The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-05 00:00:00

PRICE OF BREAD IN PARIS.

A letter from Paris says :—ln the Ministerial
Council which took place on Tuesday, and lasted
four hours, it is said grain and bread were the
objects of discussion. It is a subject important
enough to merit precedence above all others. Ever
since the last rise in the price of bread the agitation
has been great among the labouring classes, espe-
cially in the Faubourg St. Jaques and the Faubourg
St. Antoine. Placards are posted up on the doors
of bakers demanding bread at one price and
potatoes at another. Besides, the Place Maubert
became, the day before yesterday, the scene of
angry discussion on the part of the workmen, and
several arrests have been made in consequence.
Besides these more palpable signs of discontent
with the municipal authorities and prefecture, other
means have been resorted to, and these are anony-
mous letters.
Since the last rise of bread the municipality and
prefecture have been inundated with these missives,
couched, as you may imagine, in anything but offi-
cial language. While other ways of manifesting
opinions about officials in power are rather scanty
and fraught with difficulties, one must expect this
undesirable expedient, which seems to place us back
to the times of the old secret tribunals of Germany,
the Vehmgericht. Both prefecture and munici-
pality are in trouble about these anonymous commu-
nications, and they have to thank themselves for
it. A little publicity would remedy everything.
The municipality was in debt to the bakers for last
year to the amount of 53,000,000 f. a sum which has
been now reduced to 16,000,000 f. With such a
deficit still remaining, and the apprehension of
winter close at hand, it would not be desirable to
encumber the nuances or tuu-vown too much, and
with this view they raiscd the price of the maxi.:
mum, expecting to maintain bread at that price for
the rest of the winter. The expense entailed on
the town by the establishment of the caisse is
formidable. lam told one certain difference be-
tween the fiscal market price and the price of the
bakers stands the town in 250,000 f. a-month.
In the meantime I hear the Emperor has given
positive orders to continue without interruption all
works during the winter, and begin even those
which have been only projected. A story is told in
this respect which I give you as I receive it. The
Prefet of the Seine made some remarks about the
heavy charge which the works entailed on the tax-
payers. After having listened patiently to the
Prefet, the Emperor is said to have answered,
" Well, next year you will only spend 60,000,000 f
(the sum allotted this year)."

THE EXPLOSION' ON BOARD THE
STEAMER C.ARIBOO-sEVEN LIVES LOST.

The British Colonist of August 3 gives the fol-
lowing particulars of the sad calamity which
occurred to the above-named steamer on that date.

It says :—At half-past two o'clock this morning the
new steamer Cariboo left the Hudson Bay Company's
wharf with eight passengers, 35 tons of freight, and
11 head of live stock. Just after rounding Shoal
Point, heading for the outer harbour, a terrific ex-
plosion was heard by people on shore, and a thick
cloud of smoke and steam arising from the direc-
tion in which the steamer had gone left no doubt
in the minds of the few persons who chanced to be
in the street, that she had blown up. The first
boats to reach the wreck were three fishing-boats
and several canoes from the Indian encampment.
There was found nothing but a floating hulk, ripped
and torn from stem to stern, and floating outward
with the receding tide. Several passengers who
were in the water were picked up by the canoes and
fishing-boats. Groans and cries for help were heard
fiom all directions, and it was some time before the
rescuers could allay the excitement of the sufferers
sufficiently to admit of their being brought to tostn.
The Cariboo had just started on her second trip,
when she was blown up ; she was perfectly new ;
her engines and boiler were ordered from Scotland.
The total loss by the calamity will probably reach
45,000 dols., the boat alone being valued at 35,000
dols.
The Caledonia steamer proceeded to the cove in
which the wreck had stranded, and towed her to
the Hudson Bay Company's wharf, wheu the sheers
were put into operation, and the heavy machinery
removed. Some of the shafts of the engines were
broken short off, showing the immense force of the
explosion. Pieces of the boiler iron, half an inch
in thickness, and twisted and turned into every
conceivable shape, were shown us. The cause of the
disaster is attributed to low water in the boiler.
Steam was got up at 11.30 on Thursday night : but
the boat did not start until two o'clock
yesterday morning. Mr. Allen, in charge
of the engine, is said to have been uneasy
all day on Thursday about the boiler. Captain
Jamieson's brother was a capable engineer ; but
Allen having put the machinery together it was
deemed advisable that he should continue in charge
until the former understood its working thoroughly.
A hand on the boat, who saw Allen a few moments
before the explosion, near the boiler, says he seemed
anxious, and was scolding the fireman for not under-
standing his duty. There is no doubt in the minds
of practical engineers but that if the boiler had been
well supplied with water the explosion could not
have occurred. 'rho circumstances attending the
disaster are identical with those attending the loss
of the Yale boat in April last, and is another call
upon our Government to put rigidly in force the
laws regulating steam vessels plying.
Missing and Killed.—Capt. Arehdiald Jamieson,
aged 35 years, native of Scotland ; Jamieson,
(brother of the above), assistant-engineer, aged 40
years, native of Scotland; Wm. Allen, chief engi-
neer, aged 37, native of England ; John Sparks,
mate, aged 30 years, native of Scotland ; P. do
Garro, passenger, native of France, aged about 40
years; Daniel Foley, fireman, native of Ireland,
aged 26 years ; a deck hand, name unknown. In
addition to the above, two Indian boys are said to
be missing.
Wounded.—John Reid, deck hand, arm broken;
Henry Gray, pilot, severely bruised about the body
and head ; Mr. Ramage, Dr. Duchesne, and several
others received slight contusions ; Jackson, a
coloured lad, aged 12, pantry-boy, scalded and
bruised in the back. In the pockets of Foley's
clothes was found the sum of 125 dollars in
sovereigns.