The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-06 00:00:00

MENT OF THE REPUBLIC.

"At the very moment of the victory of the
people I repaired to the Hotel de Ville. The duty
of every good citizen is to rally round the Pfovi-
sional Government of the Republic' and I am anx-
ious to be one of the first to do so, too happy if my
patriotism can be usefully employed.
" Receive, gentlemen, the expression of the sen-
timents of respect and devotion -at your fellow citi-
zen, " NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. I
" Paris, Feb. 2G, 1848." •
The Constituiionnel, I hope, will also remove
the impression that this document emanates from
his Imperial Highness Prince Napoleon, cousin of
the Emperor, Prince of the Imperial family, and
standing near in succession to the Throne.
And lastly (for the present), at page 103 occurs
the following
Gentlemen,—The people of Paris having
destroyed by its heroism the last vestiges of
the invasion, I rush from exile to take
my place under the banner of the Republic
which has just been proclaimed. Without any
other ambition than that of serving my country, I
have just announced my arrival to the members of
'the Provisional Government, and assured them of
my devotion to the cause which they represen., as
well as of my sympathy for their persons.

" Receive, &C.,
" NAPOLEON LOUIS BONAPARTE:"

The readers of the Murailles Revolutionnaires
and indeed the public, labour under the delusion
that this earnest declaration of love for the Repub-
lic and of admiration for the Provisional, Govern-
ment is from the pen of no less a personage than
His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of the French
himself. That stern moralist, the Constitutionnel,
will doubtless hasten to dispel this error, and show
that those august names have been only assumed
by others. If, however (but this is hardly pos-
sible), they are genuine, the Emperor will do well to
give a hint to the Constitutionnel not to be so apt
to throw stones at other people, seeing that the
houses many of us live in are made of very brittle
material indeed.

APPALLING CATASTROPHE AT SHREWS-
.BUItY.-TEN PERSONS DROWNED.

One of the most calamitous events which occurred
in this town took place on Friday night, M.
Jullien's annual musical fete had, in conjunction
with the Shropshire Horticultural Society's show,
been held during the day on an i-let of the Severn,
called the " Island of Poplars." The river at this
point is about 150 feet wide, and is at the deepest
part about nine feet deep. The island on the occa-
sion in question was approached by a bridge of
boats temporarily erected for the purpose, and con-
structed of a pontoon, ,a lighter, a flat-bottomed
punt, and a barge, planks being laid down over the
vessels to a landing-stage and steps. It is computed
that not less than 10,000 persons visited the island
during the day, of whom by far the greater number
were women and children, arrangements having been
made t o ad mitth eShrewsburyßaud of Hope to the fete.
The evening entertainments concluded shortlyatter
ten o'clock with% grand pyrotechnic display, when,
just as the last rocket sprang into the air and
scattered its blazing particles among the tall pop-
lars, the enormous multitude rushed off to the
bridge of boats. Whether this structure was strong
enough to sustain the ordinary weight and pressure
of so many persons is not at present ascertained.,
but unhappily there were found people foolish and
wicked enough to increase the chance of the risk,
which to unprofessional eyes seemed already great
enough. It is a fact, although it will hardly be
credited, that while the immense multitude were
frantically struggling and straining to get over the
bridge, several fellows, in a state of intoxication,
commenced swaying it from side to side,
notwithstanding the earnest entreaties of those
who endeavoured to pass on. At this junc-
ture the punt, which formed the central por-
tion of the bridge, capsized and sunk, bury-
ing beneath it several per: one, • while a great
many others—about 150 in all—were precipitated
into the shallower parts of the river. The scene
that ensued baffles description. The town bank of
the river was lined with hundreds of persons, con-
sisting partly of those who had landed in safety,
many of whom were separated from their friends,
and partly of poorer persons who were unable tO
visit the fete. and were watching the fireworks from
that spot. Frem these, as well as those who were
in the river and on the remaining portion of the
bride arose the must agouising shrieks and cries,
the darkness of night lending additional horrors to
the scene. After considerable delay and incredible
exertions the great bulk of those who had been
been precipitated into the water were dragged out,
some nearly drowned, while many others were
suffering from severe contusions, not a few having
had their arms and legs broken.
The worst, however, remains to be told. As we be-
fore stated, several unfortunate persons were crushed.
beneath the bottom of the punt, and being unable
to extricate themselves, in consequence of the pres-
sureeeelaepysewderbeefdorroowthneeyd,ououplwaabrdesgoott
g,were recovered during the night,
above them
02u0tm. inTnetreisbhoadviies n
but it is supposed that others remain yet under the
missing. The bodies so
fpouonotd,
baiersienSr
ietdralenleptoiefirets
odonansenaxerteighbouring inn, most of
th,m day. Their. names were
.—Edward Joseph Ditcher, a child 2i years old,
and Mary Hamer, his nurse ; John and Ann Price,
aged 11 and 14 respectively ; Mary Oureton, 15 ;
Elizabeth Holder, 22 ; John Roberts, 17 ; Esther
Mary Jones, and two others whose names are at
present unknown. Most of the deceased belonged
to Shrewsbury.
On Saturday evening an inquest was held at the
li,..endon Apprentice Inn, where the bodies lay, be-
fore INale.H. Keate, the borough coroner. The pro-
ceedings vv.-9re merely preliminary, to enable the
their removal for inter-
us to
bodies to be \,--ewecl and identified by
tivo friends prey..2their res. pec-
- was adjourned till 3 o'clock
will be conducted in the
to-day, when the inquiry
Models and
ment, and the inques:
grand jury-room at the TON.
jd before the jury,
drawings oafbl
o the
them
d
ge will be --h—et;:er the persons
so a
judge w.t are blameable or
stoo
nri
who planned and constructed
not. measures will be taken to
tche who caused
a
arrest, it possible, the
.
the catastrophe by roc ig the bridee b
We understand that
tal wre

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