The Sun.
London, England, 1869-07-02 00:00:00

VIE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JULY 2, V:69

ceeded some distance a dreadful explosion took place
and the consequences were most serious. The
horses and three of the men accompanying the
carts were blown to atoms, and so great
was the force of the concussion that fragments of the
cart wheels were picked up a mile from the spot.
In a village, a quarter of a mile off, serious in-
juries were sustained, the roofs of houses were blown
off, and household furniture destroyed to a great
extent. Property was damaged for miles round,
and the effect of the shock was felt at Carnarvon
and Bangor, some miles distant from the scene
of the occurrence. The valley to the foot
of Snowdon felt the shock. Seven deaths
are said to have occurred in consequence
of this calamity, and many persons have
been seriously injured. Sad as these details are it is
evident that the explosion might have been produc-
tive of far more serious consequences under other cir-
cumstances. The contents of the five carts might
have exploded in Carnarvon itself, causing a scene of
destruction fearful to contemplate. If all the five
carts had been dispatched to one quarry in all pro-
bability the accident would have been more serious
than it was. The cause of the explosion is not
known, but a jolt over a cart rut or
stone is sufficient to produce an accident
with this most powerful and dangerous agent.
The Abergele disaster furnished a striking instance
of the dangers attending the transmission of
explosive oils, and though in that case the substance
was not nitro-glycerine, it was similarly dangerous.
Nitro glycerine has been disoovered four years, and
its history contains many chronicles. Three years
ago a number of cases exploded at Aspinwall, on the
Isthmus of Panama, and the vessel of 1,900
tons, which contained them, was entirely de-
stroyed, and another large ship was demo-
lished, as well as the quay for a dis-
tance of 4,00 feet. Several persons were killed on
this occasion and fifty others seriously injured. At
Newcastle, a short time ago, a sad accident occurred
through the explosion of nitro-glycerine, when the
sheriff and six other persons were killed. The re-
cent calamity at Carnarvon was not needed to show
that fearful risk attends the employment of nitro-
glycerine. The question which concerns the public
is how far it is justifiable to permit the transit of
these dangerous substances. It seems idle to depend
on the use of precautions, for accidents occur after
every device has been resorted to that skill can
suggest or science devise. Curiously enough, when
the accident occurred at Newcastle a part of one of
canisters was found marked " safety solution of
nitro-glycerine in wood—naphtha." It appears that
nitro-glycerine possesses a remarkable tendency to
undergo decomposition, and when in this state it will
explode upon the least shock being given to it. It is
high time that a strict inquiry should be instituted
into all the details of this subject, and that
those best qualified to give an opinion
should decide on the propriety of sending these
explosive materials about the country. It is
.too
much the habit with us all to turn aside from sub-
jects that do not immediately come under notice, but
really this question of accidental explosion is becom-
ing a serious one, and cannot much longer be
trifled with. It is always unwise to exagge-
rate dangers, but, on the other hand, it is
culpable to neglect the startling warnings that have
been given, and the most sceptical must admit that
there is cause for apprehension. It is impossible to
say when or where a Rew accident may take place
through the incautious transmission of these combus-
tible substances. When it is known that seventy
cases of nitro-glycerine were shipped at London on
one occasion it is evident that great risks were run,
and that the public safety was put in jeopardy
to an alarming extent. It is, perhaps, going
too far to say that the transit of nitro-glycerine is
not to b 3 tolerated at all ; but this is what it will
come to if more care cannot be taken by those con-
cerned in the matter. At any rate, it is certain that
something should be done to avoid the too pro-
bable recurrence of these dangers, and the sooner
the better in the interests of the community. It
is enough to alarm the most courageous to find
that the force of this exploding oil is
ten times that of gunpowder, and that,
in the course of a single year, several
tons of it are used in the largest quarries. It follows
then, as a matter of course, that its transit must be
of frequent occurrence, and hence the wonder is that
disasters and accidents are not of far more frequent
occurrence. Most probably some mention of this
calamity at Carnarvon will be made in the Ilouse of
Commons, and it is to he hoped that the Government
and the Legislature will devise some means of pro-
tecting the community from the constant recurrence
of these disasters.

