The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-16 00:00:00

DREADFUL EXPLOSION.

FEVERSHAM, JULY 15.—A most distressing and
alarming accident occurred in the vicinity of Fevershatn
(.11 Wednesday. We have received the following details
from an eye witness:—
The Messrs. Hall have for some time been engaged in
cotton,e
onx
weret
levnese di
employed.
Wednesday
lswodp3ha, rei3ecd. ph. aa raaAmt
number
for
h terrificr
oefet
men,
m minutes
einpuao nu
tr
ent
oaampcl taa,:snri
alarmed
e ela
dln
o'd
clock
guno,oi)
s
habitants, and in less than half a minute a second report,
equally loud, occurred. A few seconds more, and the
rising of a dense body of smoke convinced those who
knew the position of the different departments that it
was in that part in which the " cotton " was prepared
for explosive purposes, and from the great number of
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 ordered. By two o'clock ten lifeless
bodies had been removed—some of them with scarcely a
wound, and others sadly mutilated, so much so as not to
be recognised.
As it was known that seven or eight more were miss-
ing, the search was continued, and about eight o'clock
two more bodies were found. The search will of course
be resumed this day, though it was feared from the num-
ber of detached limbs, &c., found that the remainder of
the missing are blown to pieces.
Same very miraculous escapes occurred. One boy
was carried out of the building with only a slight mark
on his face; a man was running about in a state of
nudity, ho being but very little if at all hurt. Mr. W.
Ball, one of the partners, was conversing with Mr. Day,
one of the superintendents of the factory, on his way to
the office, and was but a short distance from the place
when the explosion happened. Mr. Monk, the general
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 amongst the
killed.

ITER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.—Her Majesty the
Queen Dowager's box was last evening occupied by the
Marquis and Marchioness of Clanricarde, the Marquis
and Marchioness of Ely, Lady Emily de Burgh and
party. Amongst the company were the Conde Monte.
the Marquis de
molin and suite, the Duke of Wellington and Mr. Ar-
buthnot, his Excellency the Duke de Broglie and suite,
his Excellency the Austrian Ambassador, the Princes■
Earlof Pembroke,o fC lan.il.lil.
Galacovitz, the Count and Countess &Jams; the Count
,-the'Etarel
thera Viscount
VdeilßlaenFrrnanctah,ethMeaErcahril°onfesßsecoLDe,otuhreo, Earl and Couatep
Bruce, the Earl of Munster, the Earl of Cardigan, h
oEfallnocfs
mWeerset,
mt
the eild'
th
Countesse
Clifden, the Viscount and Viscountess Maidstone, M. C.
do Noudriaffsky, Lord and Lady B
Lady Emma Vesey, Lady Woodford,rabaz)n, Mr. and
Ross Greville, Lady Mary Wortley, Lady Roe, Lady
Mountgarret, Lord and Lady Lord and Lady
Lennox, Lady Seymour, Lady Craven, Lord William
ward Codrington and te Shawe Stewart, Sir Ed-
and Lady Camnhell, Sir II Misses
Codrington, Sir John
\Vil-
11am
and. Lad)
Ca) the
Hon.es eth Fleetwood, Sir
Mr. Arbuthnot, the'llon Captain Vane, the Hon.
Camp-
bell, Captain 8 uith .eorge Byng, Colonel
Buckley, Mrs• Fityhu%h Captain :Meynell, RN., Major
m.p.,
mill Mrs. n
d-,
.., Mr. Milbanke, Mr. Hodgson,
I Lushington M Pthegisl.
o on, Mr. Frinaley Sheridan, Mr.
M.P., &c. 7- *, on.Jaliau Fane, Mr.Broadwood,

THE NIGHT BALLOON ASCENT AT VAUXHALL.--;
The announcement that another display of nocturnal
aerostatics would take place on the lioyal PropfnrY last
night, night, attracted a throng of visitors, bothf within
the aerial
without the gardens. The upheavings
but for fully an hour beforehand_ there
along the
monster were not manifested until nearly- twelve
crowds round the exterior of the gardens,
during the pro-
banks of the river, and enf the„ bridges,
filling." weore exo;eec lot
expectant
This completed,
pro-
cess of the perfizmancee
ato a,
few minutes before twelve,
the balloon slipped cable
ee of some thousand feet, there
and on reaching an
daut cintedwbhyiehmtehaensvoofyititgseuupr;
and fires of variegated colours. The process
bouquets .
was a splendid pyrotechnicaitita outpouring, consisting of
plementary wedastocotnli
themselves were seated. They were Mr. Gypson, who
on this occasion made his sixty-ninth ascent, this being
his second nocturnal one ; Mr. Coxwell, editor of the
of firework deaisrplaatLeedh
Aerostatic Magazine; and Mr. Augustus Bernal. Under
the influence of a gentle buoyant breeze, the balloon
sailed in safety due north. At about 120 feet below the
car the fireworks were discharged by means of a slow
match with perfect safety, illuminating the huge dome
of gas and canvass above with much novelty and effect,
and amidst enthusiastic cheering, The aeronauts were
up about thirty-five minutes, had a view of the river,
heard St. Paul's and other clocks strike twelve, and at
length landed in Acton-fields, where some parties came
to their assistance, and they made good their arrival 04
the gaktiens at twelve minutes past two.