to the Queen ax fol-

lows :

"In reply to your question, the Bth Corps, on the
23rd December, had one dead and 28 unwounded
officers, including an Evangelical clergyman. Ano-
ther was killed at Beaugoncy. The corps had also
79 men killed and 08 wounded; so thank God
that the loss was moderate for so hot a conffict."—
Telegraph.

SPEECH BY THE KING OF PRUSSIA.
BERLIN, January 3 (7 p.m.)

At the banquet held in the Palace of Versailles
on New Year's Day, the King of Prussia spoke as
follows :

" I raise my glass to hail the new year. We
look back upon the past with thanksgiving; we
look forward to the future with hope. Thanks
are due to the army, which has marched from victory
to victory. My personal thanks are due to the
German Princes present who have been leaders in
the army, or companion in arms with us. Our hope
is directed towards the crowning of our great work
by an honourable peace."—Telegraph.

The following telegrams come through Reuter's

agency :

DEFEAT OF THE GERMANS IN THE NORTH

OF FRANCE.

LILLE, January 3.

It is rumoured that a battle was fought yesterday
from ten a.m. till five p.m., between Sapignes and
Eapaume. Both sides, it is added, suffered consider-
able losses, but the Prussians were beaten on the
whole line. Details are not forthcoming. This morn-
ing fighting is said to have been going on in the
direction of Boileuse.

No official confirmation has been receivel of this
news, and it must be received with reserve.
January 3 (10.15 p.m.)

Intelligence from the Army of the North an-
nounces that ,the Ist Brigade of the Ist Division
carried yesterday the villages of Achiet and Bien-
court. The village of Ervillers was also carried,
and the village of Behaigniels was occupied. There
were heavy losses. The remainder of the Army was
not engaged. Fighting would probably commence
to-day.

NEWS FROM BORDEAUX.
BORDEAUX, January 3.

Yesterday a reconnaissance took place between
Chateau Renault and Vendome, when a platoon of
German hussars and two companies of infantry --;Tere
encountered. They were pursued nearly to Vendome,
and suffered heavy loss.
On the 31st- ult., in the Seine luferieure, a de-
tachment of Prussians lost more than 300 men
killed and wounded, being completely riddled by
Francs-tireurs and Mobiles of tirdeche. In Chateau
Robert the French troops killed 25, and wounded GO
to 80 of the enemy.

-
Au engagement took place in the East, near Gray
on the line between Bleaune and Ile-sur-Doubs. The
enemy was repulsed.
Eight hundred wounded arrived at Brest last
night.

SKIRMISHING ON THE LOIRE.

BORDEAUX, January 3 (6.40 p.m.)

Some engagements are reported from the district
of the Loire. In one encounter the Germans
were pursued from Bazoches Gonet to
Courtalain, and left sixty-five dead on the
field. On the Ist of January, while the
enemy's outposts were repulsed at L3ngprd and
St. Armand, some Algerian cavalry had a brilliant
engagement in front of Laverdin. A. hostile picket
has been surprised at Lanc6, and fifteen prisoners, as
Well as a convoy of forage and cattle, fell into the
hands of the French. The enemy had ten men hors de
'combat, and fled towards Vendome. At Hessean
the French sharpshooters, without suffering any
losses, have inflicted some damage on the enemy.
The Lyonese Francs-tireurs were attacked at
Chanceaux, but routed their assailants, and pursued
them ten kilometres. They killed 80 or 100 men
and seven horses. On the French side there were
three killed and six wounded, and two prisoners.

ENGAGEMENT NEAR CROIX.
BERNE, January 3.
The following intelligence has been received from
Pruntrut
" On New Year's Day an engagement was fought
between Abbevilliers and Croix. The French re-
treated, and 200 men of the Corps of Vengeurs
were made prisoners by the Swiss, and passed the
night at Pruntrut. On the 2nd another severe en-
counter occurred near Delle. Particulars are still
Wanting. The main body of the Swiss troops was
Posted near Bomour."

MESSAGE FROM DUCROT.
CLIdHY, December 30.
'Yesterday General Ducrot sent a Parlementaire
ar°lll Drancy to Le Bourget, requesting that a staff
°ffieer might be sent into Paris. The request has, I
understand, been transmitted to Versailles.—Daily
News,

BOMBARDMENT OF THE PARIS FORTS.
BORDEAUX, January 2.
The Prussian siege preparations indicate that they
intend bombarding both Chatillon and Montretout,
and attacking Mont Valerien.
The French army is anticipating with impatience
the general attack.

MOVEMENTS OF THE FRENCH.
BERNE, January 1.
A French force, 10,000 strong, is marching from
IlYpolyte to Pontiraide. General Treskow is beyond