The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-20 00:00:00

to clear, and the principal inn became a scene of no
little excitement. When the throng had obtained
there what they could, the general movement was to
the railway station ; and, by means of extra trains
sent out as fast as they could be got ready, a host of
people were dispatched to their homes well satisfied
apparently with their day.

ANOTHER ACCOUNT—A T SEA.
In addition to the foregoing we give the following
account of the explosion as it appeared at sea :
That enterprising cfficer Captain Bullock, so
Well and deservedly appreciated for his
eminent services in surveying various parts
of the coast, left Newhaven Harbour, in her
Majesty's steam-vessel the Widgeon, about mid-day,
h tying Sir John Rennie and others cn board, and
hove to in the bay of Seaford for the E irl of Shef-
field, and other distinguished parties expected to come
to have a'sight of the grand explosion from the sea.
At about two o'clock several arrived, and the Wid-
geon steamed on to about a quarter of a mile
from the devoted part of the cliff, where
she anchored in an excellent position. The
ground so ju liciously taken up by Captain
Bullock served as a guide for the various yachts
and other craft to take up their position also, and that
part of the bay was speedily filled with a multifarious
variety of flotilla, crowded with gay and expec-
tant visitors, who half trembled, yet dared
to enjoy the grandeur of the risk 1 The
sea was smooth, with a running swell which rather
unsettled the fairer portion of the company, who did
not exactly comprehend the beauty of the scene in its
full splendour with the same certainty of being quite
safe, as if they were on terra firma.
As the hour of terror drew near, anxiety and curio-
sity seemed to struggle for relief among the crowd
of water-gazing people. Here and there a sensible
commotion occurred, as the doubt of whether
they would or would not yield to the idea
of sea-sickness prevailed ; but, altogether, a
fine delicate sense a decency seemed to weather the
storm, and curiosity triumphed. Meantime the
decks of the Widgeon were boarded on all sides
from boats crowded with distinguished people:—
The Duke of Beaufort, General Sir James Mac-
donald (the bravest at the battle of Waterloo), Sir
Frederick Fitzclarence, commanding at Portsmouth;
Captain Fanshawe, Captain Mends, Count Nessel-
rode, T. Lamie Murray, Esq , Mrs. and Miss
Murray, 11. A. Cowper, Consul at Pernambuco;
Mrs. Cowper, Miss Bland, P. A. Mahoney, jun.,
EN., Sir H. Shiffner, &c., &c., who a 1 waited the
coming event with breathless expectancy.
About three o'clock suspense was at its utmost

when we could clearly see men running from the
voltaic battery to the edge of the cliff, as if adjust-
ing the wires, and running back again. Then " all
was right!" But no! Another man ran back
again, and doubt was the order of the
hour. Presently he returned, and then a
long and uneasy pause ensued : people began to rub
their eyes, doubtful if they really saw the cliff, so in-
tense was their determination to have " a regular
good view of it !" Hush !---it is going ! " No, it
won't go at all" when presently, as people
began to get tired of. their own wonderment,
—out bulged the centre of the cliff with a quiet majesty,
pressed by an invisible agency, like the bellowing
sail of a man-of-war filled by the breezes of
heaven, and down went the cliff to its base,
with the top following in quiet succession,
and filling up the vacuum left behind with as
much order as if a company on parade wheeled round
and took the place of the one who had just passed
off. Then came the crumbling—the dust—and
the rush into the sea! It was but a moment—the
eye gazed on in doubt if all was over or not
—when a surging wave rushed on into the
sea, bearing a white foam on its curling head, on-
ward and onward, as "the bore" rushes up to Calcutta
with "still-impending threat"—and all was still,
save and except the returning wave from
the deep heaving back the foam and chalk which had
been carried seaward at the first impulse.
Then the excitement ceased, and people wondered
if all was over. Comment in every variety of opinion
poured forth—but one feeling pervaded the mass, that
great as it was, it might have been " better !"—S
difficult is ignorance to be sati.fied !
The best informed, however; agreed that " the
thing" was done wonderfully well, and reflected great
credit on the skill and efficiency of the engineering
officers who had charge of the affair—in which we
most cordially concur.