Or all strange inconsistencies surely one of the
strangest is the course taken by Mr. CHARLES REED
and some of his fellow Nonconformists respecting
the exemption of Sunday and ragged-schools from
parochial rates. At the very time that they are
dealing a triumphant blow against the principle of
State endowment of religion, they are forcing the
Government to adopt that principle in a new form.
To exempt owners of certain property from the rates
means to compel other owners to pay more rates ;
means that these are forced to pay whether they
will or not for the benefit of the first;
means the very opposite to the voluntary system
which the member for Hackney so strenuously
upholds on other occasions. So clearly is this the
case that Mr. PEASE, himself a Nonconformist, de-.
dared that Mr. REED'S proposal amounted to an
endowment. Nevertheless, strong as the Dissenting
element is supposed to be in the present Parliament,
jealously as it is supposed to watch against any
approach towards the endowment of Romanism, this
measure has been carried through a second reading
by a large majority, and against the wishes of the
Government. In fact, the Government has had to
give way, and to acknowledge itself beaten, but not
convinced, by some of its (generally) strongest sup-
porters.

We acknowledge that there is one argument in
favour of Mr. REED'S proposal. Everybody knows
that at present nearly all charitable institutions are
supported by the same persons. The few give to
all, the many give to none. The exemption of Sunday
and ragged-schools from parochial rates is one means
of making the niggard contribute. Ile will thus
subscribe, possibly, as much as a penny a year
against his will. This is what Mr. REED gains. It
is no very great gain so far as the money is con-
cerned. But Mr. REED ought to think that the loss,
so far as principle is concerned, is very great. If
this mode of enforced contribution be legitimate,
so were church rates. The two stand pre-
cisely on the same footing, except that
the second was a direct tax while the
first is indirect. Of the two the second is the
better. It is better that when we give we should
know to what and for what we are giving, and also
what we give. If we are to pay in order that chil-
dren shall be taught the tenets of the Swedenbor-
gians and the Mormons, at least let us know that we
are doing this, and what amount we pay, in order
that if our conscience is susceptible we may counter-
act this forced loan for the propagation of hei e3y by
a free gift for the propagation of orthodoxy. Of
course there is much to be said for an education
rate, both because it would be direct and because we
could not entertain any conscientious ob;ection
against the teaching of the three lt.'s. But Mr.
REED'S Exemption Bill involves an indirect tax and
a forced contribution towards the promulgation of
opinions whereof the contributor may disapprove.
The amendment which he has agreed to accept is an
improvement, but it does not remove the fundamen-
tal objection to the bill. It is better that the paro-
chial rates should be levied, and that a special
exemption should be made, than that there should
be no rates at all. Best of all would be the levying
without exemption,

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, THURSDAY, July 1.

The Corps L4gislatif holds its second meeting—the first
for business—to-day. Very lively scenes were hardly to
be looked for on the first day or two, as the elections
which are not contested will be first disposed of, and then
the tug of war will take place over those returns which are
disputed. But it appears that the Opposition has opened
fire at once. To-day the sitting was inaugurated by M.
Pelletan demanding that all the lists on which the votes
of the electors were counted as they were taken from the
ballot•box should be laid before the bureaux, to assist them
in the work of ratification. M. de Forcade la Roquette did
not absolutely refuse this request, but he declined to commit
himself to any engagement on the subject. M. Pelletan urged
that he was demanding a right and not a favour. But he
got no more definite reply. Then M. Ernest Picard got
up, and claimed that a list be made out of all the promises,
gifts, and favours of every kind accorded in the name of
the official candidates in order to influence the elections.
To this question the Minister of the Interior made no
response whatever. What happened after this lively
beginning I must leave the telegraph to tell you, for the
session is now going on.

