The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-28 00:00:00

FATAL RIOT AT ALDERSHOT.

We regret to learn that a serious riot took place
at Aldershot on the evening of the 25th inst., be-
tween some men belonging to the 2d battalion of
the 24th regiment and a company of the King's Own
Light Infantry (Tower Hamlets) Militia, and which
was unfortunately attended by the loss of one life,
besides three men being wounded.
It is the custom in most regiments for the officers
of each company to subscribe a certain sum to pro-
vide their men with a Christmas dinner. This has
tended to promote and keep up the good feeling and
sympathy which should always exist between officers
and their men; but unfortunately, in the present case
it has been distorted into the absurd cause of getting
up a row between the above-mentioned corps. The 2d
battalion of the 24th Regiment occupy the perma-
nent barracks of the west block in the South Camp,
each side of which cansists of three stories opposite
to one another joined at the top with a covering
of glass, so as to admit of a whole regiment being
formed for parade on the space below, in
case of rainy weather. According to the usual fate
which seems to regulate all projects undertaken by
Government, these barracks or blocks as they are
termed are too large for any one regiment, but not
sufficiently capacious for two. One company of the
Tower Ifainlets Militia was quartered in the upper
story of the west block, with men of the 24th Regi-
ment living under them and exactly opposite to
them, the interval between the two being about 15
yards, while the remainder of their own regiment
occupied huts some little wily off. After partaking
of a hearty Christmas dinner it appears that some
of the Tower Hamlets and 2d battalion of the 24th
betook themselves to the canteen of tho latter regi-
ment, where an argument began, mooted originally,
it is said, by the men of the 24th, as to which regi-
ment had had the best dinner provided for them
by their officers. This took place between the
hours of seven and eight p.m., at which time
the canteens are closed. As far as we can learn,
a great deal of bitter feeling had now arisen, and on
leaving
the canteen the men of the 24th went up-
stairs to the rooms occupied by the Tower Hamlets,
and commenced a warfare with mops and brooms.
So far, though it was a case of going to war for an
"idea,"
the combat did not assume more serious
proportions than " Molly's" battle royal, as de-
scribed by Fielding ; but both parties appear to
have become gradually more exasperated, and at
length the men of the 24th Regiment betook them-
selves
to their own quarters in the opposite gallery,
and began to load their rifles with ball cartridges.
It seems astonishing that the officers were not sum-
moned from their mess-house, which was close by,
before things arrived at this pass ; but when they
were sent for rifles had already been discharged by the
24th rioters against their opposite neighbours. It
was some time before the officers could quell the
tumult, and when they did so it appeared that four
men of the Militia had been wounded, and from the
marks left by the bullets several shots must have
been fired. We cannot hear that the Militia fired
at all; at any rate, if they did, they did so without
effect, Of the wounded men, one expired after
great suffering, at eight o'clock this morning (26th
inst.) ; the others are said to be progressing favour-
ably. The Colonel of the 24th Regiment has been
telegraphed for, and all the officers who were on
leave have been recalled. A searching investiga-
tion has, we hear, been already instituted into the
origin of these disgraceful proceedings, and when
our report left Aldershot the waggons of the Mai-
, tary Train were waiting to receive the baggage
belonging
on di!, to the 24th Regiment, which corps will,
be removed to the North Camp, pending
instructions from the higher authorities. Any one
who has seen the window frames riddled with bul-
lets must have wondered that many more lives were
not sacrificed. Strong pickets belonging to the
other regiments in the South Camp were stationed
on the spot all last night, and will be again this
evening for fear of any.further collision. As far as
we could learn, not a single man of the 24th Regi-
ment had received any serious injury. Forty-seven
men of that corps are in confinement in the guard-
room for having taken part in the riot. Up to the
present time the conduct of the troops in camp had
been so exemplary and the diminution of crime so
marked, when compared with regiments quartered
in other places, that great regret is expressed at
this unfortunate affair. We, however, feel bound
to state, from inquiries made in all quarters, that
the Tower Hamlets Militia were not only not the
aggressors, but that they, on the contrary, behaved
with the greatest forbearance. We are the more
constrained to say this, as we believe that from
their previous history they had not been in great
favour with the higher authorities.

Wunnwisps IN TIIE DOWNS.—A few days ago
four or five whirlwinds, having a spiral form and vertiginous
movement as if circling about an axis, were observed at Deal
progressing rapidly, sometimes in a rectilinear and at other
times in a curvilinear direction on the surface of the sea.
Ono of them which reached the town resembled the rushing
noise of a violent wind, and afforded an alarming proof of
its power as its swept along by nearly capsizing a boat and
•scattering the snow about in all directions. A lady who was
quietly proceeding along Bench-street had a narrow escape,
and must have fallen but for the prompt assistance of a
boatman who hastened to her support. As an instance of
the power of these extraordinary phenomena to carry bodies
of considerable weight upwards as well as downwards a
waggon laden with straw near Didham barn, on the road to
Shou'den, was suddenly raised from the wheels of a tug
and partially lodged on the hind horse of the vehicle. It is
generally supposed that these visitants owe their production
to the combined effects of currents of air meeting together
from different directions. At sea they havelmuch the ap-
pearance of water-spouts.—Rentish Gazette.
We ( Manchester Guardian) learn, on authority
which we consider perfectly reliable, that Government
has decided upon providing Dr. Livingstone with a new
steamer for the purpose of enabling him to carry out his
exploration of the Zambesi. In addition to this pleasing
evidence of the interest with which the present administra-
tion views the efforts for opening up Central Africa to the
influence of civilisation. Mr. Gladstone, we are informed,
has appropriated a sum of £2,500 to the further exploration
of the great Nyanza chain of lakes. The command of this
latter expedition will In entrusted to Captain Speke.