The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-20 00:00:00

rising ground behind, and the boats and steamers
formed a semicircle at a considerable distance off,
giving the cliff a very wide berth. We cannot un-
dertake, from the extent and diversified character of
the ground, to say how many thousands were
assembled, but as far as the eye could reach
along the beach on either side of the cliff, and on
every height and point of 'vantage which com-
manded a view of the operations, vast numbers were
congregated. As the hour approached the scene be-
came intensely exciting. So many conjectures were
hazarded as to the nature and extent of the explosion
that was about to take place, that many of those in
the front ranks involuntarily drew back, and even
those at a remote distance were speculating upon the
probability of a shower of rocks falling in the midst
of them. At three o'clock the flags were again
hoisted, and every breath was hushed—an unnatural
stillness fell upon the vast multitude, broken only
by the long heavy roll of the sea, as it swept over
the shingle. Five minutes of anxious and almost
painful expectation passed, and then the murmur went
round that the wires had failed from some defect or
breach of continuity, and this surmise became strength-
ened in the course of the next fire minutes. When
all were preparing themselves for a disappointment of
their high raised expectations, about twelve minutes
after three a low rumbling sound was heard, like the
muttering of distant thunder, or the appalling rumble
of an approaching earthquake. Simultaneously with
this the earth trembled beneath the feet of those who
were nearest the cliff, although fully a quarter of a
mile off. The whole face of the cliff moved outward,
as if impelled by some invisible agency. The upper
part at the same time toppling over, the immense
mass fell with a roaring, crashing, deafening sound
upon the beach below, crumbling into fragments
and rolling far out into the sea, which it drove
before it in a high wave, the shock of which
was felt by the boats stationed far out in
the offing. From the surface of the mass a
thick white cloud of finely-pulverised particles
flew out before it, like the smoke that follows the dis-
charge of a piece of ordnance, and the whole atmos-
phere was at the same instant filled with a cloud of
white dust, which, mixed with the stench of the gun-
powder, almost choked the spectators. The moment
the mass of rock reached the beach a loud and hearty
cheer burst from the spectators, which was taken up
and repeated along the cliffs. It is impossible to esti-
mate with anything like accuracy the quantity of
rock that has been dislodged, but it presents a vast
mound, at least 100 in height, and twice as broad,
running out to a point about 300 feet from the base
of the cliff. During the afternoon several additions

masses were detached from the cliff, but this did
not prevent many hundreds of persons from climbing
to the top of the mound and examining the nature and
extent of the breach that had been effected. An in-

spection of the summit of the cliff, after the explosion
had taken place, furnished most satisfactory evidence
of the accuracy with. which the calculation of the en-

gineering officers had been made. The space defined
by the trench had been completely swept away by
the force of the explosion, and deep fissures extended
a considerable way back, one of them not many yards
from the but in which the batteries were placed. All
the wires were carried over and buried in the soil,
and some considerable masses of rock will probably
fall in the course of the next few days. The result is
highly creditable to the engineering skill of the
officers employed upon this service, although it re-
mains yet to be seen whether the action of the waves

will not in the course of a few years csrry off the
greater portion of the chalk thrown down, unless some
additional means are resorted to to protect it from
the sea.

The inhabitants of the town of Seaford were re-
commended to throw open their doors and windows
to prevent any injury from the explosion. They took
the advice literally, and every house in Seaford was

an open one during- the day, the number of visitors,
and the obstruction they offered to each other in their

eagerness, rendering the supplying of their wants
still more difficult. The difficulty of procuring a
supply of the creature comforts was trifling compared
with the difficulty of getting away. Althom,h the
. .

whole beach in front of-the town was covered with

vehicles, not a tithe of those desirous of getting
away could be accommodated, and at Newhaven
....... . .

fresh difficulties arose.

As fast as the trains

drew up they were filled to overflowing; but,
as in all such cases, everybody got into the wrong
train, and to do the few officials justice, they were
still more bewildered by their overflow of good luck
than the impatient visitors. It was a complete em-

barras des- richesses, and kin most cases being
honestly ignorant of the destinations of the various
trains, they left the travellers to find it out at the end

of their journey. These, however, were only the usual
desagremens cf an influx of business, which it was
impossible at so short a notice to provide fcr effectively.

All, or the greater part, were in good humour with
the gigantic operations they had witnessed, the fine

weather, and the delightful scenery ; and we trust,

even some little delay took place, that all found their
way ultimately to their respective destinations.

