The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-25 00:00:00

DISASTERS AT DUNKIRK.

A collision occurred a few days ago in the harbour of
Dunkirk. As the steamship Sir Robert Peel, Captain
Wake, belonging to the Screw Steam Shipping Company,
and plying between Dunkirk and London, was steaming
out of the harbour about 1 a.m., the captain observed the
steamship Pfeil, Captain 0. Heller, belonging to Mr. 0.
L. Eichmann, of Hamburg, entering the harbour. To
avoid collision, Captain Wake ported his helm, And ran
his vessel as close as he could to the Quai des Anglais,
and it would appear that the captain of the Pfeil must
have put his helm starboard, as almost immediately
afterwards the Hamburg steamer ran into the Sir
Robert Peel, cutting her down to below the light
watermark between the foremast and the stem on the port
side, and stove in her own bow on the starboard side. The
night was very dark, and as the Sir Robert Peel had on
board a considerable and unusual number of passengers,
the force of the collision created the greatest alarm.
Fortunately Captain Wake was able to assure his passen-
gers that there was no immediate danger, as his vessel was
built in two watertight compartments. Captain Wake
then steamed his vessel across the harbour and beached
her just opposite where the English brig Billow, of
Boston, had been burnt seine little time before.
The passengers (among whom were several ladies)
thirty in number, relieved by the assurances
of the captain, remained on board till daylight.
The Sir Robert Peel had on board a general cargo, chiefly
consisting of sugar and potatoes ; the sugar is, of course,
entirely destroyed, and the potatoes are much injured, as
the fore and main holds are now full of water. Some con-
siderable time must elapse before the Sir Robert Peel can
resume her regular voyages between Dunkirk and London.
Meanwhile, her place will be taken by the Normandie,
belonging to the same company. Dunkirk has had more
than its share of accidents during the past and present
months. Four large fires have occurred, destroying a large
amount of valuable property in the warehouses on the quay
side. During the same time the brig Billow, above referred
to, has been burnt by an explosion of petroleum in the
captain's cabin. One child perished in the flames. Mrs.
Boyce, the wife of the captain, and another child were
rescued. from the flames by the intrepidity of a French
Customs officer. The poor child also died last week from
the injuries which it sustained, and Mrs. Boyce, in spite
of the care and attention bestowed upon her in the Civil
Hospital here, has not survived. Captain Boyce
speaks most gratefully of the kindness and attention
which were shewn to his wife and child by the authorities
of the hospital, and of the sympathy he has received
from all classes of the population. As Captain
Boyce has lost all his property in the fire which destroyed
his vessel, a subscription has been started for his relief,
affording another proof of French liberality and kindly
feeling.

The foundation-stone of a place of worship was
laid on Saturday, in Dewsbury, for the use of a body of
revivalists who have no other name than the Dewsbury
Glory Band.

MUZZLING DOGS.—Monday next is the last day
for the compulsory muzzling of dogs. The order of Sir R.
Mayne is " from and after the 22nd of June until the 31st
of August."

PUNISHED FOR DUELLING.—A duel, it may be
remembered, took place some short time back at Lyons
between M. Pouet, editor of the Courrier of that city, and
M. Frantz, a writer in the Refuse. Both combatants have
now appeared before the Correctional Police, which
tribunal decided that the last-mentioned gentleman was
guilty of provoking to the hostile encounter, and con-
demned him to ten days' imprisonment and 100 f. fine. M.
Pouet was sentenced to a mulct of 501., both parties
paying the costs.
THE BOILER EXPLOSION AT THE MERSEY
STEEL AND 'IRONWORKS.—Two others of the men
injured by the explosion at the Mersey Steel-and Iron.
works, on Thursday, have died at the Southern Hospital.
William Moss expired at a late hour on Friday night, and
David Jones succumbed to his injuries at nine o'clock on
Saturday night. So far the lamentable accident has
resulted in six deaths, and another of the injured men
(David English) is still in a precarious state. The only
other men remaining in the hospital, Lord and Bates, are
progressing favourably.
HALF A TOWN DESTROYED BY FIRE.—A letter
from Prerau, the chief town of the district of that name in
Moravia, states that half the place has been reduced to
ashes :—" At nine in the morning," it says, " fire broke
out suddenly in the suburb, and spread rapidly under the
influence of a high wind, so that the entire of the long line
of the street which opens on the square was in a few
minutes in flames ; the finest buildings, as well as the two
towers of the church, fell with great noise. The hand-
somest quarter of Prerau, which was really an ornament
to the town—namely, the High-street, presented at two
o'clock no more than a heap of ruins. The firemen did
not arrive froth Olmutz until about four o'clock. About
150 houses were destroyed. The origin of the disaster is
not known.

THE TIPPERARY MURDERS.—Tho Irish consta-
bulary have taken into custody in Tipperary, on suspicion
that the persons apprehended might have had a con-
nection with the Ballycohey outrage, three other
farmers, John Dwyer, of Donohill, Edmond Mullins, and
Peter Bermingham. They have also arrested . three
daughters of Dwyer, the tenant of Mr. William Scully, from
whose house the shots were fired. All these, however,
the magistrates either allowed to give bail, or to be liberated
after an examination. Dwyer, the owner of the farm, and
his son, are still in custody. The Crown solicitor has
been assisting the magistrates for some days in their
inquiry, and laid before them, at a private meeting which
lasted several hours, the various depositions that had
been taken. Mr. Scully is able to leave his bed and
move about, but one of the slugs still remains unextracted.
Sub•constable Kelly, who received a wound in the thigh
on the occasion, on searching his watchcoat, which was
strapped on his back, has found that six slugs penetrated
the cloth. Mr. Scully was warned by the police some time
since that a conspiracy existed to take his life, but is said
to have made light of the information, ---