The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-21 00:00:00

STATE OF TRADE.

LZEDS, Dec. 20.—The weather is very chill and
cold, and therefore unfavourable to business opera-
tions. This circumstance, combined with the feet
that commercial transactions are not usually very
numerous about Christmas, will easily account for
the quiet state of the cloth-market this morning.
There was, indeed, only a limited attendance of
both merchants and manufacturers at the halls, anda
very small quantity of goods were disposed of.
The trade, however, presents most of the true in-
dications of health and soundness The manufac-
turers generally have ample orders on hand, col-
ployment is plentiful, with every prospect of its
continuing so for some time to come, and there is
no fear but the productions of the manufacturers
will meet with a ready sale in the warehouses in
due course.
MANCHESTER, 20th.—We have had a very, quLe.t
yarn-market, and prices are down fully Id. per
for counts and qualities suitable to the markets o
India and Germany. Home trade and Bolton sPilr
nings are still firm, and a fair business is reported;
Two-fold yarns are also still firm. A fair busines
iNsierdeipteorrrtaehdeainh. lowlanuemlobthears
tohferhearida twist for
quiet market fabrics suited to India, with less dis-
position to purchase, and these goods are quoitede
d. less as regards shirtings, making a total dec her
from the late highest rates of 3d. per piece. Ot es_
goods, such as the better qualities of printers, domen
tics, longcloths, and T-cloths, for the borne trade a
value.a
for export, arc much the same as before as to
There is a generally quieter market, a v theeri
these goods, as in others, only they are firrn,e,r,rhe
price. Messrs. John Slagg and Co. report : u
demand for India goods has within the last few'
days become very inactive, and there being'a
greater desire on the part of producers to sell,
prices are some what irregular. There is, however.
very little business doing in them, the low Price!
offered being generally declined. Longcloths and
however, 17,1
T-cloths are still in fair request, without change
prices; iII
but printers are less inquired for, and the
late extreme rates are no longer obtained."
ROCHDALE, 19th.—The near approach of Christ-
mas time renders trade rather inanimate, but stocks
are very low, and the tone of business is firm. There
was very little wool sold to-day, and prices are
without change. In flannel there is not much
doing. The Yorkshire trade continues good.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AND EXPLOSION.

----.-__
of a serious nature as regards the amount oft
puo
fortunately not attended
with any fatal results,
broke out about 4 o'clock on
A Dublin paper says :—" A fire, whiuchalh or-
g
perty destroyed, was h
Gas Company, Great Brunswick-street. So
..
tained with certainty, it was owing to
Monday morning in the works of the Hibernian
Gas
the origin of the conflagration has been ascer-
tained
frost which has prevailed for
some
severe
causing the hoops of
injured
pasttaini ng gas-tar to burst witahoulatrgaenytanpkrevciooon-0
warning of their being in an condition,
and the tank gave way completely on all sides, the
tar rushing out in a torrent and covering the
ground for a considerable space to a depth of about
three feet. The retort-house was speedily invaded,
and here the fluid mass, it is supposed, first caught
fire. The alarm was communicated by the fore-
man of the works to the manager in a few minutia
after the flames were first observed, and he et
once despatched messengers for the different
fire-engines. Before the arrival of any such
assistance, however, the fire had extended to
and seized hold of two of the large gas-holders,
which contained a large supply of eas intended for
the requirements of the day, and these both exploded
in a surprisingly short time afterwards. There was
a plentiful supply of water obtained from the basis
that tho engines
of the canal, but owin to the severe frost, it Was
with the utmost difficulty
were
worked. If there was a cessation of even a few all'
nutes in the working of an engine, the apparatus be-
came so clogged with ice that the aid of hot
water
was found necessary to bring it into working order
again, and the police engine became so frequenPY
inoperative from this cause that in the end it haat°
be supplied with a continuous stream of hot water,
with which it did most effective service. A store;
house, containing. 4,000 tons of coal, was for some
time in great danger, but, owing to the skill and
vigour with which the engines were directed and
worked, all means of communication between the
burning mass and this building were at lensFr:
successfully cut off. In addition to the difficuolT-
usually attendant upon a great fire, thew
el;
men had to contend with others et.
al
tremely unpleasant nature—the density ti3f the
being
smoke and the stench of the burning tar
so great and overpowering that a.
n able.
change of hands was found it'd's.' ens holm
Several of the firemen and others upon w --
• to time
jets of water were thrown from time
were quickly covered with a shining scale-work
milli'
of ice, while numbers, including many of the
tary, were covered with a more disagreeable coatienf
of tar. Fortunately, no injury whatever was !es,
frequent
tamed by the working department of the premis _
some public inconvenience may be occasioned by
or any portion of the machinery; and although
announced that any such inconvenience will be In
the large destruction of gas, the company
_hall;
the most temporary duration. The value of the pro-
perty destroyed (which was not insured) has not
yet been ascertained, but it is supposed that it must
amount to several thousand pounds.

MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.—A_ Limerick cor-
respondent of the Evening Moil writes :—" Pallas-green,
Sunday Night.—The mysterious disappearance of Mr.
Hugh Massy O'Grady, of Castlegardo, in the county of
Limeri6k, is creating great uneasiness in tho minds of
his family and friends. The missing gentleman left
this station (Pallas) on Thursday night, the Bth inst.,
without any luggage, for the Limerick Junction, whence he
proceeded to I)blin on business of a pressing nature. 1-10
arrived in Dublin on Friday last, at half-past 4 a.m., and it
would appear that he returned hero by the 1 o'clock train
the same day (Friday), for his greatcoat and travelling rug
were found, shortly after the arrival of the train, by the
police near the station ; and a farmer alleges he
across th
fields towards Castlegardo, which is no more that two
miles from the Pallas station. Since that time every inquiry
has been sot on foot by the police and his friends, and the
peasantry of the neighbourhood, by whom heiwas greatly
beloved but I deeply regret that, up to the present, no
tidings have been received. Hundreds of the peasantry were
engaged all this day searching the country and dragging
tho rivers, &c. Mr. O'Grady had been for some time Pre:
viously seriously unwell and under medical treatment, snit
latterly he had been very much depressed in mind, an'
somewhat strange in his manner. Mr. Massy O'Grady 110
greatly respected in the county of Limerick, of which
was to have been High Sheriff for the ensuing., year. H© le
also connected with the principal families of the countYs
being a nephew of the late Viscount Guillamore and tb
late Lord Massy. He was married about two years since,
and has an infant son."