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

About two o'clock the top of the cliff was cleared
for a considerable space round the ground to be ex-
ploded, and also the beach at and near the front of
that portion of the cliff. This litter (the beach) was
the place selected by most of the spectators for wit-
nessing the explosion ; and it being low water an ex-
cellent view was there to be obtained. A consider-
able number of people declined to come anything like
so near the scene of operations as the line marked out
by the authorities; many stood a mile off, and not a
few still further. The beach, in fact, was more or
less peopled all along the bay. It is almost impos-
sible to tell the number of spectators scattered in such
various directions ; it has been estimated that there
were 10,000 persons looking upon the operation which
was this day performed, and it is very likely that
there were.

As the appointed hour drew near, every eye was
fixed upon the place where the explosion was to be,
marked out as it was by a flag upon its highest point.
Just before three o'clock, apparently upon a signal or
instruction from the top of the cliff, the men who
" kept the ground " upon the beach, moved their
boundary flags some fifty yards further away from
the spot which was " the observed of all observers,"
and required the spectators to remove to a distance
which must have been above 300 yards, if not a quarter
of a mile, from the cliff to be blasted. This proceed-
ing seemed to create some timidity here and there,
probably from its being taken to indicate that the
best judges did not feel quite confident as to the di-
rection or effect of the explosion. With the mass,
however, curiosity overcame every other feeling, and
there was not a little reluctance to retire further back.
Some ladies were among the last to be induced to
keep at a greater distance, and give the gunpowder a
wider berth.
The next few minutes were passed in impatient
expectation. It was not until twelve minutes past
three o'clock that suddenly the whole cliff, along a
width er frontage of some 120 feet, bent towards the
sea, cracked in every direction, crumbled into pieces,
and fell upon the beach in ront of it, forming a
bank, down whicle large portions of the falling mass
glided slowly into the sea for several yards like a
stream of lava flowing into the water. The whole
multitude upon the beach seemed for a few moments
paralyzed and awe-struck by the strange move-
ment, and the slightly trembling ground ;
every cne sought to know with a glance that
the mass bad not force enough to come
near him, and that the cliff under which he
stood was safe. There was no very loud report; the
rumbling noise was probably not heard a mile
off, and was, perhaps, caused by the splitting of the
cliff and fall of fragments. There seemed to be [no
smoke, but there was a tremendous shower of dust.
Those who were in boats a little way out state that
they felt a slight shock. It was much stronger on
the top of the cliff. Persons standing there felt stag-
gered by the shaking of the ground, and one of the
batteries was thrown down by it. In Seaford, too,
three-quarters of a mile off, glasses upon the table
were shaken, and one chimney fell. At Newhaven,
a distance of three miles, the shock was sensibly felt.
In a few minutes after the cliff had fallen the crowd
upon the beach rushed forward to it. A second fall
of chalk, when they got about half way, checked
them for in instant, and but for an instant.
They rushed up the mound which the ex-
ploded chalk had formed. Although it is a
mass of large rough stones for the most part,
difficult in many places to climb except by using
one's hands as well as feet, yet ladies eagerly clam-
bered up it, and one gentleman managed to get his
horse up. It will, probably, like the cliff still stand-
ing, be rather unsafe for a time, as there is reason to
believe that further falls will follow, considerable
masses which have not yet fallen being evidently
loosened. The mass which came down to-day is
larger than was expected; it forms an irregular heap,
apparently about 300 feet broad, of a height varying
from 40 to 100 feet, and extending 200 or 250 feet
or more seaward, which is considerably beyond low-
water mark. It is thought that it comprises nearly
300,000 tons. The operation is considered to have
been decidedly successful.
The work was under the direction of Sir J. Bur-
goyne, Inspector-General of Fortifications, but the
immediate direction was taken by Captain Frome ;
Lieutenant Ward, R E., bad charge of the voltaic
batteries. Colonel Lewis, Lieutenant Greatorex, and
Lieutenant Crossinan assisted in the operations. Sir
J. Rennie and a number of civil engineers were on
the ground. Sir C. Pasley was present, and, as we
understood, the Duke of 13eau1ort and Lord F. Fitz-
clarence ; so also was Mr. Wright, C.E. who con-
ducted the operations at the blasting of Rounddown
Cliff, near Dovei; and Colonel Sandharn, Sir 11.
Shiffner, and other gentlemen of eminence.
The cliff thrown down, and the place whence it
came, were objects of much interest for some little
time after the explosion ; but the ground soon began