The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-25 00:00:00

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LONDON, FRIDAY, SEPT. 25, 1868.

The insurrection in Spain is gaining strength,and
notwithstanding all that has been said by the
authorities as to its gradual decrease, nothing of
the kind is borne out by the accounts that reach us
of the revolt. In all probability Queen ISABELLA'S
days as a Queen are numbered, and she will hold
out a warning in her career of the fatal conse-
quences of perversity. No one living has bad
more warnings than she has had, but all have been
of no use whatever, and she and her advisers have
gone on shutting their ears to the voice of warning,
wisdom, or reproach, as the case might be. From
Paris we hear that a telegram from Bayonne, an-
nouncing that LOGRANO has pronounced for the
insurgents ; and this, it is a ided, is
important, because it implies the adhe-
sion of ESPARTERO, and the consequent rising
Madrid publishes intelligence little
more reassuring, for it is sail that the whole of
Andulasia, the soldiers and sailors of Ferrol, and
the garrisons of Galicia, Corunna, and Santander
have declared on the side of the Revolution. Vari-
ous commands have been taken by the exiled Gene-
rals who have returned from the Canary Islands.
In many towns the busts of the QUEEN in the public
places have been thrown down, and altogether a
most bitter spirit seems to prevail, which augurs ill
for the extinction of the revolt, until its main ob-
ject has been accomplished—that of driving away
the Royal Family, and substituting a totally diffe-
rent kind of rule. Some accounts from Spain,
which have been delayed in transmission, mention
matters having gone so far that the President of
the Cabinet has proposed terms, or is inclined to do
so, comprising the abdication of the QUEEN. This
is significant, at any rate, and seems to indicate the
end that is fast approaching. In consequence of
the confusion that is prevailing it is no matter of
surprise that the telegraphic and postal communi-
cations are difficult, so that affairs may really be in
a more forward state than we are aware of. There
is one feature in this revolt that must not be
overlooked, and that is, the Spanish nation
cannot be expected to support the QUEEN.
If the people have not pronounced in favour of
either side, there are still unmistakable symptoms
that if a change should occur it would not be in-
clined in the direction of royalty.
So far as this country is concerned, little or no
regret will be felt for the Sovereign, who map be
compelled to retire. All that has taken place in
the Peninsula of late years has been most inimical
to English sentiments, and if the change that is
heralded conduce to the improvement of the country
involved in it we shall be satisfied. At the same
time it must be remembered that change is
not always in the right direction, and
that unless a more national spirit be in-

of Saragossa.

fused into the undertaking, and the latent
greatness of the nation be evoked, the alterations
may actually lead to evil, as having resulted in a
lost chance or a neglected opportunity. Let us
hope that if the Bourbon rule is to banish for ever
from the land that it may be succeede3 by a more
patriotic rule, and that the real sentiments of the
country may be developed in a far different way
than they have ever been before. It is a sad thing
that a nation possessing such ample resources should
not be able to take its proper place among the king-
doms of Europe in consequence of evil influences
prevailing.

Few persons will be inclined to dispute the cor
rectness of the verdict given by the jury at Wash
ington, Newcastle-on-Tyne, respecting the terrible
calamity which so recently occurred there. It will
be remembered that the accident by which the lives
of four persons were lost, and a fifth placed in very
great danger, occurred from the overturning of a
jar of diamond oil. The evidence given before the
Coroner was most conclusive as to the dangerous
nature of the oil. A doctor who had experimented
with it testifies that it ignited at a temperature of
60 degrees, and that when he put some in a
saucer and held a lighted match two inches
above it, it ignited. Alderman BELL, ma-
nufacturing chemist, who has thoroughly
studied the nature of these oils, fully confirmed this
statement. He found that a drop or two placed in
a tube, without any application of heat whatever,
gave off instantly a highly inflammable vapour.
Poured into a dish, the oil itself indicating a tem-
perature of only 59 degrees Fahrenheit, a lighted
match held at a distance of an inch and a half from
the surface communicated a flame, and the oil
having thus taken fire continued to burn. A quan-
tity of the oil was thrown on some moist ground,
and, after being absorbed by the earth, took fire
instantly on the application of a match, and burnt
with violence. No wonder that the jury, with such
facts before them, pronounced the oil, from its highly
inflammable character, unfit for domestic use. It
seems, from the evidence of the agent for the pa-
tentees, that this diamond oil is a compound of the
lighter or more volatile portions of petroleum and
paraffin oils together. It has been extensively in
use during the last few months both in Great Bri-
tain and is some parts of the continent. No doubt.,
too, it has been largely used in America, where the

people are more in the habit of risking life and
limb for trifling objects than we are. Such a highly
inflammable oil of course emits a brilliant light,
and, being cheap, is very attractive to lamp burners.

It throws, however, all the dangers of gas into the
shade, and we may consider it fortunate, from the
recklessness with which it has been used, that even
greater loss of life has not resulted. The jury
justly censured severely both the patentees and
their agent for not giving proper precautions to
purchasers of the dangerous nature of the oil. So
far from doing this they circulated a handbill stat-
ing the qualities of the lamp for which it W 4.9 used
and guaranteeing "perfect safety." It is just to
Messrs. BINNING to state that they have now with-
drawn the handbill, and they undertake in future to
notify to all purchasers the nature of the oil. We can-
not but think that in any case such an inflammable
material is most unfit for domestic use. Carefully
employed in large buildings or for business pur-
poses its brilliant and volatile nature may turn to