The Sun.
London, England, 1870-04-19 00:00:00

CATASTROPHE NEAR BRUSSELS.

A terrible catastrophe occurred three days back, in the
works of the Linen Manufacturing Company at St. Gilles,
in the environs of Brussels, by the explosion of a boiler in
the drying house. Nearly twenty men or women were
killed or frightfully scalded by the steam, and eight
had already died at the moment of the last accounts.
The factory was at the same time set on fire,
but the flames did not extend beyond the building in
which they had commenced, but which was entirely de-
stroyed.

THE INTERNATIONAL OCEAN YACHT
RACE.

Vice-Commodore J. G. Bennett, jun., sailed on Satill
day for England, his mission being to supervise the refit-
ting of his yacht, the Dauntless, for the forthcoming
internatianal ocean yacht race with the Cambria. Mr.
Bennett intends to command his vessel in person. By his
daring and perseverance in yatching matters he long since
won the esteem and confidence of American yachtmen, anal
in the present case, when he entered into an agreement
with Mr. Ashbury simply as an American citizen, th.
contract is the more heartily. applauded for being
made by the representative American yachtman. While
every member of every yacht club feels that Mr. Ben-
nett is the proper person to succeed to the high honour;
following a victory in such a contest, there is
a divided opinion as to whether the Dauntless
is the vessel most likely to achieve a triumph.
She is not yet held in such high esteem as her master.
This being the case, the defeat of the Dauntless would not
involve Dir. Bennett's !vestige in the least. In England,
Mr. Ashbury's case is just the reverse. There the Cam.
hria is regarded as the representative yacht, and Mr.
Ashbury as her fortunate possessor. Should the Cambria
win the race, and Mr. Ashbury command her in person,
the vessel's success would never be regarded in England as
due to his presence, while here the defeat of the Cambria
would be pronounced the result of the seamanship of Mr.
Bennett. As to the question of marine architecture,
it affects the American interest only as to the model
of one boat, while the art in England is to receive an im-
petus or a check. So much for the practical bearing of
the race. The interest which it has awakened in both
countries will increase as the day for setting sail ap-
proaches. By the 4th of July, the time the vessels are
do leave Kinsale, Ireland, it will have reached a pitch of
excitement which will find its culmination only when one
of the vessels ingkes Sandy Hook Point.—New York Tri-
bune, April 4.

A Parliamentary crisis has occurred at Melbourne,
The Ministry have been defeated, and their resignation is
expected. A pension of £lOOO a year has been voted to
Lady Darling.
The business of the Divorce and Probate Court
during this term will be quite sufficient to engage the full
attention of Lord Penzance, there being no less than 49
probate and 138 divorce suits, besides 14 of the latter,
which stand over by consent.

The Manchester Examiner says that a movement
is on foot in the North and East Ridings with the view of
securing for those districts the seats that would be vacated
were the expected disfranchisement of Beverley to take
place.

It is stated that the Government commission of
inquiry into the treatment and present condition of the
Irish Fenian convicts will be presided over by the Earl of
Devon.ebThe Hon. Geor,,o-e Charles Broderick, M.P. for
Woodstock, and Mr. Do Vere, who for some time repre-
sented Limerick county on Liberal principles, are to be
members in conjunction with an English and Irish
physician, both of long standing and eminence in their
profession.

Private steamers between Malta and Marseilles
which have hitherto sailed weekly, will hereafter only sail
three times a month each way, the departures from
Marseilles being fixed for the 7th, 17th, and 27th of the
month. Mails intended for Malta will be made up
on the mornings of the sth, 15th, and 25th of each
month, with supplementary mails on the evenings of those
dates.

The Grand Lodge of the Independent Orange
Association met in Belfast on Saturday, . and passed
a resolution condemning the conduct of Sir Hervey
Bruce, M.P. for Coleraine, in relation to the Land
Bill, and in opposing the repeal of the Party Processions
Act. Arrangements were made for joining with the inde-
pendent Orangemen of Coleraine in preventing the return
of Sir Hervey at the next election.
A considerable amount of satisfaction has been
given the hands employed at Chatham dockyard by the
announcement received from the Admiralty that any
established workman recommended for discharge who has
less than ten years' service will he awarded a gratuity of
one month's pay ler every year of his service. This will
enable the workmen so discharged to make the necessary
arrangements for emigrating, should they be desirous of so
doing.