The increase of the Liberal party has already had one
good effect. The general interest felt in politics has
enormously extended. Never before have I noticed so
much popular enthusiasm in the business of the National
Assembly, never have political gossip and canvassing been
so lire. This is merely the natural result of the changed
relations of parties. When one side held such an enor-
mous preponderance, nobody cared what was done ; but
now that the Opposition is nearly quadrupled, it begins to
look like a fight. The rumours of Ministerial changes
are as numerous as ever. Most people begin
to think that M. Rouher has lost the game, and
that his downfall is now only a question of time, and a
very short time, too. There is no lack of successors for
the post. N. de Persigny, in particular, appears to be
very active. He not only writes to the Constitutionnel,
but likewise to the Emperor, for I know that he has just
sent a long memorial to the weary sovereign, and that it
was seen in his Majesty's hands only yesterday morning.
Rouher, however, will give much trouble to his
enemies. He will be quite prepared to throw over his
ultra-Imperialist doctrines and come out as a Radical
reformer whenever called upon.
The Tiers-Parti held a meeting yesterday at the house
cf M. Jules Brame, in the Rue Tronchet, and a very
stormy meeting, I understand, it was. M. Emile 011ivier
and a great many of the " Liberty under the Empire"
men were there. An interpellation on the internal
situation of the country was the subject of
consideration. One deputy proposed that the interpella-
tion should demand " that the country be granted a more
efficacious influence in the government of its own
affairs." The adverb " more" caused a regular
row. M. de Choiseul-Praslin argued that the
country could not have " more" influence, because
it had not any at present. The word " more" was
objectionable because it implied the existence of some
influence when really there was none. Most of the
Liberty under the Empire men agreed with this view, and
the word " more " was struck out. But two deputies of
much influence refused to sign the interpellation in this
form. So the word " more " was put in again ; but then
two others refused to sign. However, the adverb
remains.

Your readers will much regret to hear that M. de
Montalembert has had a relapse, and the state of his
health is again very grave.
The bishops are corning up to the Council from the utter-
most parts of the earth. The Bishop of Siam is now in
Paris, and the spiritual chief of Hayti is at Rome. If the
representatives of these remote dioceses can get here thus
early, surely there will be no need for postponing the
Council, as at first propoe• 1.
We are yet in the dark as to the diplomatist who is
likely to succeed poor Count von Goltz as Prussian
Ambassador here. It is said that the Prince von Reussis
likely to take this highly important office. One journal
was so positive on this subject as to assert that the Prin-
cess was "packing up," ready to come to Paris. But two
formidable objections to this statement present them-
selves. The Princess would not pack up untilher husband
was appointed ; and, in the next place, there is no such
lady, for the Prince von Reuss is a bachelor.
The state of the great industrial region round
Lyons is far from reassuring. The members of
a'most every trade in that city are now out on strike ; and
Lyons, as you know, is, of all places in France, the most
dangerous locality for a great " turn out." The prospect
that the great majority of the workmen in that city will
soon be wanting bread is not at all satisfactory. The
strike at St. Etienne, too, continues, and in some places
the colliers have again shewn a disposition to interfere
with those workmen who do not choose to join them.
At Nimes there has been an explosion of fire-damp, and
nine men have lost their lives.

I just learn that in one of the bureaux the election of an
officer of the Crown has been declared valid by a majority
of thirteen against nine. This is a very significant pro-
ceeding. The return in question was not contested on
account of unfair practices or anything of the kind, but
simply because the deputy was a servant of the Crown.
That nine deputies out of twenty-two should he found to
vote against a return on this ground is a fact of no small
importance.
The number of contested elections will be about seventy.
The pleas on which it is sought to set them aside are
various—distributions of money, breaking open ballot.
boxes, tampering with ballot boxes by means of false
keys, and promises and bribes of all kinds. Every one of
these elections will give rise to a debate of more or less
importance, so that the " verification of powers" is no
small undertaking.