The work being now done, there is great doubt if
the matter thrown out will prevent the shingle from
passing eastward. Our own opinion is that it
will not, unless piles be driven and other
accessories be resorted to to make a com-
pact bulwa►k—and even then we have our
doubts, for a storm from the south-west, with a spring
tide, will demolish the whole mound in one tide—
certainly in two—leaving the flint separated from the
chalk, which will be all washed away-
_
ORIGIN

OF THE NAMES OF THE
STATES OF AMERICA.

1. Maine was so called as early as 1638, from
Maine in France, of which Henrietta Maria, Queen
of England, was at that time proprietor.
2. New Hampshire was the name given to the ter-
ritory conveyed by the Plymouth Company to Capt.
John Mason, by patent, Nov. 7,
1639, with reference
to the patentee, who was governor of Portsmouth, in
Hampshire, England.
3. Vermont was so called by the inhabitants in
their declaration of independence, Jan. 16, 1777, from
the French verd, green, and mord, mountain.
4. Massachusetts derived its name from a tribe of
Indians in the neighbourhood of Boston. The tribe
is supposed to have derived its name from the Blue
Hills of Milton. "I have learned," says Roger
Williams, " that the Massachusetts were so called
from the Blue Hills."

5. Rhode Island was so called in 1644, in reference
to the Island of Rhodes, in the Mediterranean.
6. Connecticut was so called from the Indian name
of its principal river.

7. New York (originally called New Netherlands)
was so called in reference to the Duke of York and
Albany, to whom this territory
was granted.
8. New Jersey (originally called New Sweden)
was so named in 1644, in compliment to Sir George
Carteret, one of its original proprietors, who had de-
fended the island of Jersey against the Long Parlia-
ment during the civil war of England.
9. Pennsylvania was so called in 1681, after William
Penn, the founder of Philadelphia.
10. Delaware was so called in 1703 from Delaware
Bay, on which it lies, and which received its name
from Lord De la Warr, who died in this bay.
11. Maryland was so called in honour of Henrietta
Maria, ,Queen of Charles 1., in his patent to Lord
Baltimore, June 30, 1632.

12. Virginia was so called in 1584, after Eliza-
beth,ja was 80 called in 1772, in honour of
the virgin Queen of England.
13 and 14. Carolina (North and South) was so
called in 1564, by the French, in honour. of Charles
IX. of France.
15. Georg
George 11.
16. Alabama was so called in 1817, from its prir.-
cipal river.
17. Mississippi was so called in 1790, from its
western boundary: Mississippi is said to denote the
whole river ; that is, the river formed by the union of
many.
li7s 9sd to signify a
6 said from its prin-
-18. Louisiana was so called in honour of Louis
XVI. of France.
eipla9l.riTveern. nessee w
The
curved spoon.
20. Kentucky was so called in 1782, from its prin.
cipal river. waosrds ocall
Tennessee
called in
21. Illinois was so called in 1809, from its princi-
pal river. The word is said to signify the river of
men.
22. Indiana was so called in 1802, from the Ame-
rican Indians.
23. Ohio was so called in 1802, from its southern
boundary.
24. Missouri was PO called in 1821, from its prin-
cipal river.
25. Michigan was so called in 1805, from the lake
on its borders.
26. Arkansas was so called in 1819, from its prin-
cipal river.
27. Florida was so called by Juan Ponce de Leon,
in 1562, because it was discovered on Ester Sunday,
in Spanish, Pascua Florida.
28. Texas was so called by the Spaniards in 1690,
who that year drove out a colony of French who had
established themselves at Matagorda, and made their
first permanent settlement.
29. Wisconsin was so named in 1826, from the
river of the same name, when a territorial government
was formed.
30. lowa was so called in 1838, after a tribe of
Indians of the same name, and a separate territorial
government formed. • •

The foundation stone of a new church was laid at
WeYnanth ou IYVlne§daY.