The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-08 00:00:00

GERMAN Y.

Baron von Rosenburg, Prussian Secretary of Le-
gation in Frankfort, has left for Vienna, to undertake
the business of the Prussian Embassy during the
absence of Count von Bernstorff. He is the bearer
of a note from the Prussian Government, in which
it accepts the proposal for free conferences made by
the Congress of Warsaw, but coupled with the con-
dition that Austria shall suspend her warlike prepa-
rations ; if they are persisted in, Prussia will continue
preparations of the same kind.

- The Constitationelle Zeitung states that in the
course of the night of the 3d inst. a courier was sent
to Vienna with the news that Prus,ia is prepared de-
finitively to sacrifice the League and its constitution,
and no resistance will be made to the Austrian in-
tervention in Electoral Hesse and Holstein. The
same paper states likewise that the Parliament will
be adjourned immediately after its meeting.
Another Austrian note has been received at Berlin,
in which it is demanded that the Prussian troops
shall evacuate Electoral Hesse, with the exception of
the Etappe roads. General Radowitz, although out
of office, was consulted on this point, and his advice
was, that the entry of Prussian troops into Hesse
ought to be considered as a faitaccompli, and that the
Cabinet ought to refuse the Austrian demand. An
answer, conceived in the spirit of the above reply,
was immediately sent to Vienna.
The Zeitung fiir Norddeutschland states, from
Hanover, of the sth instant, that among the first acts
of the Munchhausen Cabinet is a prohibition of col-
lections of money for the war in Holstein. Respect-
ing the position of the Hanoverian Government in
the Holstein question, the following declarations have
been given :---
1. The Hanoverian Government will march no
troops for the purpose of the pacification of Holstein.
2. It refuses to recognise the federal resolutions on
that subject. As to the question of Electoral Hesse,
Hanover has promised the assistance of nine bat-
talions if M. Hassenpflug be dismissed, and the corn-.
mand of the army given to an Austrian General.
The non-acceptation of these conditions has influenced
the Hanoverian Cabinet to refuse taking part in the
occupation of Hesse.

