The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-07 00:00:00

SPECIAL CONSTABLES.

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Amongst those present were Colonel Sargent, of
the Commissionaires (the Superintendent-in-Chief),
Lieut.-Colonel Mayne, Major Hawker, Deputy-
Superintendents Barringer, Bell, J. F. Findlater,
Webster, Haddan, Bocking, Petley, and H. New;
Assistant - Superintendents Thomas, Michord,
Bellamy, E. Draper, and a number of other
gentlemen. The brigade, consists of nearly 4,000
constables, and will be commanded by Col. Sargent,
late of the 3d Buffs. The divisions will be com-
manded by the following Superintendents :—Co-
vent-garden, Captain Corscaden ; Somerset-house,
Major Hawker ; the Commissionaires, Captain
Walter ; Tottenham-court-road, Capt. Shoolbrecl ;
Rolls and Record-office, Ensign F. Few ; and
Drury-lane Theatre, Mr: F. B. Chatterton. Lieut.-
Colonel Mayne was appointed Staff Officer of the
brigade, and Drs. Duncan and Pearl consented to act
as honorary surgeons. Superintendent Corscadeu
was unable to attend the meeting through illness,
but his duties were most efficiently transacted by
his energetic deputy, Mr. New. The organisation
of this division is now so perfect that it is proposed
in a short time to parade the 4,000 members in
Westminster Hall for inspection, when it is antici-
pated that H.R.H. the Prince of Wales will be
present.
The swearing in before the magistrates, J. Still-
well, Esq., and H. White, Esq., still continues to
be carried on with the greatest spirit.'

TIIE VOLUNTEERS.—The 2d Middlesex (her Ma-
jesty's Customs) Artillery Volunteers, held their seventh
annual general meeting at the Custom-house on Tuesday,
February 4, Lieutenant-Colonel R. W. Cox in the chair.
About 120 members were present. The report stated that
the funds were healthy, the balance in favour of the corps
being £297. The number of efficients was over 80 per
cent. The corps prizes were then presented.

WINDFALL.--A prisoner in Taunton gaol, whose
term of imprisonment expires in a short time, has just been
left a legacy of £16,000.

OXFORD AND CAMDTITDGE BOAT EACE.—The challenge
from the Cambridge Uuiveraity Boat Club reached the
hands of Mr.lan, the President of the Oxford Univer-
sity Boat Club, yesterday afternoon. There is little doubt
of the race being rowed on the Saturday preceding Good
Friday—viz., April 4. The difficult task of selecting the
crew will at once be proceeded with. Judging from present
appearances, Oxford will have an excellent crew, the men
being tall and powerful.
The DISASTERS FROM THE ERUPTION OF VESUVIUS.--
A telegraphic despatch from Naples states that the eruption
of Vesuvius bas broken out with fresh violence. In the
morning of the sth great quantities of ashes were
ejected, together with lava, and in the evening
some shocks of earthquake were felt. The terrible
catastrophe in Santa Lucia created so much excitement
in Naples that the Royal Delegate, who now repre-
sents the Municipality, found it necessary to issue a pro-
clamation exhorting the people to be calm. A Naples
correspondent says:—" There is a wide-spread conviction
that there has been criminal negligence in not antici-
pating the disaster, and criminal apathy in not having
made efforts sufficiently strong to rescue those who are still
under the ruins. Thirty-six hours were suffered to pass
away in hesitation and discussion, when it was at last de-
cided that nothing could be done to save life. I
have just (Feb. 1) returned from the scene of the disaster,
which threatens to assume even larger proportions. Much
of the debris at the turn of Santa Lucia has been removed,
'too much for the perfect safety of the tunnel in construc-
tion, as it served to shore up the material above. The
tunnel has been carried as far as the wine-shop, but unfor-
tunately against the walls of the house instead of the
door, an error occasioned by the necessity of making
a zigzag road. At the same time, another tunnel has
been constructed with somewhat more successful results.
The entrance is near the border of the sea, and passes first
through a magazine which lies under the street ; the pas-
sage Ilas been cut through the tufa as far as a well which is
under the house of the wine merchant; above it is a tene-
ment divided into four compartments, in one of
which, which was perfect, was found a cat alive, as
:also some .glasses and bottles unbroken. The roofs of
two of the other compartments had been broken
in by the pressure of the soil above, and If any
persons were there they must have all perished. The shop
only remains,
the state of which is unknown as yet, but
there is little expectation of saving any one. As no one
I,as been found in the compartment behind, the proba-
bility is that the unfortunate persons in the shop rushed to
the door, outside of which- they must inevitably have met
their fate. There are at least twenty persons missing,
among whom are seven soldiers, two sergeants, the family
of the wine-seller, and some other persons. As to those
who were passing in this much-frequented thoroughfare
nothing, of mum to known,"_