The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-09 00:00:00

GERMAN Y.

Baron von Rosenburg, Prussian Secretary of Le-
gation in Frankfort, has left for Vienna, to undertake
the business of the Prussian Embassy during the
absence of Count von Bernstorff. He is the bearer
of a note from the Prussian GotteTnment, in which
it accepts the proposal for free conferences made by
the Congress of Warsaw, but coupled with the con-
dition that Austria shall suspend her warlike prepa-
rations ; if they are persisted in, Prussia will continue
preparations of the same kind.
. . . .

The Constitutionelle Zeitung states that in the
course of the night of the 34 • inst. a courier was sent
to Vienna with the news that Prussia is prepared de-
finitively to sacrifice the Lague and its constitution,
and no resistance will be made to the Austrian in-
tervention in Electoral Hesse 'RI Holstein. The
same paper states likewise that the Parliament will
be adjournel immediately after its meeting.
Another Austrian note has been received at Berlin,
in which it is d'manded that the Prussian troops
shall evacuate Electoral Hesse, with the exception of
the Etappe roads. General Radoiiitz, although out
of office, was consulted on this point, and his advice
was, that the entry of Prussian troops into Hesse
ought to be considered as a fait acmnpli, and that the
Cabinet ought to refuse the Austrian demand. An
answer, conceived in the spirit of the above reply,
was immediately sent to Vienna.
The Zeitung far Norddeutschland states, from
Hanover, of the sth instant, that among the first acts
of the Munchhausen Cabinet is a prohibition of col-
lections of money for the war in Holstein. Respect-
ing the position of the Hanoverian Government in
the Holstein question, the following declarations have
been given :

1. The Hanoverian Government will march no
troops for the purpose of the pacification of Holstein.

2: It refuses to recognise the federal resolutions on
that subject. As to the question of Electoral Hesse,
Hanover has promised the assistance of nine bat-
talions if M. Hassenpflug.be dismissed, and the com-
mand of the army given to an Austrian General.
The non-acceptation of these conditions has influenced
the Hanoverian Cabinet to refuse taking part in the
occupation of Hesse.

FEARFUL EXPLOSION AND LOSS
OF LIFE AT SEACOMBE.
Between seven and eight o'clock on Wednesday
evening last, a dreadful explosion of naphtha, attended
with fatal consequences, occurred in Mersey-street,
Higher Seacombe, Cheshire. The house in which
the melancholy occurrence took place is used as a
Roman Catholic school and reading-room, in con-
nexion with St. Alban's Chapel, Liscard, and is under
the superintendence of the Rev. Mr. Lennon.
It appears that on the evening in question, previous
to the commencement of the duties of the school, Mr.
Johnson, the schoolmaster, and six of the scholars,
were in the front room on the ground floor. The
master was engaged in pouring some naphtha into a
lamp from a tin can, containing about half a gallon ;
and a lad named John Crossie, about ten years of
age, was holding a candle by his side. Never having
before filled the lamp, Mr. Johnson was ignorant of
the quantity required, and before he was aware
the 'inflammable liquid ran over, and, coming
in contact with the lighted candle which was held by
the boy Crossie, ignited. The scene which followed
it is impossible accurately to describe ; but from
what we can learn an instantaneous report, like that
of a cannon, was heard, followed by a tremendous
crash occasioned by the falling of the partition wall,
about twelve feet long and nine feet high, which
was forced with such violence against the oppo-
site side of the lobby that several deep indenta-
tions were made in the plaster work. In some places
large portions of the wall were removed, without being
shattered, and forced sgr.inst the wall forming the
other side of the lobby. But the- most melancholy
and heartrending part of the occurrence remains to
be told. In the reading-room, immediately above the
scene of the explosion, were fourteen persons, one of
whom was in the act of reading aloud an article from
the Morning Chronicle. On hearing the report, and
the noise which followed, they thought that the
arches on which the houses were built, had given
way, and a rush instantly took place to the door
and window, through which a safe exit was made.
But what was their horror on beholding the
ghastly visages and burning clothes of the poor un-
ortunate creatures who had previously occupied the
apartment underneath ? Mathew Riley, who lived in
the house, got out of the window, and the first person
he saw was the lad Crossie, who was enveloped in
flames, but his features could not be recognised.
Riley immediately clung round the lad, and rolled
with him on the floor until the flames were extin-
guished. The pour little fellow was then removed
to the Abbotsford Hotel, and afterwards to his own
residence, Newton Bridge, Seacombe, where he died
between eight and nine o'clock yesterday morning.
James M‘Geary, a joiner and builder, who was in
the reading-room at the time of the explosion, on
reaching the bottom of the stairs met Mr. Johnson,
whose face presented a very disfigured appearance,
and who was much burnt about the legs and body.
M'Geary succeeded in putting out the fire, and
pushed Mr. Johnson into the street, when he ex-
elaimed, " Don't mind me, look to the children." He
next met a lad named Riley, and afterwards another
lad named Duffy, both of whom be treated in a
similar manner. M'Geary, on going into the school-
room, found the chairs, tables, books, &c., in flames,
which ultimately he, with some assistance, succeeded
in extinguishing. Edward Burns, a boy twelve years
of age, is so much burnt, that little hopes are enter-
tained of his recovery. A lad named Patrick Riley is
also in a dangerous state. A youth named Cox, about
sixteen years of age, and Mr. Johnson, are also suffer-
ing much from the injuries received ; but it is pro-
bable that the last-named sufferer may recover.
Peter Riley escaped with little harm. It is
impossible, however, to state what may be the
result to the sufferers, as up to the time of the pre-
sent particulars being collected, not 24 hours had
elapsed from the period of the accident. James Burns,
who was in the reading-room, on seeing his injured
brother, took him into his arms, and was about get-
ting over a wall behind the house, which on the inside
was only about five or six feet high, but on the outside
(the house being built on an arch), was 30 feet high
from the ground, when he was prevented by Matthew
Riley, who caught hold of his leg and pulled him
back. Had it not been for the timely interference of
Riley, both Edward and James Burns would, in all
probability, have been killed by the fall into the yard
beneath. The houses of the row in which the school
is situate belong to Mr. Cornelius Kennedy, and are
built on arches with stables underneath. The arch
on which the school-house is built appears to have
given way, and a temporary support of a few posts
has been erected with a view to secure it; but such
is the present dangerous appearance of the arch, that
unless some proper precautions be taken, it will pro-
bably fall, bringing with it the other arches and
houses above.
Drs. Halliday, Shaw, and Horne, and Messrs. Bird
(druggist) and R. Parry were speedily on the spot,
and rendered valuable assistance.—Liverpool Mercury

JERSEY NEWSPAPERS.—Some time since, news-
papers published in the English language in the Channel
Islands, were prohibited from passing through the Post-
offices in Gnat Britain as newspapers. They were after-
wards allowed to do so if ld. stamp was affixed to each news-
paper, in Jersey or Guernsey. The Lords of the Treasury
have now permitted such newspapers to contain writing or
marks of reference, provided they contain an additional ld.
stamp.