The Sun.
London, England, 1871-02-16 00:00:00

DEATH OF MR. SIDEBOTTOM, M.P

M. James ,Sidebottom, M.P. for Stalybridge, died at
his residence, Acres Bank, Stalybridge, about half-past
three o'clock on Tuesday afternoon. The deceased gen-
tleman was the first member for the borough, which was
enfranchised by the Reform Act of 1867 ; he was
returned to Parliament at the general election of 1868.
He was a Conservative in politics, and on the occasion
just mentioned he was opposed by Mr. Nathaniel
Buckley, of Ashton-under-Lyne. A petition was filed
against the return of Mr. Sidebottom, and the case was
heard by Mr. Justice Blackburn, in the Town Hall, Sta-
lybridge, in the following February, but the petitioners
failing to connect the member with the agents accused of
bribery, the election was confirmed. Mr. Sidebottom had
not been in good health since his election, and at inter-
vals he had been confined to his room, as has been the
case for several weeks past. Of course, no step towards
filling the vacancy thus caused has yet been taken, though
it is understood that Mr. Buckley will again be the Liberal
candidate.—Manchester Guardian.

FEARFUL EXPLOSION ON BOARD A
STEAMER.

By the arrival, at Liverpool, of the Russia, we have
some particulars of another terrible catastrophe on the
Mississippi, by the blowing
.up of a large saloon river
steamer, and the loss of eighty-seven lives, together with
a large number of people injured. The steamer W. R.
Arthur, bound for New Orleans for Louisville, which left
Memphis on the night of the 27th January, exploded her
boilers about 14 miles above Memphis, about half-past one
o'clock on the morning of the 28th ult. , the explosion tearing
away the fore part of the saloon cabin and upper decks.
The steamer then took fire, and burnt furiously till the
forward part sank under water. The night was exceed-
ingly dark, and after the explosion most of the passengers
rushed down to the lower deck, and many of them in the
'Confusion fell or jumped into the river and were drowned;
and when the bow sank the waves 'rushed in and swept
from the lower deck all who had gathered there. The
commander of the steamer states that he had only retired
to his berth when the explosion occurred, and that he was
lifted up a considerable height, and knocked down by the
stairs of the " texas," which fell upon him. He managed
to extricate himself, got an axe, and cut his way out, and
succeeded in saving his wife and child, and took them to
the ladies' cabin. The steamer took fire several times but
it was eventually extinguished. He believes that bad
the cabin passengers remained quiet in the cabin all would
have been saved, but they became panic stricken, and
nearly all rushed down stairs. The captain was bti,dly in-
jured about the legs and head, while his wife and sister
were seriously hurt. Captain J. A. Frazier, who was a pas-
senger, says he was in bed when the boilers exploded, but
not asleep, and he at once ran out on the guard, and,
seeing the state of affairs, hastened back to the cabin, and
found that all the lady passengers, with the exception of
his wife and Mrs. Brolaski, had left. He ascertained that
the lifeboat had been taken away, and he then assisted in
putting out the fire. Beyond having his feet badly frost-
bitten, he and his wife escaped uninjured. The
lifeboat was taken away by five passengers immediately
after the explosion, and on landing the boat was turned
adrift. Several persons were picked up from bales of
cotton and planks, many of whom were half dead, and
others badly injured. Those who were saved by the
steamtugs which came to their assistance were all
seriously injured, some being unable to speak, and
it is feared that beyond the. 87 lives which are be-
lieved to have perished, some more deaths will ensue.
The second engineer, who was on duty, says that.
everything was working well up to the time of the
explosion, the steam in each of the boilers being lower
than usual. One of the boilers was blown aft the rudder
post, and smashed the yawl ; while the other, it is believed,
was driven through the hull causing the vessel to sink.
The boilers were new and extra heavy, and the whole out-
fit of the vessel was unusually good, and she was furnished
with all the required appliances for safety of life and pro-
perty. The vessel was built in 1860, and cost about £20,000
and at the time of the disaster had on board 300 tons of
cargo, and about 1,200 bales of cotton.

