The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-23 00:00:00

THE EXPLOSION A2' CHATRAM.

The unfortunate occurrence which took place at
the Royal Engineer Barracks, Chatham, on Mon-
day, has caused the suspension of all work in the
laboratory at the north gun shed, where the explo-
sion took place, and from the utter ruin in which the
interior of the factory was found after the accident,
it will be some time before work of any kind can
be resumed in that building.
The account of the accident given in the Sun of
yesterday conveys but a very imperfect description
of the terrible nature of the explosion, and, con-
sidering the force with which the heaps of hand
grenades and fuses exploded, it was little short of a
miracle that there was not a large loss of life. At
the time of the explosion there were about 50
shells of various sizes on the floor of the laboratory,
some of them being as large as 10-inch; these for-
tunately were not charged, or the result of their
explosion would have been most appalling. There
were also several hundred hand-grenades and fuses,
some charged, and others waiting for that operation
to be performed on them. These were scattered
about, and it is owing to this fortunate circum-
stance that the violence of the explosion was much
less than it otherwise would have been. So great,
however, was the force of the explosion that
nearly every hut in the ranges of buildings forming
the hut-barracks, a short distance from the
Engineer establishment, was shaken to its
foundation, the inmates of most of them rushing
out to ascertain the cause. A number of troops
of the line were being exercised very near to the
north gun-shed at the moment of the accident, and
these, observing the side of the shed blown out,
threw down their arms and ran away, under the
impression that the entire building would blow up.
The whole of one side of the laboratory was blown
clean away, and through this opening were hurled
a sergeant and two Sappers into a coal-yard below.
After the explosion the laboratory was discovered
to be on fire in two or three places, but, the engines
being soon on the spot, the flames were extinguished.
During the whole of yesterday a body of Sappers
were engaged in clearing out the interior of the
factory and removing the fragments of hand
grenades,
time.
fuses, and also the shells there at the

F

ARMER DROWNED IN HIS OWN MILL-LADE.
—On Wednesday morning Mr. Alexander Simpson, far •
mer, Brixton, Ruthven, was accidentally drowned in the
mill-lade near his own house. Mr. Simpson is supposed to
have been returning at night in his gig, when, in the dark-
ness, he approached too near the mill-lade, and the horse,
falling over the bank, went headforemost into the water.
When found, at an early hour on the following morning/
itthhe.e
ig
bgodi,Lspofon Itwi er;,4Sirmiw.
Simpson NA on the horse Were viuderneath

NAPLES.

A letter froth Naples of the i6th says 2—" A
decree signed by M. Parini before he resigned
power, ordered the restitution of the army muskets
which still remain in the hands of the inhabitants.
The mode adopted for the recovery of these arms
is the only one likely to be attended with a favour-
able result. Every person will receive two ducats
for each percussion musket and a piastre for each
flint one. A priest named Ciarlone had preached
in the Jesuits' church on two successive Sundays,
and his sermons abounded in political allusions. He
compared Victor Emmanuel to Herod, and Francis
11. to Jesus Christ. The rev. gentleman was pleased
the other day to see his congregation augmented,
close to the pulpit stairs, by a person whose face
was partially concealed by an ample shawl tied
ound his neck and who seemed to take great
interest in his discourse, while a few steps from
him otood half a dozen carbineers, who also
appeared to listen with great attention. When
M. Ciarlone had concluded, the person and the
six carbineers drew round the pulpit, and the
unknown, opening his paletot, displayed a red
sash while the carbineers arrested the priest in
presence of his congregation, none of whom show-
ed the least disposition to interfere, and M. Ciarlone
is now meditating some new piece of eloquence at
the Prefecture of Poiiee.

MONEY 111ABEBT AND CITY NEWS.

CITY, Two O'CLOCK.

The Money Market appears to be getting rather
easier, in consequence of an increased disposition
on the part of the banks and discount houses to
employ their resources at the present high rates,
awl first class long-dated bills are freely negotiated.
The 2.ecent failures have induced them to exercise
greater discrimination with regard to certain de-
scriptions of paper, but if the drain of gold to the
United Stat.cts should be arrested, as many seem now
to anticipate, nonsiderable relief is likely to ensue,
and hence the desire manifested by capitalists to
engage in business before any reaction shall occur.
Still very little money can be obtained for com-
mercial purposes under 6a per cent., ali23ough the
current terms at the Stock _Exchange for ad7ances
on public securities snip range from 5 to 51 pcs
cent.

