The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-17 00:00:00

ADMIRALTY, OCT. 15.

William Bruce Porter Thompson Esq., has been pro-
moted to the rank of Navigating Lieutenant in her Ma-
jesty's Fleet.
Thomas Somerville, Esq., has been promoted to the rank
of Deputy Inspector-General of Hospitals and Fleets ou
the retired list.
Dr. James Lilburne has been promoted to the rank of
Stall Surgeon in her Majesty's Fleet.

Foreign Mail Packet List.

MAILS DUE.

Australia and New Zealand. via Southarapton.....Nov. 7.

Ditto, via .Y Areellies . ...... ....Nov 2

Ditto, via PL,airia ......... ........ ........ OJt 28.
Brazil. Buenos Ayres, and Monte Video Nov. 4.
Ditto, by irrenob packet .. Oct. 22.
Cape Verde, by Brazil paoket
Cape of Good live. A.saimelon. and St.
China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton—Oct. 19.
Gibraltar, via Southampton

ndla.vla Southampton

unto, via Marseilles
Malta, Egypt, &o. Oat. 17.

Ditto, Marseilles... Oo L. 12
Mauritius, Cape of Good Hope, and Natal, via
Scuthanigton

Ditto, Marseilles o.t.
Newfoundland ...............„ Oct 2l
Portugal . . ...Nov. 4.
United States, t anada, callfornit, &0., by British
packet —•. •• . Oct 17
Ditto, by Canadian packet ...........0at. 16
Ditto, by I. idled States packet
Ditto date (Baltimore)
West Indies and Pacific (except Mexico and Baha.

mas) - Oct 13.
West Coast of Africa, Madeira, and Teneriirs Oct. 17.
Faikland Islands »... Nov 4.

Cub.' and Mexico
Bahamas, via New Tork
Bermuda, via Halifax ....... . • •• Uct. 21.

FRESH ERUPTION 61.' MOUNT VESUVIUS.—WO
read in the Pemegolo of the 9th October : —According to
the present appearance of Mount Vesuvius there is every
prospect that this year, like the last, we shall have the im-
posing sight of a now eruptions, Within a few days the
detonations front the mountain have continued with in-
creasing frequency, accompanied by violent discharges of
lava and burning stones. Last night, after a slight undu-
lation of the soil, the cone formed by the late eruption.
opened from the 'summit to the base and ejected a large
quantity of lava in the direction of north and west, closely
following the path traced for the convenience of vlsftore
to the mountain. Tho current of lava reached last night
the place called Altio del Cavallo, and continues its on-
ward movement, accompanied by a fall of minute black
sand or ashes. There are symptoms of increasing
activity in the instruments used at the Observatory, where
the celebrated Professor Palmieri, with his indefatigable
zeal for science, has established himself permanently iit
order to complete the series of observations elaborated
during the long period of the last eruption.
The Naples Observer, Oct. 10, says :—On Mon-
day evening last we first noticed a change in the aspect
of Vesuvius; from the mountain of Castellammare we
distinguished an occasional red glare over the mouth of
the crater. On Tuesday at daybreak all signs of ac-
tivity appeared to have ceased, a very faint column of
thin white smoke being all that was noticeable. On Tues-
day evening, however, the labouring of the mountain was
plainly perceptible, each outburst giving forth a jet of
flame, and on Wednesday a column of smoke somewhat
more dense inclined us to believe that an eruption was
not an impossibility. In the evening our conjectures
were verified, for at dusk a magnificent stream of
lava was seen flowing down in the direction of the
Atrio del cavallo, whilst from the crater jets of fire
might be seen issuing at very short intervals, and the
detonations could be distinctly heard in Naples. The
same paper says the cultivation of rice is being introduced
into the province of Capitanata, and we understand a,
large property in the neighbourhood of Foggia has lately
beenipurchased for that purpose by a company formed
in North Italy.
FRIGHTFUL EXPLOSION OF NITRO-GLYCERINE.—
URBANA, Onto, Sept. 30.—Yesterday morning our citizens
were startled by a sharp report, as of an explosion of can-
non, which appeared to be right in our midst, shaking
and swaying the buildings and breaking the window
glass. In an instant every one was astir to see, if pos-
sible, the cause of the tremendous report. They
ran to the railroad yards, supposing it to be an engine.
Finding nothing in this city, they came to the conclusion
it must have been the explosion of the Atlantic and Great
Western train, No. 6, which Lad only been gone some fif-
teen minutes. Hundreds took the track, and went some
seven miles east, when the flames of burning cars met their
eyes. It was ascertained that the car next to the engine
had exploded with a terrific report, completely demolishing
the engine and foul cars, setting fire to the train,and soon con-
sumed nearly the whole of it. Ten cars were burned to
ashes loaded with flour and pork. The next car to the
engine which exploded was loaded with pork, and the
supposition is that nitro-glycerine was in some way
smuggled into it, which caused the explosion, and the
serious injury of the engineer, Harry Whipple. The
report was tremendous ; had the whole train been loaded
'`with powder, it could not have been so loud. An iron rail.
was thrown 300 yards from the track, and bent double by the
force. A house a quarter of a mile from the wreck was
almost demolished, and the vibration came with such
force that timbers flew in every direction, and telegraph
wires were thrown down for about 600 yards. A gentle-
man from Marysville says the shock received there seemed
as if within a few feet of them. ft was also heard five
miles beyond Marysville, thirty miles from the wreck.
No one but the engineer was seriously hurt. The fire-
man was slightly hurt, and was blown over into a field. \
The old silver coinage of the Bourbons and the
Orleans, of Napoleon 1., and of the Ropublic, Owere
October,,o.
longer a legal tender in France after the Ist of
but will continue to be received in payment at the public
offices for some time longer.
eratiornoasnta-
that it is the invention to revise the existingd postal
A telegram from Berlin, dated oct. 14, states
Great Britain. A representative of English
ar-
rangefuents between the North. Ger
mfanthCeonfe
enter into the necessary negociations.
Post-
office is expected at Berlin the beginning of next month to
In the Boston International Cricket Match the
"All-England Eleven" won after sharp play all round,
scoring lu9 iu their first innings, and 71 in their second.
Tho American Twenty-two scored 39 in their first
innings, and 37 in their second.
The Barre flood, Massachusetts, occasioned severe
loss. The damage to the town in bridges and highways
being calculated at $25,000. Among the mills carried away
were those of Henry Wilkins, Dexter Dennis, Luke L.
Knight, E. L. Pierce, and Nelson Loring, and in most
cases no vestige was left to show where the building had
stood. None of the property was insured against this
class of accidents, and some of the sufferers are completely
ruined. No lives were lost.

An American has taken out'a patent in France
fora style of printing which may be read in absolute dark-
ness. We suppose he intends it for the blind.