RISE IN THE PRICE OF PROVISIONS.—In COHSE)
(pence of the demand for Paris, fish has become scarce in
the London market. Cod fish, which were selling at 35.,
are now 10s. Turkeys are realising 15s. each. Most of
the fishing boats have taken their cargoes to Boulogne.
LONDON INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF 1871.
During the week ending the 11th inst. the • objects, con-
sisting of machinery, scientific inventions, objects for
education, earthenware, porcelain, and terracotta, were
delivered in great quantities on the respective days ap-
'Anted. A detachment of Royal Engineers, as in former
international exhibitions, has been employed in receiving
the objects.
PLATE ROBBERY.—On Monday morning some
one entered- Ledsham Vicarage, Cheshire, by the front
door, proceeded from the entrance hall into the dining-
room, and carried off a silver tea-pot, lea-caddy, and other
articles, which had just been put upon the table for
breakfast. The robbery was discovered shortly after, and
immediate search was made for the thief, but with what
success is not yet known. It was supposed the thief had
hid hid himself in the plantations adjoining the house till
his opportunity occurred. The whole of the plate on the
table was not taken, a silver cream jug and other articles
being left untouched.
WHOLESALE VACCINATION.—On Tuesday Colonel
Henderson issued an order that all the officers and consta-
bls connected with the metropolitan police force should
be immediately vaccinated by the divisional surgeons, and
in case of any individual declining to comply with the
terms of the order it was stated that he would be at once
called upon to resign. On Monday 600 girls; in the em-
ployment of Messrs. Eley, the ,cartridge munufacturers,
of Gray's-inn-road, were vaccinated by a surgeon on the
premises of their employers. The firm contracted with
the surgeon to perform the operation, and he completed
his labours in three and a half hours. All the boys and
girls at the East-end schools are to be vaccinated. Seven-
teen persons have died from smallpox in Whitmore-terrace,
Hoxton, during the past week. In nearly every case the
sufferer had not been vaccinated.

SIR SPENCER ROBINSON AND THE COMMITTEE
ON NAVAL DESIGN.—The Army and Navy Gazette gives
currency to a rumour that the late Controller-of the Navy
was summoned to appear before the members of the Com.
mittee on the Design of Ships of War (improperly called

the Captain Committee) to give evidence, but refused to
answer the questions put to him. The facts, we believe,
are these :—The Committee proposed to ask Sir Spencer
Robinson certain questions respecting the coaling stations
which the Admiralty possesses in different parts of the
world. As this subject is purely an administrative one,
relating to other departments of the Admiralty, Sir
Spencer Robinson objected to answer the questions ; and
the Committee decided that they should not be put. Sir
Spencer expressed himself perfectly ready to answer at
once questions relating to his own department ; but the
Committee decided to go on with the subject on which
they were engaged, and to defer Sir Spencer Robinson's
examination.—Daily News.
THE GERMAN ENTRY INTO PARIS. From
Havre, February 13, the Paris special correspondent of
the Standard sends the following :—The "low living"
which the people were reduced to, with the exception of a
few very wealthy members of the community, proved
especially fatal to women and children. Strong constitu-
tions bore up against constant privation, but it proved
fatal to the aged, the young, and all invalids. it
was understood in Paris that on the conclusion of peace
the Prussian army would march through Paris with bands
playing and colours flying. They are to march under the
Arc de Triomphe, down the Champs Elysees, then along
the boulevards to' the Barriere du Trone, and so- out
of the city. Committees have been formed to de-.
termine the attitude of the population respecting this
crowning insult. It has been resolved that all along the
line of march of the victorious army the streets are to be
deserted, the shops shut, and the houses have their blinds
down. There is not to be a sign or % sound, and the
strains of their own music and the tramp of their own
footsteps will alone disturb the silence of the bereaved
city.. That is the programme. We will see how it is
carried out. Here peace is regarded ascertain, and there
are only very few who.refuse to acknowledge its necessity.
It is essential that peace should be made soon unless
France is to be doomed to famine for this present
year. Neither in Normandy, Brittany, nor Central France
is there a single acre under cultivation. The. October
sowings have nowhere taken place, and even supposing
' that the South of France has been more favoured—which
I question—the next harvest will be entirely nil. It is
imperatively necessary that the thousands of Mobiles,
now loafing about the streets of large towns, contracting
habits of sloth and dissipation, should, without delay, be
sent back to the plough.
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