The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-24 00:00:00

BANKRUPTS.

John Lyall, malt and hop dealer, Regent's-square
dlesex, to surrender, Aug. 2, at half-past one, and Mid'
s,ep
6, at two, at the Court of Bankruptcy.
Thomas Griffith, builder, Walworth, Aug. 4, at eleve
awl Sept. 6, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. ,
Benj imin Parker, merchant, Sufferance Wharf, Milwall;.
Aug. 4, at two, and Sept. 8, at one, at the Court of Bank=
ruptey.
Thomas 13,1t0n, bookseller, Dane's-inn, Strand, Aug. 3,
at one, and Sept. 12, at eleven, at the Court of Bank-
ruptcy.
John West, ironmonger, Plymouth, Aug. 12 and 31, at
one, at the Athenaeum, Plymouth.
Seth Gray, cloth manufacturer, Calverley, Yorkshire,
Aug. 9, at half-past eleven, and Sept. 3, at eleven, at the
Leeds District Court.
John Hughes and Thomas D. Steel, engiueers, NeW-

SERIOUS ACCIDENT IN THE SOUTHAM.r.
TON DOGyKS.

Great interest was excited in Southampton yes-
terday by the occurrence of an accident which will
have the effect of retarding for some considerable
period the progress of the wurks for enlarging and
walling in on all sides the inner dock. This dock
was built in 1851, at a cost of 18,0001., being
walled in on two sides only ; but recently it was
determined to complete it by building a wall on
the two remaining sides, at the same time enl-ag-
ing its area and deepening it. Its area originally
was 10 acres, depth of water 25 feet, and the length
of the walls was 1,800 feet. The work of enlarge-
ment has been in operation during the last three or
four months, and progressed very rapidly. The
dock has been pumped dry about a couple of
months, and the existing walls have hitherto ap-
peared quite capable of resisting the unusual strain
to which they were neccs3arily subjected, and which
all dock walls have to encounter when the water is
drawn out.

Yesterday morning, however, it was observed
that the ground behind the north wall began to
sink, and the floor of the dock to rise, carrying the
wall forward for a length of 200 and 300 feet, the
extreme-point being 4fr. Gin, beyond the straight
line. The wall has sunk with the movement 2ft.
Gin., but the ground behind the wall has sunk 10
feet, the floor of the dock being raised from four to
five feet. The appea! alma presented somewhat
resembles that produced by an earthqu tke, the
surface of the ground being cracked and broken in
all directions, and the quay-paving and tramway
having changed their position frcin a level to a
series of inclined planes. Under ordinary circum-
stanceq any dock wall would have been complete!y
upset, but the great width of the base of this wall
(24 feet) has as yet saved it from such a catastrophe.
As soon as the subsidence was discovered a tele-
graphic message was forwarded to Mr. A. Giles,
the engineer, who immediately left London, and
on his arrival ordered the floor of the dock to be
weighted by soil removed from behind the wall, so
as to prevent further movement, until he has had
time to ascertain the cause of the accident. A large
number of men were also immediately set to work
to relieve the pressure behind as much as possible by 1
removing the stone-work, tramways, crane, &c.,
and every means has bean a !opted to oheck any
further progress of the work of destruction, and
also to prevent personal accident to those engaged.
Some fears were entertained during the day for
the safety of a fine warehouse on the quay, running
parallel with the portion of the wall and ground
which has subsided, and known as the " D Store."
Happily, however, those fears were relieved as the
day advanced by the settlement having apparently
stopped, and at the time of avritine. the warehouse
was considered ssfe. Underneath iCis a large vault,
containing a valuable quantity of wine in bottle,
amounting to over 100 pipes.
As usual on these occasions, the most fabulous
reports gained circulation as to the extent of the
accident, the amount of damage, &c. Of course,
in the present state of affairs, any estimate of the
,
sort must be purely conjectural, and wi h this pre-
vise in view we MAY state that it is feared by the
,;officials that the cost of replacing the work will be
fisom 2,0001. to 3,000/. "PPosing that no further
Thjaytaceurs, while others Llama larger sums as the
extßit if-the damage. Al must equally be con-
jectuea the cause of the movement, but it is
generallt • ght to be due to aquicksand, the total
withdrawal of the water causing the soil to sink,
and hence the forcing out of the wall. Future
examination, however, mutt decide this question.
Up to the moment of -the last train leaving,
Southampton (7.10 p.m.) nothing fresh had oc-
curred to awake' appiehension as to the safety o!
the warehouse Above referred to.