The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-22 00:00:00

EXPLOSION IN LIVERPOOL.

Before the public have recovered from the shock caused
by the terrible accident in North Wales, the particulars of
a second disaster has reached us, little less calamitous than
the former. A Liverpool paper of Friday says :—Last even
Ing an explosion occurred at the well-known works of the
Mersey Steel and Iron Company, which has resulted in
the deaths of four persons, and the injury of
about fifteen or twenty others. From what we can
learn one of the plates of the boiler, about 4 feet long and 18
Inches wide, in one of the vertical steam boilers gave way
and precipitated about ten tons of water in the red-hot
furnace, the result being that the furnace was entirely de-
stroyed, and iron, bricks, and boiling bet water wore
scattered in all directions, a quantity of the debris being
projected over a wall thirty-five feet in height into Grafton-
street. At the moment of the explosion a furraco man,
tamed George Lupton, was in the act of drawing the
furnace, when he was struck and thrown a distance of
about ten yards against a stack of furnaces, and
then covered with a quantity of red-hot bricks, his death
being instantaneous. A number of men and boys in the
vicinity of the furnace were very much scalded by the steam
and boiling water—one of them so severely that he after-
wards died in the hospital, and others aro not expected to
recover. The poor boy named Ellis succumbed to his in-
juries about twenty minutes past ten o'clock in the hospital.
The skin was actually hanging, from his flesh, and the wounds
by the scalding were excessively severe. It was evident as
soon as he was placed in the hospital that ho was so much
injured that ho would not long survive. Ellis was a pro-
mising lad of nearly 16 years of age. The next most
serious case was that of a man called Fegan, who is not ex-
pected to live many hours. It was also mentioned on
an inquiry being made at the hospital at a late
hour, that ono Lynch was in a very bad condition.
Until an official investigation is made into the circum-
stances of this sad affair, it would be unfair to make
any explanation as to the cause of the explosion. Rumour
of course says that there was too much pressure
for the boiler; but fact, on the other hand, declares that
the boiler had an unusually strong bottom, and that it was
only three weeks ago that it was thoroughly repaired. How-
ever that may be, the bottom at any rate was blown out,
the furnace conneeted with it entirely smashed, and an
adjoining furnace destroyed to a considerable extents
The matter will bo thoroughly sifted by the coroner when
he comes to make an inquiry into the deaths which have
occurred. Later informa' ion stated that the two men, Lynch
and Fegan, had expired. The former died at half-past cloven
o'clock last night, and the latter at a quarter to one this
morning.

At Bathurst, a few days since, a Chinaman
named Ah Hung managed to strangle himself with his
own tail.—Sydney Herald.

The retail sales of intoxicating drinks in the
United States, it is estimated, amount every year to the
total value of all the railroads in the Union—a,bout 1,500
million dollars !

THE KILT AT LUCERNE. —A correspondent who
has been journeying from Itome to Switzerland, crossing
the St. Gothard, says : "On the box of each of her
Majesty's three carriages sits a servant in the Highland
dress."—lnverness Courier.

It is related of the Miss Foote who has just
married Senator Henderson, that once, when she and her
sister went to a party with their uncle, Senator Foote,
now deceased, a grammatical servant announced, "Senator
Foote and the two Misses Feet 1 "

We learn from good authority that the late Mr.
M. H. Higgins ("Jacob Omnium") was received into the
Church before he died. Mr. Higgins was married to a
Catholic lady, his children have all been brought up as
Catholics, and he was always well inclined to the old
faith. Some days before he died he desired to be received
into the Church, and died a Catholic. R.l.P.—Weckly
Register.

The inexhaustible "Chant," in a recent number
of the Charivari, represents an anxious mother in conver-
sation with the director of a gymnasium, to whom she
maintains that her darling son is entitled to a prize.
"Your son, madam, persists in doing nothing," says tho
director. "Then," replies the mamma, by no means
disconcerted, ." you should give bim the prize for per-
severance."

NEW LAW ON "COMPENSATION CASES."—An
amendment made in the new Regulation of Railways Act
will obviate much litigation. In cases affecting land,
either side can apply to one of the judges to try the case
as an ordinary issue under the Lands Clauses Consolida-
tion Act, and all the proceedings are to follow as in
other actions. This new enactment has reference
to land to be purchased by railway companies,
or land injuriously affected. The provisions have
immediate operation, and can now be heard by the
superior courts.

ROYAL HOP.TICULTURAL SOCIETY.—The gardens
will be open free on August 26, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.,
as usual, in commemoration of the anniversary of the late
Prince Consort's birthday ; but in consequence of dis-
orderly persons abusing the privilege on former occasions,
the council have decided on reserving to themselves the
'right of excluding any persons from entering the gardens
(whom they think it would be undesirable to admit. The
council appeal to the visitors on this occasion to assist
them in preserving order and preventing destruction to
the society's property.

The Duke of Wellington was at a ball one
night, and, as usual, could not find a partner. Inheriting
his father's taste for music, he consoled himself by sitting
down near the band, which happened to be a remarkably
good one. By-and-bye the party broke up, Ni hen the
other officers present were taken home by their lady
friends, whilst young Wellesley (as he was called) was, by
common consent, left to travel with the fiddlers. Old
Lady Aldborough on one occasion put the duke in mind
of the circumstance after he had become a great man, at
which he laughed heartily, while she added, with naiveté,
"We should not leave you to go home with the fiddlers
now."

Armin TO UPSET A TRAIL The Midland
Great Western Railway Company have offered a reward
of £2OO for the discovery of the perpetrator of the dia-
bolical attempt made on the line within about four miles
of Ballinasloe, to upset the mail train from Dublin lad
Saturday night by placing a sleeper across the line, •vhich
was very near upsetting the ergine and train. Had the
villanous attempt succeeded, there is no calculating the
sacrifice of life and property that would have been the
consequence. It is much to be deplored that this is one
of a series of outrages, but the worst in its character, that
has been perpetrated on this line iu the same locality.

DESTRUCTION OF A PARAFFIN OIL MANUFAC-
TORY.—On Thursday a fire broke out in the paraffin wax
manufactory belonging to Messrs. Blake and Nation,
Wick-road, Hackney Wick. Whilst the men were at
work in the factory a vapour from the oil came in contact
with the flame of a candle. and the whole of the oil and par-
tially prepared wax became ignited and blazed up with such
fury that all hands 'were obliged to rush out of the factory
to avoid being burned to death. In the course of a feu
minutes the two floors of the fact )ry became one complete
body of flame'; and that was not allgor the oil and wax in a
thorough state of ignition ran out of the building, resem-
bling streams of liquid fire, and ignited a large number of
barrels in the open yard. Several fire-engines arrived
with all possible expedition, but in spite of every exertion
the factory, the machinery, and the valuable stock-in.s
trade were destroyed, nothing of the main build;Ag
remaining except a portion of the outer walls. The
whole of the casks in tho open yard are alsenigly
flgstroyed. •