The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-21 00:00:00

SOUTHAMPTON.

DEC. 19.—This town yesterday was the scene of great
excitement, on account of the intended departure of three
of the West India mail-steamers, the Tweed, Solway,
and Clyde. Crowds of persons were on the qucy to
witness the number of carts and waggons that were con-
tinually' arriving, filled with ship stores ; and to see also
the multitude of boats plying to and from the steamers.
Letter-bags were placed on board the packets for the
following places, viz. :—Barbadoes, St. Lucia,
Mar-
tinique,
Dominica, Guadeloupe, Antigua, Montserrat,
Nevis, St. Kitt's, Tortola, St. Thomas, Juan's, Porto
Rico, Grand Key, Turk's Island, Hayti, St. Jago de
Cuba, Belize, Havannah, St. Vincent, Grenada, Trini-
dad, La Guayra, Porto Cabello, Curacoa. Santa Martha,
Carthagene, Jamaica, Madeira, Surinam, Demerara, Ber-
bice, and Tobago.
As the steamers did not start precisely at the time ap-
pointed, they received all the letters that reached South-
ampton by the London day mail. A pilot took the
Tweed outside the Needles last evening. The Solway
and Clyde dropped down Southampton water this morn-
ing. The tradesmen here are overjoyed at the prospect
of the immense sums of money which these mail packets
will cause to be spent in the town. During the whole of
Friday night last, hundreds of workmen were engaged
to enable the Southamptoin tradesmen to complete orders
before the departure of the vesseli. Every. vessel took
in 6001. worth of live stock and eatable stores.
The Tweed, Solway, and Clyde, had a considerable
number of passengers on board. The Directors have
caused printed rules to bo placed in the saloons of the
vessels for the regulation of the behaviour of the passen-
gers, and the observance of which rules will be strictly
enforced. No games of chance will be allowed to be
played, no scenes of riot must be indulged in, and the
sacredness of the Sabbath-day must not be violated. The
Mail Packet Company have purchased a piece of ground
on the road to Netly Abbey, of DTessrs. Buchan and Son,
at an expense of nearly 13,0002, to form a dock, and to
erect workshops and manufactories to repair their vessels.
Mr. David Urquhart, who was domesticated in the
splendid mansion of Mrs. Stuart Hall, which is situated
about a mile from Southampton, on the site of the ancient
Roman station Clausentum, and where he indited those

terribly laughed-at philippics against Lord Palmerstdn,
has not been seen here for some time. He is at present
recovering himself at Torquay from his successful la-
bours. He attempted. to form a class of young men in
this town, a short time ago, to teach them the science of
diplomacy ; but his puplls, finding that the whole sci -
once consisted in horror or Russia and hatred of Lord
Palmerston, refused his instructions.

The Duke and Duchess of Leeds havo been staying
some time at the Dolphin Hotel.

EXPLOSION AND FIRES IN

DUNDEE.

About half-past nine last night (Thursday), an alarm
spread that the mill at the West Wards, Scouringburn.
belonging to Messrs. Wyllie and Johnston, was on fire.
which proved but too true. A great portion of the mill
was destroyed, but we are happy to learn that the pre-
mises are Insured.

- -
In an incredibly short time after the fire at Wyllie
and Johnston's mill was discovered, an accident of a
much more serious nature occurred at the Gas works
one of the tanks having exploded. The building in
which the tank was placed was instantaneously levelled
with the ground, the walls of it being thrown flat almost
in a solid mass. Fortunately, the only part of the works
in which there were any of the workmen, or any human
being, was the retort-house, closely adjoining the east
end of the tank ; and the consequence is that we have
not to record the death of more titan two boys who were
sitting in the retort-house. Seven workmen employed
there escaped, with one exception, without injury, and
that slight. The effect of the shock upon the adjoin-
ing buildings was dreadful. The Bone-mill belonging
to Mr. James Anderson, immediately on the west of
the Gas-work, has been severely shattered, the
windows were entirely knocked in, and some of the
stones in the inside of the walls have been forced out and
thrown to a considerable distance. A number of the
houses in the Gas Work-lane and some in Blackscroft
have been unroofed. The windows of Prince's. street
Chapel, and in houses as far up as the Wallace-town
Church, have been smashed. In almost all the houses
along Blackscroft they have met with the same fate. In
many instances the window-shutters which were close')
have been forced from their hinges, and even cellar-doors
which were locked have been burst open. The shock of
the explosion was felt all over the town, and in a great
many places the gas was immediately extinguished b‘
it; and in the course of a very short time the town, with
the exception of those parts of it supplied from the tank
at the west-end, in the immediate vicinity of the fire at
Wyllie and Johnston's premises, was in darkness. The
confusion over the whole town was great, some rushing
to the fire at the west and others to the fire at the east-
end, and none knowing where the greatest injury might
be done.

The body of one of the boys had been got, and th
_other was in the course of being dug out of the ruin!.
We understand their names are Warden and Bruce. Thi
fire was completely extinguished.—Dundee Advertiser.