The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-30 00:00:00

NEW ASYLUM for INFANT
HANS.

oRP

This first election of children to the new Asylum for
Infant Orphans took place yesterday at the Hall of
Commerce, Threa.dneedie-street. The proceedings coni-
menced at eleven o'clock, when John Wilkes, Esq., was
called upon to take the chair, in the absence of the
LOrd Mayor. Mr. Wilkes, in a neat and appropriate
address, 'during the course of which he was much
cheered, explained tk-e objects of this most excellent
institution. The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor arrived
shortly afterwards, when Mr. Wilkes vacated the chair,
which was assumed by hiS Lordship, who expressed his
gratification in having been called on to preside over the
meeting that day, and his high approbation of .the ob-
kets of the charity. A communication was read from
Lord Dudley Coutts Stuart, expressing his approval of
the institution, and his intention of bnoming an annual
contributor to its funds. It was also announced that
Mr. Pete, the eminent builder, had sent a
.donation of
twenty guineas to the institution by the hands of Mr.'
Thornborrow, and that Mr. Richards, of Lloyd's, had
s,nt a donation of ten guineas. •
The polling commenced shortly after eleven o'clock
and closed at two o'clock ; and shortly before three
o'clock the following were announced as the successful
candidates :—J. S. Beresford, J. fliward;. J. L. Kirk,
W. J. Parker, and 0. T. Woollard.
The meeting was exceedingly well attended, and there
were several ladies present, who seemed to take a great
interest in the proceedings. The most sanguine friend
of the Society could not haVe hoped for a more grati-
fying, or a more promising commencement..
.Among-those present we observed :—the Right Hon.
the Lord Mayor, Rev. Andrew Reed, D. 1)., J. Wilkes.
Esq., David Salamons, Esq., Joseph Tritton, Esq.,
J. Prior, Esq., D. W. Wire, Esq., R. Gamman,.Esq.,.
and W. Thornborrow, Esq.

STEAM-BOAT ACCIDENT.
SEVENTY LIVES LOST.

The following melancholy account is extracted from
the Rio de Janeiro papers:—
"At fire o'clock in the afternoon of the 25th instant
(May), about 200 persons bad taken their passage in the
Ilspeculadora steam-boat, which plies between this city
and Nitheropy (a pleasant village-on the opposite side
of the harbour). l'he next day being Whit Sunday,
and this the last boat for that evening, was crowded by
respectable persons and parties intent of and anticipat-
ing a day's pleasure on the morrow, consequently were
full of mirth and geed humour.
The clock had just strut* five, and the captain given
the order to cast off ;' but the moment the paddle-
whfe;s began to move round, a terrible hissing noise
was heard, the precursor of several explosions, which
succeeded each other like flashes of lightning and
claps of thunder—the boiler bad burst : at first no-
thing could be seen for a dense cloud of steam that
covered the vessel, from whence issued the most dread-
ful groans and piercing cries. On the steam clearing
off, a most horror-striking sight presented itself to
view ; the middle part of the deck had been blown away,
and a great number of human beings were discovered—
men, women, children, old and young, blacks and whites,
struggling in the bold, amidst the boiling water from the
exploded boiler.
" Some died instantaneously, and these were, perhaps,
the most fortunate ; others, in their endeavours to
extricate themselves from the horrid cauldron, caught
hold of the hot bars and fragments ; but, obliged
to let go their hold, fell backwards into it again.
No words can describe accurately the horrifying
scene of desolation. Blacks became white, and white
people reel. Amidst the uproar, one was calling out
fur a father, another for a brother, a third for a
husband or wife, and a fourth for a son or daughter ;
the sea was covered with the dead and dying, or those
endeavouring to escape from the devouring elements ;
a few were so fortunate as to reach the shore, and
many were picked up by the boats, which promptly
rendered every assistance ; but notwithstanding all
exertions to save them, several were drowned. Ah !
who can describe the agonies or imagine the pangs of
so many unfortunate fellow-creatures, boiled, as it
were, alive; with pieces of flesh hanging from their
bodies, literally scalded from head to foot—surviving
a few hours in this state, and suffering the most ex-
cruciating torments
" Soon after the explosion the chimney and main-
mast fell on the awning, and buried beneath it a num-
her of the, passengers, who were thus placed in the
greatest jeopardy, as the boiling liquid was fast ap
preaching them ; but they were rescued by great ex-
ertions made—knives, razors, sworls, were instantly
used to extricate them. No praise can be 'considered
too great for the assistance so promptly rendered. The
Ministers of Justice and of the War Department, with
the head of the police, and a great many medical men,
immediately repaired to the hospital, where forty-one
sufferers had been taken, and were indefatigable in
rendering them assistance and alleviation."
The number of victims could not be ascertained, but
from more recent information the deaths exceeded
seventy, and several of the thirty wounded were still in
a very dangerous state. .
The cause of the explosion had not been exactly as-
certained, From the report, however, of the engineers
who examined the machinery after the accident, it
clearly appears that great neglect must have occurred
with respect to, the safety valve, the wire of which was
so corroded that the pressure must have been 1001bs, to
the square inch when the explosion took place—it ought
not to have exceeded Sibs.

