The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-26 00:00:00

elusion must be arrived at. Should we prepare to
make war against Prussia, or would it not be pre-
ferable to accept faithfully accomplished facts, and
maintain with New Germany the relations of peace
and good neighbourhood ?"

The Courrier de la Meuse, a paper published at
Maestricht, states that the cattle plague has broken
out with great severity at Hassum, in Prussia, on
the route from Goch to Afferden (Limbourg). On
Friday last it was deemed necessary to kill 21 head
of oxen affected with the disease. The authorities
have adopted stringent measures to prevent the
spread of the disease. A fresh augmentation had
been noted in the number of bovine typhus. During
one week there had been 7,705 cases.

There has been a tremendous explosion of gas at
Versailles, but happily no personal injury has been
sustained. The explosion was heard at a distance
of several miles. The gasometer contained about
18,000 metres of gas. The loss of gas is estimated
at the value of 6,000 f., and the injury done to the
works amounts to no less than 200,000 f. The
steam engine was blown to pieces, and stones and
portions of columns were hurled to a considerable
distance. The water from the broken reservoir in-
undated the works, and the rats rushed out by
thousands to seek refuge elsewhere. The gas set
fire to a building in the vicinity.
The great financial authority, the Semaine
Financiere, thus appreciates the Budget of M.
Fould :—" The impression arising from reading this
important document is two-fold; it excites admira-
tion at the fecundity of the resources of France, and
a sentiment of painful surprise at the laborious
efforts which it is necessary to make to keep our ex-
penses upon a level with those splendid and inde-
fatigable resources. With such elastic resources as
ours, with resources increasing to the extent of 45
millions from year to another, and which, according
to the views of the Minister of Finance, will exceed
by 40 millions the expectations of the Budget of
1867, which could not be done by Governments
like those of England and the United States, accus-
tomed to assist by skilful and comprehensive mea-
sures, to advance the progress of the riches of their
country."

The Oaks Colliery Explosion.

DEATH OF ANbTHER OF THE SUFFERERS.
BARNSLEY, Tuesday Afternoon.
Yesterday and to-day the No. 2 shaft continued
to emit quantities of choke-damp at intervals.
After being clear for a few minutes, and whilst some
of the engineers were examining it, some of those on
the ground adjoining heard the rumbling noise from
the No. 2 shaft which generally precedes the explo-
sion. Those on the pit-bank immediately left, and
some said they believed it was the noise caused by
the falling of something at the bottom. But those
whose ears have become familiar with the peculiar
sound considered that an explosion had taken place,
but had in a great measure been stifled. What-
ever may have been the cause, a man has been placed
to watch the top both night and day. The experi-
ment about to be made of taking the gas out of the
pit by means of a pipe is being looked forward to
with considerable interest by our colliery proprie-
tors. A similar experiment was made a few years
since at a colliery near Wakefield, when the gas was
brought to the top and there burnt. That colliery,
however, was not so large or so deep as the Oaks.
That there is a vast quantity of gas in the pit can-
not be doubted, as, in addition to what may be ex-
pected from the usual sources, there is the feeder,
which has hitherto made sufficient to supply the
lamps in the engine plane, pouring out its volumes.
To-day a number of men were busily employed
in putting up placards within a radius of 150 yards
of the pit, with the words " Smoking strictly pro-
hibited," and "No lights whatever allowed." This
is in connection with the attempt to be made to
draw the gas with a pipe, as there is every reason
to believe it will spread, and, of course, would easily
ignite. Every precaution is being taken to prevent
accidents, and no one is allowed to go near to the
pit bank.

Yesterday evening another of the men who
were brought out alive on the occasion of the
pit explosion expired, after suffering greatly from
the burns received. His name was Charles
Walmsley, and from the first no hopes were enter-
tained of his recovery. There are now Tour left

alive, and of these two are in a fair way of recovery,
whilst the other two are in a doubtful state. To-day
the widows and children were well taken care of by
the Miners' Association, being provided with ample
materials for a good and substantial dinner, &c.
The special report as to the state of the mine says
that on Monday there were 90 yards of spoil in the
furnace shaft, and 80 of water. This evening the
engineers in charge report that the spoil in No. 1
shaft and the furnace shafi had subsided very little
since the previous day. They found no water in
No. 1 shaft.

A meeting of engineers is to be held to-morrow
morning at the colliery, to arrange for the resolu-
tion of Monday being carried out.

Measures for the relief of the widows and orphans
are being adopted. The Miners' Association, in
order to enable the sufferers to spend as comfortable
a Christmas as possible, have distributed 41b. of meat

to each widow, and I.lb. to each child. Yesterday
afternoon a tea meeting for the widows and orphans
was served up in the Reform Chapel, Hoyle Mill,
by the donations of several friends.