FEARFUL EXPLOSION AND LOSS
OF LIFE AT SEACOMBE.
Between seven and eight o'clock on Wednesday
evening last, a dreadful explosion of naphtha, attended
with fatal consequences, occurred in Mersey-street,
Higher Seacombe, Cheshire. The house in which
the melancholy occurrence took place is used as a
Roman Catholic school and reading-room, in con-
nexion with St. Alban's Chapel, Liscard, and is under
the superintendence of the Rev. Mr. Lennon.
It appears that on the evening in question, previous
to the commencement of the duties of the school, Mr.
Johnson, the schoolmaster, and six of the scholars,
were in the front room on the ground floor. The
master was engaged in pouring some naphtha into a
lamp from a tin can, containing about half a gallon ;
and a lad named John Crossie, about ten years of
age, was holding a candle by his side. Never having
before filled the lamp, Mr. Johnson was ignorant of
the quantity required, and before he was aware
the !inflammable liquid ran over, and, coming
in contact with the lighted candle which was held by
the boy Crossie, ignited. The scene which followed
it is impossible accurately to describe ; but from
what we can learn an instantaneous report, like that
of * cannon, was heard, followed by a tremendous
crash occasioned by the falling of the partition wall,
about twelve feet long and nine feet high, which
was forced with such violence against the oppo.
site side of the lobby that several deep indenta-
tions were made in the plaster work. In some places
large portions of the wall were removed, without being
shattered, and forced against the wall forming the
other side of the lobby. But the most melancholy
and heartrending part of the occurrence remains to
be told. In the reading-room, immediately above the
scene of the explosion, were fourteen persons, one of
whom was in the act of reading aloud an article from
the Morning Chronicle. On hearing the report, and
the noise which followed, they thought that the
arches on which the houses were built, had given
way, and a rush instantly took place to the door
and window, through which a safe exit .was made.
But what was their horror on beholding the
ghastly visages and burning clothes of the poor un-
fortunate
creatures who had previously occupied the
apartment underneath ? Mathew Riley, who lived in
the house, got out of the window, and the first person
he saw was the lad Crossie, who was enveloped in
flames, but his features could not be recognised.
Riley immediately clung round the lad, and rolled
with him on the floor until the flames were extin-
guished. The poor little fellow was then removed
to the Abbotsford Hotel, and afterwards to his own
residence, Newton Bridue, Seacombe, where he died
between eight and nine o'clock yesterday morning.
James M'Geary, a joiner and builder, who was in
the reading-room at the time of tee explosion, on A DOCTOR'S OPINION OF THE
reaching the bottom of the stairs met Mr. Johnson, WATER-CURE.
whose face presented a very disfigured appearance, Dr. J. Stuart 'Wilkinson, who is delivering a course
and who was much burnt about the legs and body. of lectures at the Manchester Mechanics' Institution,
M'Geary succeeded in putting out the fire, and on " The Philosophy of Eating and Drinking," re-
pushed Mr. Johnson into the street, when he ex- ferred to the water-cure. After remarking that he
claimed, " Don't mind me, look to the children." He was no " water-doctor," and that be had great faith in
next met a lad named Riley, and afterwards another the power of medicine, he said that at water-cure
lad named Daffy, both of whom he treated in a establishments the patient's diet was attended to,
similar manner. M'Geary, on going into the school- he was bathed, he had good exercise, had the purest
room, found the chairs, tables, books, &c., in flames, water (and much depended upon the water), and had
which ultimately he, with some assistance, succeeded pure air, and these establishments were generally situ-
in extinguishing. Edward Burns, a boy twelve years I ated in the most healthy parts of the country. He
of age, is so much burnt, that little hopes are enter- f (Dr. Wilkinson) could not see how this could be
tained of his recovery. A lad named Patrick Riley is I quackery. The truth was that if it were possible to
also in a dangerous state. A youth named Cox, about I devise anything for health, he did not think they
sixteen years of age, and Mr.lJohnson, are also suffer- i could agree upon anything better than proper diet,
ing much from the injuries received ; but it is pro- bathing, exercise, pure water and air, and a healthy
bable that the last-named sufferer may recover. situation. These were all that were necessary for
Peter Riley escaped with little harm. It is I hygiene. Water cure was called " quackery" be-
impossible, however, to state what may be the
cause certain men, styling themselves " water doctors,"
result to the sufferers, as up to the time of the pre- I represented it as capable of doing more than it really
sent particulars being collected, not 24 hours had would ; but it ought to be remembered that judicious
elapsed from the period of the accident. James Burns, water doctors did not sey it would cure all dis-
who was in the reading-room, on seeing his injured cases. They said it would cure chronie diseases, and
brother, took him into his arms, and was about get- such as were connected with digestion ; and there
tiug over a wall behind the house, which on the inside , was no doubt it would, for it was applicable to them ;
was only about five or six feet high, but on the outside but there were fevers, and other complaints, to which
Next, adverting (the house being built on an arch), was 30 feet high' the water cure was inapplicable.
from the ground, when he was prevented by Matthew I the subject of baths, the lecturer said it was fortunate
Riley,
who caught hold of his leg and pulled him i that as many peo le were unable to go to water-cure
back. Had it not been for the timely interference of est 'ielish theyp could use many kinds of baths
Riley, both Edward and James Burns would, in all at ahomernaennd"thusdo a vast amount of good to the
probability, have been killed by the fall into the yard body. The water in the cold bath ought to be between
baneath. The houses of the row in which the school 33 and 60 degrees of heat. Many people now went
is situate belone,' to Mr. Cornelius Kennedy, and are i to establishments where they were furnished with a
built on arches with stables underneath. The arch vapour-bath and a shower-bath after it. This was
on which the school-house is built appears to have not a new matter, (and staege to say, the water cure
given way, and a temporary support of a few posts had introduced scarcely any new mode of bathing),
has been erected with a view to secure it; but such that bath had been in use for ages by the inhabitants
is the present dangerous appearance of the arch, that ,of California. They dug a hole, managed to patch it
unless some proper precautions be taker, it will pro- over, put some hot stones in it, then threw water on
bably fall, bringing with it the oiler arches and them, remained a while in the place, which was thus
houses above. filled with vapour, and, on coming out, jumped into
Drs. Halliday, Shaw, and Horne, and Messrs. Bird the river. The sponging bath was one of the most
i
(druggist) and R. Parry were speedily on the spot, healthy things he _mew of. A wet sheet,
and rendered valuable assistance.—Liverpool Mercury or dripping bath was not by any means such a
dreadful application as some people appeared to think.
A Catholic library at Seacombe, Cheshire, has been He had used it with children ; and if he ever saw
seriously damaged through an explosion of naptha from a magic done it was with that remedy. His mode of
lamp that was used by some incautious person, and several management was the following :—He took three or
Persons were injured.
: four thick blankets, spread them out, then took a

The Procession will move from Guildhall at eleven
o'clock precisely, and pass through Gresham-street,
Moorgate- street, London-wall, Old Broad-street,Thread-
needle• street, Bishop Agate-street Within, Cornbill, Man •
sion House-street, the Poultry, Cheapside, St. Paul's
Church-yard, Ludgate-street, Ludgate-hill, New Bridge-
street, to Blackfrisrs-bridge; thence by water to West-
minster; and will return from Westminster to Black-
friars-bridge, and pass through New Bridge-street, Lud-
gsve-hill, Ludgate-street, St. Paul's Churchyard, Cheap-
side, and King-street, to Guildhall.
At the Obelisk, Bridge-street, the procession, on its
return, will be joined by the Ambassadors, her Majesty's
Ministers of State, the Nobility, Judges, Members of
Parliament, and other persons of distinction, invited to
the Banquet at Guildhall.

BANK OF ENGLAND.
(From this night's Gazette.)
An Account, pursuant to the Act 7th and Bth of Victoria, cap. 32, fer
the Week ending on Saturday, the 2d day of November, 1850.
LOWE DEPARTMENT.

Notes issued• • •• •• •• 29,424,840

Government debt .. 11,015,100
Other securities .. .. 2,964,900
Gold coin and bullion 15,379,173
Silver bullion ...... 45,667