The estate of Messrs. Ede, Son, and Co. will pass
into liquidation, the negotiations for the attainment
of assistance having proved unsuccessful,
The Foreign Exchanges yesterday afternoon
exhibited a slight decline in the rates on Paris,
Vienna, and Trieste, but Antwerp was rather
higher.

About 40,000 sovereigns were withdrawn from
the Bank of England yesterday for America.
Less activity prevailed in the Liverpool Cotton
Market yesterday, but prices were well maintained.
The sales amounted to about 10,000 bales.
A meeting took place to-day of the National
Discount Company, when the available balance
was stated to be £18,148 ; from this the Directors
declared a dividend at the rate of 5 per cent. per
annum, which will absorb £9,633, and the surplus
will be carried to the Reserved Fund, which will
then amount to. £34,503. This Fund, however,
will have to be debited with the sum of £20,336, to
meet the losses arising from the failures in the
leather trade. In answer to a proprietor, as to
whether any loss would be sustained by the com-
pany through the recent suspension of Messrs. Ede,
Son, and Co., it was stated that they had £2,800 of
their securities, which were vv ell endorsed, likely
to be fully realised. _ _

There has been • rather an active market for
Public Securities in consequence of several small
speculative dealings, which have caused some
variation in prices. Consols have been 911 for
money, and 911 1 for the account, but they are
now 4- per cent. lower, viz., 911 1, and 911 1 re-
spectively, owing to a preponderance of sales. The
New Threes and the Reduced are firm at Mt 4-;
India Stock remains at 2184 , Bank ditto at 233 ;
and Exchequer Bills at ss. to Is. dis.
In the Foreign StocklMark.et the dealings have
been rather active, and prices, in some instances,
show an improvement. Turkish 6 per Cents. are
70 1,; ditto New (1858), 551 to 561 ; ditto £lOO
Bonds have advanced to 58 ; Dutch to 63/ 1 ;
Mexican to 22 and 22k ; Portuguese to 45k ; Rus-
sian 5 per Cents. are steady at 104 4- ; ditto 43 per
Cents. at 924 ; Brazilian 5 per Cents are fiat
at 99.

The transactions in the Railway Share Market
were moderately active, but in some instances a
slight reaction has taken place in prices owing to a
pressure of speculative sales. Lancashire and
Yorkshire, and Midlands, have receded ss. ; Edin-
burgh, Perth, and Dundee, 10s., and Manchester,
Sheffield, and Lincoln, £1 10s. Eastern Comities,
North Eastern (Berwick), and North Eastern, York,
have improved 55., and Great Northern and Nor-
folk, 10s.

The Foreign Market has continued very dull,
without the slightest alteration to record in values.
In the Colonial undertakings a slight heaviness
prevailed. Grand Trunk of Canada have receded
about 15s. ; East India, ss. ; Great Western of
Canada and Great Indian Peninsula remained at
about previous rates.

Joint-stock Bank and Miscellaneous Shares have
been dealt in to a fair extent, and previous rates
were generally well sustained.

BRITISH FUNDS—CLOSING PRICES.
Bank Stock
3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities 9ll f
3 per Cent. Conssls Annuities
New 3 per Cent. Annuities 9l f f
India Stock
Ditto 6 per Cent lOO/ 1 .1
Ditto Enlaced Paper, 4 per Cent. —
Ditto
.61 per Cent . .. 100

Ditto Ifoiids £l,OOO —
Ditto under £l,OOO
15 dis
Consols for Account, Feb. 7 . . Mt i i
Exchequer Bills, £l,OOO, lid
Ditto Small

FOREIGN FUNDS—CLOSING PRICES.
Brazilian 5 per Cent
Ditto, 1839 & 1859 99
Ditto 41 per Cent. 1860 Bsi
Chili= 6 per Cent
Ditto 41 per Cent.
Mexican 3 per Cent —
Ditto Account
New Grenada Active, 31 per Cent.
Portuguese 3 per Cent.. 1853. .. . 45k 6
Ditto Small
Russian 5 per Cent. 1822, £ St
Ditto Account
Ditto 41 per Cent.
Spanish 3 per Cant...
Ditto Account '
Ditto New Deferred
Ditto Account
Turkish 6 per Cent —
Ditto Account

Ditto Now Loan
Ditto Account s6i 6
Ditto £lOO Bonds

Dividends on the above payable in London.
Dutch Exchange, 12 Gull. 21 per Cent 631
Ditto Certificates, 4 per Cent.
THREE O'CLOCK.
Consols, Money
Ditto Account 9l}

THIS DAY'S MARKETS.

Share! RailwaYg• •Closing Business
'Paid
Price. Done.