The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-10 00:00:00

the modifications contained in the preceding dispatch,
the circular note containing the offer and bases of a
mediation iu S vitz3rla-Lid had been agreed to by the
Ambassador of "Austria, and the Minister of
Prussia, who had engaged to transmit it to
their representatives in Switzerland, in order
that these latter gentlemen might hand it
in simultaneously with the Ambassador of France and
the Charge d'Affaires of England, to the President of
the Diet and to the President of the Council of War
of the Sonderbund. The dispatch adds that the
Chargé d'Affaires of Russia, not having as yet re-
ceived any instructions from his Court, could not
enter into any engagement to take immediately a
similar step, but that he was of opinion that his
Court would adhere to the line of conduct pursued
by those of Vienna and Berlin.
No. 21, dated November 28, is addressed by M.
Guizot to M. de Bois-le-Comte, enclosing the circular
note to be presented to the President of the Diet and
to the President of the Council of War of the Son-
derbund.

No. 22, dated Dec. 2, is from the Duke de Broglie
to M. Guizot, informing him that Lord Palmerston
had that morning, in the course of an official conver-
sation, observed that the proposed mediation would
in all probability be rendered unnecessary by the
rapid progress of events. "If the Sonderbund still
exists," observed his Lordship, " it will receive from
Sir S. Canning, on his arrival at Berne, in concert
ith the envoys of the other four Powers, the note
agreed on • but if that body no longer exists, the
mediation falls to the ground. The dispatch further
contains the rest of the conversation which took place
between his Lordship and the Ambassador, chiefly on
the precise meaning of the words " perpetual neutra-
lity" and " inviolability of territory," as applied to
Switzerland. The Noble Duke maintained, he
states, that though an intervention was to be consi-
dered highly objectionable, and to be justified only
by very extraordinary circumstances, still it might
be rendered necessary by the relations existing be-
tween the Swiss cantons and the Powers contiguous
to their frontiers.

TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
The greatest consternation was occasioned in
Wandsworth on Friday afternoon, by a sudden report
of such violence as to shake many of the houses to
their foundations. It was soon ascertained that the
scene of the catastrophe was a baker's shop, situated
near the swing-bridge, and not more than one hun-
dred yards from the railway station, and which had
been blown up with its occupants, the baker (Mr.
Cupit), his wife, and child. The scene that pre-
sented itself to the beholders was heart-rending, the
interior of the shop was a heterogeneous mass of
ruin, under and amongst which lay the insensible
bodies of Mr. Cupit, his wife, and child. These un-
fortunate beings were, with praiseworthy diligence,
soon released from the mass of rubbish in which
they had been buried, and upon being exposed to
the fresh air showed signs of animation ; but all of
them had Lecn most frightfully injured, Mrs. Cupit
more particularly so; indeed so serious are her inju-
ries that, if life is spared, she will probably be a
cripple for life.

The house is the corner one of a number recently
built in a very substantial manner, and was only
opened a week since. At the time of the explosion
there were ups % ards of five bushels of bread in it,
which Mr. Cupit and his wife were placing ready to
take out, both being behind the counter, and the child
in the centre of the shop; it was broad daylight, and
therefore no necessity for the gas or any other arti-
ficial light, and the circumstance makes the occurrence
the more extraordinary, inasmuch as it was a gas
explosion, and a vast body, to judge from the damage
done. The entire flooring, under which there is no
cellar, was blown up, some of the boards forcing their
way partly into the first floor; several joists of this
floor were snapped in two, and the boards forced up.
Both shop windows were blown out, the two heavy
folding doors torn from the jamb-posts, and the
destruction continued in an unabated form to the
bakehouse, a distance of eighteen yards from the shop.
The opposite house had all the windows broken, and
the damage altogether will amount to several hundred
pounds. The gas was only laid on from the main on
Monday last, and various opinions are afloat as to the
efficiency of the work ; the matter will, however, be
investigated by the company (a local one), and no
doubt sifted to the bottom. On Saturday Mrs. Cupit
was declared out of danger, but she will be a deplor-
able sufferer for months.