The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-28 00:00:00

THE EXPLOSION AT CUXHAV.EN.

The Hamburgh correspondent of the Independance Beige
relates the particulars of the explosion at Cuxhaven. It
occurred through the imprudence of a person who was
shewing the torpedoes to some officers. Captain Struve,
of the steamer Neuenfelde, which was anchored near the
harbour, who had engaged to place torpedoes.in the course
of the enemy's vessels, proposed tp four officers of the
Landwehr to show them the mechanism of the infernal
machines, and afterwards invited them to supper. They
were in a merry mood, and accepted the invitation. The
captain of the steamer, on getting on board, called the
officers round him, and tried to, unscrew some part of
the mechanism, but not succeeding in his attempt, he
called to a sailor to bring him some pincers. Instead of
doing so, seeing the state his master was in and the im-
prudent manner in which he was dealing with the danger-
ous article, he jumped overboard, and thereby saved his
life. At the same moment the torpedoes exploded, and
the vessel, the captain, officers, and all on board were
blown into frag,inents. The vessel disappeared, and the
largest fragment remaining of the human bodies was tire

head of the captain, which the waves washed on a sand
bank. The gully was literally strewed with pieces of wood,
iron, bones, and remains of human bodies. It was a hor-
rible sight. Nine men were destroyed in this fearful
manner.

THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT AT

TOURS.

TOURS, SEPTEMBER 25,

A panic was created here two days ago by the news
thai the Germans had got to Orleans, would soon be at
Blois, and might thence be expected to run down post
haste and oust "the rump " of the Provisional G wern-
ment from Tours itself. This report of the spread of the
irrepressible Uhlans gave rise to great grief throughout
this place. The announcement wasspread that the Govern-
ment would remove from Tours further south ; one
" authority " said it meant to " back " as far as
Toulouse ; and the people, or many of them,
shewed an unmistakeable disposition to retire. But we
have got over all this trouble. The Germans have not
yet reached Tours, and the Government remains, go-
verning with all its might. It finds the work very hard
It is a grave undertaking, and not a very en-
couraging one, to form new armies when all
the regular troops, which might have formed a nucleus,
have been locked up in fortresses, killed, or made pri-
soners. Moreover, there is, at least, some part of France
which objects to be governed at all at the present crisis,
and there is just now no means, at the command of the
authorities to bring the refractory districts to order.
Lyons has been troublesome, though it now gives signs of
repentance, and professes obedience to the central
authority, albeit it will not consent to abolish the red
flag. In other parts of the country the hold .of the new
Government seems exceedingly slight. With Metz and
Strasbourg the Republican Ministry, has apparently no
intercourse whatever. Bazaine, it is probable, would dis-
own any form of rule, unless it were that of the Emperor
—or, perhaps, himself.
In the next place the detachment of the Government
posted here is decidedly too weak. No doubt it was
the best plan to divide the Ministry, one party watching
, over the defence of the capital, whilst another, stationed
at Tours, endeavoured to develope the national resources.
But the division has not been equitably made. All the
talent of the Government is inside Paris, and scarcely any
of it outside. Of the many good men who for the last
twenty years have given proof of their ability in the
Chamber, and of their integrity by refusing on Principle
the sweets of Imperial office, not one is here. Favre,
Pelletan, Picard, and the rest have remained in the be-
leaguered capital. The three Ministers who repre-
sent the Provisional Government at Tours, M.
Cremieux, M. Glais-Bizoin, and Admiral. Fouri-
chon, are men of fair average capacity.
and nothing more. M. Cr6niieux is a veteran politician—
a little too veteran, indeed. Born in 1794, he early dis-
played considerable capacity at the bar. During the later
days of Louis Philippe's reign he distinguished himself by
his attacks upon the Guizot Ministry, and strenuously
supported the reformist agitation, though always with
moderation, and never entirely breakii►ng with the
monarchy. After the abdication of Louis Philippe he
pronounced in favour of the regency of the Duchess of
Orleans, and it was not without hesitation that
he associated himself with the Republic. He
became Minister of Justice, and so remained
until the fall of the Ministry on June 7, 1848. He was
the only one of the eight representatives of Indre-et-Loire
who favoured the candidature of Louis Napoleon for the
Presidency. After the man of his choice had, however,
displayed some of his peculiar qualities, M. Cr6mieux
became a vigorous supporter of the Opposition, and on the
occasion of the Coup d'6tat was honoured with incarcera-
tion in Mazas Prison. He afterwards devoted himself to
his profession, and never reappeared in political life until
last year, when he commenced to speak at public meet-
ings. At the general election he stood for the second
circumscription of the Drome department, but was beaten
by 13,189 to 12,920. At the partial elections for Paris
shortly afterward's he got a seat for the third oircumscrip
tion. M. Glais Bizoin is also an ancient. He was
born in 1800, and has had great experience
of representative assemblies. He served Parliament
constantly from 1830 to 1848, taking his place on the ex-
treme I .eft. But in the revolution of the latter year he
did not play any very important part, and failed to get a
seat in the Legislative Assembly. In 1863 ho triumphed
as an opposition candidate in the Cotes-du-Nord depart-
ment, and during the six years which followed gained
quite a reputation as an original character by his frequent
and remarkable interruptions. In 1869, he was beaten, but
got in for one of the Paris seats at the partial election
which took place in November. Admiral Fourichon was
born in 1809, and passed through the various grades of the
navy without doing anything very remarkable. In 1861
he was made president of the Council of Navy Works,
and has a place in the Legion of Honour, so that he is in
some sense an Imperialist.

Amongst these three men—all tolerably advanoed in
life—there does not appear to be one who is capable of
making any great impression upon the people. A genius
might at the present moment rouse the country to extra-
ordinary efforts, and turn something useful out of the raw
stuff which lies ready to his hand. But there is nothing
in the previous careers of these three veterans to justify
the presumption that they will accomplish striking feats.
Youth and energy are the qualities most in request.
We have substantial testimony that the blockade of
Paris is complete. For several days up to the 22nd no
news came from the capital. M. Jules Favre, as you well
know, has failed to obtain acceptable terms for an armis-
tice. People hope that Thiers's mission will be attended
with good results. The evidence, however, all points the
other way.