The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-21 00:00:00

FEARFUL THUNDERSTORM.

On Monday evening a fierce storm of thunder and
lightning passed over Galloway and Dumfriesshire. At
Dalbeattie the storm seems to have raged with terrific
violence ; and the splendid mansion-house of Mr. Well-
wood Maxwell, M.P. for Kirkcudbrightshire, has fallen
a victim to its fury. About half-past eight o'clock the
house was struck by a ball of fire immediately over
the nursery-room. A tongue of flame shot forth almost
instantaneously, and in a minuts or two the inmates were
made conscious of their danger by the lurid glare from
the burning roof. Mr. Maxwell was absent in Lon-
don, and Mrs. Maxwell, with Miss Maxwell, were at
Edinburgh. Besides the servants, the only members of
the family at home were four of the younger children.
Three of them had been put to bed, and of course atten-
tion was first directed to them. They were all got
safely out, and through the kindness of Mr. Platt
they were at once conveyed to Kirkennan House.
A messenger was immediately despatched to Dalbe attic,
and hundreds of the inhabitants were shortly on the spot
rendering what assistance they could in saving the furni-
ture and checking the progress of the flames. Their efforts
in the latter direction, however, met with no success, as
the only means they had of procuring water was by bring-
ing it from the River Urr, in cans, a distance of about 200
yards. Meanwhile, a messenger had been sent to Dum-
fries for one of the fire-engines, and at eleven o'clock
Superintendent Malcolm started from that town
with an engine by special locomotive to Dalbeattie. When
he arrived on the scene it was one of awful grandeur. The
building was on fire in every part, and the crowds of men
and women moving about, the shouts, the flames, the
darkness, and the rattle of heaven's artillery almost
realised one's notions of Pandemonium. The men worked
with a will, and several ran considerable risk in endeavour-
ing to subdue the flames. All the best furniture had been
saved, and the silver plate, including the splendid set pre-
sented to Mr. Maxwell about two years ago by the Castle
Douglas Railway Company, was also secured. The fire was
now raging fiercely in the rnuniment-room, and to this Mr.
Malcolm directed the hose. lie succeeded in bringing it
under, and it is believed that the contents of the safe have
received no injury. It was nearly three o'clock in the
morning when the fire was fairly mastered ; but during
the whole of Tuesday it was found necessary to kelp
pouring water into the ruins. The house is a massive
granite building, and has been occupied only about nine
years ; the naked walls are all that remain. The furni-
ture in the house was not insured, though the building
itself was, and the destruction dune is immense, and must
entail a considerable loss on Mr. Maxwell.

A new publication has been registered under the
title of the Dramatic News, and will make its appearance
early in June. It will be devoted to matters entirely con-
nected with the musical and theatrical world.
CHURCH AND STATE.— A. meeting of the whole
council representing the United Kingdom branches of the
THE CAPTIVES AS AMBASSADORS OF PEACE.
Church Association has been held at King's College, when
After breakfast and a short stay in the camp we returned it was resolved : ",That it is essential that each member
to his Majesty, bearing a letter from Sir' Robert Napier of the Central Council shall at once use his utmost endea-
couched in firm but conciliatory terms, and assuring the
King that, provided be submitted to the Queen of England yours to promote, in his own district, demonstrations in
tosupport of the United Church of England and Ireland,
and brought all his prisoners and the other Europeansand for the maintenance of the union of Church and State ;"
the British camp, honourable treatment would be accorded
and arrangements were made for giving practical effect
to himself and to all his family. When we arrived he was
to the resolution.
sitting on the brow of Saw-Ad, overlooking the British
humour. pleasant
camp, and apparently in anything but aLORD BROUGHAM.—Lord Brougham was witty
Having been previously joined by Mr. Waldmeier, w, himself, as well as the cause of wit in others. Perhaps the
presented ourselves before him and delivered to him the most humorous speech ever heard at a wedding breakfast
letter, which was twice translated to him. At the conclusion was made by him whose memoirs are just now in all the
of the second reading he asked in a deliberate manner, Papers. He was asked to return thanks for the brides-
" What does honourable treatment mean ? Does it mean maids. He said something to this effect : "I am greatly
that the English will help me to subdue my enemies, or flattered by being asked to return thanks for the brides-
does it mean honourable treatment as a prisoner? " I 1 maids, and I have been trying to determine for which of
replied to him that on the first point the Commander. 1 my merits it is that I have been selected for the honour of
representing these fair young creatures—whether for my
in-Chief had said nothing ; that all his wishes were
containecr in Lis letter, and that the English army had
s youth, for my innocence, or for my beauty." In the end
he took credit to himself, amid the merry peals of laughter,
' mply coma: into the country to rescue their fellow- for the possession of all three.-- On
ce a Week.
trymcn, and, that object effecte!l, they would then
This answer evidently pleased him but little. INTERESTING RELIC.—A lock of the late King
of re-estaldishing himself by British aid were
Theodore's hair, cut from his head after death by Captain
.cit to the ground, and he had thenceforward to lead the C.
F. James, deputy-assistant quartermaster-general, was
.ccarious life of a brigand chief. His lips, always thin received in Plymouth on Tuesday, and as a matter of
as a sword-blade, quivered nervously, the horseshoe on curiosity is now exhibited in a shop-window in George-
his forehead grew deeper, but, controlling himself, he street. Captain James, when about to start for Abyssinia,
motioned us tv seat ourselves at a little distance from him jocularly promised a friend at Plymouth that he would
while he dictated an answer to his chief scribe, and when bring back a leek of Theodore's hair. On Tuesday the
it was finished called us forward, delivered it over to us, pledge was redeemed, a note accompanying it, in which
and bade us depart. The pith of this incoherent epistle Captain James said : " I send you a real lock of King
was simply that he had previously surrendered himself to Theodore's hair. I cut it off myself as soon as we found
no man, and was not prepared to do so now. Our second his body in the gateway, and I assure you it is genuine. I
stay in the British camp lasted about a couple of hours, little thought when I promised this in fun that it would he
at the expiration of which time the Commander-in- : fulfilled in reality,",-....j,pstet7l Afmtftly IVcts_fi

Ali hi hope