THE MASSACRE OF ENGLISH
TRAVELLERS IN ABYSSINIA

A letter from Mr. Powell's gamekeeper, Ron=
McDonald, supplies some accurate details of the re•
ported massacre of the family of travellers in
Abyssinia and their party. It says :—" On the
morning of the 17th of April, at a quarter to
six o'clock (Saturday), Mr. and Mrs. Powell, one mis-
sionary, two Arab servants, and one guide, a native of
Tika, left M'Kerrer, a German (Dragoman), one mis-
sionary, and six Arab servants, with the camels and lug--
gage. We started at a quarter past six o'clock, and at
twelve o'clock we were attacked by a band of natives, about
twenty-five or thirty in number. They attacked us from
behind, and killed the two Europeansitit once. I was a
little behind them, and saw the spears sticking in
their bodies. I turned round to shoot, but I
was so near to the robbers that I had no
time to take aim. It was very small shot I had,
and the Wilkinson gun. I fired, and then had to
run for my life. The servants were ranted and pursued
in advance of me by some of the robberS. They were here
and there by the side of the camels. One of the servants
was killed, and one severely wounded. I got to the other
four servants, and we went on in search of Mr. Powell
till we were done for want of water, and the Arabs went
under a tree, and they would not go ono way or another
till the sun would set. When the sun had gone down
we again started we knew not w hither. We went on for
five hours, and in an hour and a half v e came on the
place where we took water from, and then we knew where
we were, and we went on to a missionary house, and we
arrived there a little before five o'clock in the morning, very
much exhausted, so we could donothing. The missionary,
sent off a party of the natives in search of Mr. Powell,
and they returned two days after with the fearful news
that all bad been killed, and that they had seen the bodies
and spoken with the people. The natives would not
allow me to go with them ; they said that if I went the
Tika men would kill both me and them."

AN INFANT EATEN BEFO.R4' lIS
MOTHER'S EYES.

About eight days ago, says the Evening Moniteur, a
menagerie v, hick had been stationed for some time in the
fair at Orleans suddenly disappeared. The story attend-
ing its removal was as follows :--The wife of the pro-
prietor of the menagerie was nursing a fine healthy girl of
about five months old. About four o'clock in the after-
noon, the mother, with the child in her arms, was walking
in front of the cages of the animals, and was just opposite
the one containing the lion, when one of the attendants
of the menagerie spoke to her in reference to some
details of service. It happened that, through negligence,
a sufficient purchase of meat had not been made for
the carnivorous inmates of the establishment that day,
and after the rest of the animals had been fed there was
nothing to give the lion. This animal, excited by sight
of his cage companions feeding while he had nothing to
eat, was leaping wildly about his cage, roaring fiercely.
In order to attend to the query of the employt, the mother
turned round, and in doing so approached the skirt of her
dress so near to the cage of the lion that he, putting out
his paw, caught hold of it and dragged her towards him.
Making a sharp movement to free her skirt the unfortu-
nate woman approached the child too, close to the
bars of the cage, when the lion, quick as lightning,
dashed out its other paw, and snatched the little infant
into its confine, before the terrified mother could dis-
pute with it the prey. The poor woman filled the
place with piteous cries, and, inspired by maternal cour-
age, endeavoured to drag the infant from the ferocious
beast, which had already devoured half its head. There
was nothing to be seen but bloody scraps of human flesh
mingled with pieces of dress, while the animal, threaten.
ing with terrible eyes, was crunching the bones of the
child, which could be heard crackling beneath his power-
ful jaw. 'There was nothing to be done, and the mother
was removed from the horrible spectacle. Her husband,
in his sorrow and rage, took up a gun, and pointing it
to the lion, the tomb of his infant, laid the animal
dead in the cage. As lo the mother, when her first
paroxysm of grief was calmed, it was found that she had
become mad.