The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-24 00:00:00

FIRE ON BOARD THE LA PLATA

STEAMER.

SOUTHAMPTON, SATURDAY.

The Royal Mail Company's steamer La Plata
took fire between one and two o'clock this morn-
ing in the outer dock.
Captain Vincent, the company's superintendent,
soon arrived, and took the general direction of the
men to overcome the flames, which raged with
great fury.
Altogether twelve engines and two steamtugs
were speedily got in readiness, and commenced
pouring vast quantities of water into the ship.
Tugs were also in readiness to haul the vessel
from the other shipping in the dock if necessary.
The fore part of the ship is entirely gutted.
Smoke is still issuing, and some of the engines are
still at work. She is much down at the head,
having about twenty feet of water in her hold.
Two men were brought ashore in a state of
exhaustion, having been almost suffocated.
Great praise is due to the prompt services ren-
dered by the Peninsular and Oriental Company's,
the Dock Company's, and the town fire engines,
without which assistance the ship must have been
totally destroyed.

The La Plata is one of the company's finest
steamers and the loss sustained is most serious.

9 A.M.

The fire was got under between 5 and 6 o'clock,
and the damage is confined to the fittings of the
fore part of the vessel and the ship's stores. The
hull is not damaged.

La Plata was to have taken out the West India
mails on the 2d proximo, but, fortunately, none of
the cargo. had been shipped. A large quantity of
quicksilver was ready fur shipment, and would have
been put on board to-day.
The fire originated in the boatswain's storeroom,
but the cause is not known.

Not the slightest symptom of any fire is left.
The water is being pumped out of the ship, and
the burnt stores removed.

ARRIVAL OF THE FOX EXPLORE d VESSEL.

SOUTHAMPTON, Nov. 23.
The celebrated exploring Arctic yacht Fox, Captain
Allen Young, arrived in Portland Roads this evening, from
the coasts of the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Greenland,
where she has been engaged surveying the route for the
proposed North Atlantic Telegraph.
The severity of the season in the northern regions has
been greater this year than has been experienced for 20
years past.
The Fox remained in Greenland until the Bth November,
when winter had fairly set in.
She succeeded in examining and sounding the fiords on
the south coast, and proving their practicability for the
reception of the cable.
The Fox also coasted down a considerable extent of the
east coast of Greenland, hitherto supposed to be inacces-
sible, besides making a series of deep-sea soundings.
She brings home a variety of specimens in natural his-
tory and photographs of scenery and costumes of the coun-
tries visited.

It is inferred that the arrangement between
France and Sardinia regarding the assumption by France of
the portion of the Sardinian debt chargeable to Savoy and
Nice will involve a sum of about X 5,000,000, and hasten the
necessity for a new French Loan.
LIFE BOAT SERI ICES.—YARMOUTH, Friday.—
The schooner Admiral Hood, of Rochester, was during a
gale ofwind from N.N.W., with squalls of snow, totally
wrccked on the North Sand, off Yarmouth, a few nights
ago. On observing her signals of distress, the new life-
boat belonging to the National Lifeboat Institution was
immediately launched, and proceeded to the spot where the
vessel was lying. After some difficulty she was reached.
and her crew of six men taken on board the lifeboat, which
afterwards safely brought them on shore. The Coastguard
officer and his men rendered every assistance on the occa-
sion, by firing rocket lines over the schooner, and chiefly by
means of the rope communication thus formed, the life-
boat Wa9 succenfully launched through the heavy

The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Commander W. H. Edge,
to the Hero ; A. A. S. Watts, mio.shipman, to the
Mersey ; John E, Price, second master {additional),
to the Nile ; Thomas F. Simmon, Ist class assist.-
engineer, to the Gorgon; James Leathlean, Ist
class assist.-engineer, confirmed in the Racoon ;
Walter Ash, 2d class assist.-engineer, confirmed in
the Marlborough; Peter M'Alister, 3d class assist.-
engineer, confirmed in the Firebrand; John Taylor
(b), acting 3d class assist.-engineer, to the Hero
John Retallick, paymaster to the Meander, for ser-
vice on shore; and Edwin Harris, paymaster to the
Meander.

We have to correct an error made in the an-
nounement of the promotions of the officers of her
Majesty's ship Het o. It was William Parsons and
Francis S. D. Broughton, Mates of the Hero, who
were promoted to the rank of lieutenants.