A BREWER SUFFOCATED IN A PORTER VAT.-011
Saturday last, an inquest was taken before Thomas
Badger, Esq., coroner, and a highly respectable jury, at
the Crown and Anchor Inn, in Bright. street, on view of
the body of Robert Howe, an assistant brewer, in the
employ of Messrs. Gilbert and Arnold, of the Milton
Brewery, Sheffield. It appeared from the evidence of
Mr. Gilbert, that the deceased (who was a very steady
and sober man) had that morning incautiously de-
a:ended into a large empty porter vat in the brewery,
for the purpose of removing the bung and clearing it
out; when he was immediately suffocated by the car-
bonic acid gas in the vat. On discovering the accident,
Mr. Gilbert tried the vat with a candle, which was ex-
tinguished when let down a foot only into it. The tap and
bung were removed, and prompt steps adopted to dispel
the foul air in the vat, and with some difficulty the body
was got out, but quite dead. The deceased had been
frequently cautioned of the danger of descending the
vat, and desired never to do so, without first ascertain-
ing that no gas was present. He had risen very early
that morning to get his work done, in order to go to
Hathersage to see his friends,• and to arrange about his
marriage, which was to have taken place next week.
The jury, after strongly impressing upon the men about
the brewery the necessity of adopting great caution be-
fore descending into the vats or working tubs, recorded
a verdict of " Accidentally suffocated."—From a Cor•
respondent.
DEMISE OF THE "CONSTITUTIONAL."--Our Contem-
porary, the Constitutional, has ceased to exist. It drew
its last breath yesterday morning. Begotten between
ultra-Toryism and High-Church fanaticism, it was
but a rickety bantling from the first, and never
enjoyed anything like robust health. What with
changing its doctors and changing its regimen, it has,
in its latter days, worn out a. miserable enough
existence. We regret its loss ; but we believe the
parties more nearly interested regard its decease
as a blessing rather than an affliction. It died without
making any sign, and consequently we are left alto-
gether in the dark as to the immediate cause of dissolu-
tion. " Certain circumstances" and Captain Warner's
experiment were the last things it complained of. Our
poor Contemporary, however, was not ungrateful. To
its friends it paid the following just tribute of thanks :
" For such support as this journal has received during
the seven years it has been in existence, we beg to return
thanks."—.Aberdeen Herald. _

~.—..-.
DETERMINED— SUICIDE OF MR. SULLIVAN, PRINTER,
CHANCERY-LANE.—Mr. Wakley, M.P., held an inquest
on Saturday at the Duke of Wellington, Richmond-
terrace, Barnsbury-road, on the body of the late Mr.
Michael Charles Sullivan, aged 32. trom the evidence
of his sister, whose feelings were so overpowered that
she was almost inaudible during her testimony, and of
his brother, it appeared that the deceased, who carried
on the business of a printer, in Chancery-lane, but re-
sided at 2, lienningford-terrace, Barnsbury-road, had
been for a long period complaining of his head, and was
under medical treatment for it. llefrequently said that
he was unable to attend to business, that his life was
worth nothing, and that every one was his enemy. Still
they never suspected that he meditated self-destruction.
His sister having missed him on last Thursday morning
from home, although he left his hat and boots behind
him, .went to Chancery-lane, to inquire after him. She
then returned, accompanied by her other brother, to
make further inquiries. Upon her return, she found
him suspended by the neck, and dead, from a beam in
the coal-shed. Amongst otter eccentricities, he hid his
money partly, under his bed, and partly over a cupboard,
and in a table-drawer. Verdict, " Temporary insanity."

THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT .AT BLACEFRIARS-
BRIDGE.—FETNEEAL OF THE SUFFERERS.—On Sunday
afternoon the mournful ceremonial took place of depo-
siting the remains of the three children of Mr. Breadcott,
of Newgate-market, who lost their lives-on Monday
last by the breaking of the pier at Blackfriars-bridge.
At half-past two o'clock the funeral procession, consist-
ing of three coffins, followed by the mother and
father and other relatives, fourteen in number, left Mr.
Breadcott's residence, in Newgate-market, for the parish
church of St. Faith, in Watling-street. Long before their
arrival the church was completely crowded by respect-
able individuals, and upon the coffins being placed noon
the trestles in the centre ai,ale, and the mourners had
taken their seats, a general feeling of sympathy pervaded
the whole congregation, many of whom shed tears. The
burial .ervice was read in an impressive manner by the
Re". Mr. Barham, the rector; at the conclusion of which
the three bodies were deposited in one grave, near the
northern transept of St. Paul's cathedral, in the yard
adjoining that edifice, which is the burying-ground of
the parish of St. Faith. At the termination of the cere-
mony, on approaching the grave to take a last look, Mrs.
Breadcott's agony was so intense that it was with diffi-
culty she was supported from the ground.
ETON REGATTA.-011 Saturday evening, accord-
ing to usual custom, the grand regatta of the Etonian took
place, being the Saturday previous to Election Monday. At
six o'clock the boats were moored 4e#T thA Bro Pal
with their colours flying at the stern, and the fine band Of
the Royal Horse Guards (in two boats) playing national
airs and other animating pieces. A large concourse of the
Nobility and gentry arrived from all parts, and the Brocas
exhibited a most gay and lively scene, particularly on-the
arrival of the crews in their various fancy costumes. At
e'veno4Cloelt the boats were manned, and, after pulling once
round the eydtt, they proceeded to Surlev 1411. Gn Arriving
there the crews landed; and pattoolc"Of arvelegant entertain-
*o_o4i.,l tenia,•ereCtpd the lawn,. and "driiiking
atter
usual pOyegA pOast!,i, zeporned Windsor: bridge, 'wueit,
• aemn4 9?-giow. Thrmning was be autiPly
usual 'inUatfir oqttoTy.

they arriveu
fine, and there was a more L,.—
crowding the bridge and wharf and every ay/nat....,
brilliant display of fireworks then commenced, which las ed
until ten o'clock, when the crews landed, and returned to the
College.