The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-06-07 00:00:00

COURT AND FASHION

SIR JOHN HOPE, BART., M.P. for the county of Edin-
burgh, lies dangerously ill in London.
THE QUEEN has appointed the Earl of Home to be
Keeper of the Great Seal, and Lord Panmure to be Keeper
of the Privy Seal, for the Kingdom of Scotland.
GRIST AND MARIO have engaged to go to America for
five months. They are to get £17,000 and all their ex-
penses paid.
M. GENERAL THE HON. GEORGE ANION, M.P., has,
it is said, been appointed to succeed M.-General Sir
Joseph Thackwell in the command of a division of the
Bengal Army.
THE DUKE OF GENOA, brother of the King of Sar-
dinia, arrived in London on Tuesday, from Paris, ac-
companied by the Marquis d'Azeglio, Sardinian minister
at this court, His Royal Highness had an audience of
Her Majesty, by appointment, on Wednesday,
OXFORD UNIVERSITY.—The following is a list of those
upon whom the degree of D.C.L will be conferred on the
occasion of the installation of the Earl of Derby as Chan-
cellor of Oxford University :—The Marquis of Chandos,
Marquis of Blandford, Earl of Hardwicke, Earl of Eglin-
ton, Earl of Malmesbury, Lord Colchester, Lord Redes-
dale. Lord Stanley, M.P., Lord St. Leonards, M.-General
Sir E. Cust, Lieut.-General Reeve, Sir E. Lytton, Bart.,
M.P., Sir Archibald Alison, Bart., Sir Roderick Mur-
chison, Mr. Philip Pusey, Professor Avtoun, Right Hon.
B. Disraeli, M.P., Right Hon. S. H. Walpole, M.P.,
Right Hon. J. W. Henley, M.P., Right Hon. Jos. Na-
pier, M.P., Mr. David Forbes, Right Rev. C. Words.
worth, Bishop of St. Andrew's, T. B. Macaulay, M.P.,
the Duke of Richmond, Sir J. S. Pakington, M.P.,
M.-General Sir H. Smith, Bart., the Bishop of Ohio,
Mr. G. A, Hamilton, M.P., Dr. Forbes Winslow, Mr.
S. Warren.

A ROYAL TROUSSEAU.—A letter from Berlin gives the
following description of the trousseau of the Princess
Anne of Prussia, who is about to be married to a Prince
of Hesse Cassell :—Of the two large rooms which the
trousseau occupied, the first contained the house and body
linen, laid out for the most part in 20 dozens and 24
dozens, all marked with her Royal highness's name (12
dozen pocket-handkerchiefs had the Royal arms woven in
them). In connection with the travelling couch were 24
dozen day and night chemises, as many undress and
night caps, and other incomprehensible and unmention-
able articles in like profusion. The linen takes up three
sides of the room ; the fourth is occupied by the chaussure,
consisting of 24 pairs of silk and leather shoes, and 24
dozen pairs of stockings. In the second room were gloves,
embroidered handkerchiefs, collars, scarfs, hats, bonnets,
artificial flowers, &c., in bewildering profusion ; to make
all complete, there was a riding habit, 12 cloaks, in silk
and velvet; and, besides all these, the lball and court
dresses, as well as the wedding robe, a diadem of brilliants,
and much too many more things for me to enumerate.
According to old practice here, the body of the wedding
dress of white satin was not with the skirt and train, but
is kept in the jewel chamber, where it is decorated with
the crown jewels, and not brought out to Charlottenburg
till the last moment.

HER MAJESTY'S DRAWING-ROOM.—The Queen held
a drawing-room (the first this season) on Wednesday after-
noon, in St. James's Palace. Upwards of 200 ladies were
presented at the reception, which was very numerously
attended.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Genoa, their Royal
Highnesses the Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand
Duchess, and the Duchess Caroline of Mecklenburgh
Strelitz, their Royal Highnesses the Princess Mary and
the Duke of Cam briige, her Serene Highness the Princess
Adelaide of Hohenlohe, and his Serene Highness Prince
Edward of Saxe Weimar, werepresentat the drawing-room.
The Queen wore a train of blue-and silver cloth, with
gold stars, trimmed with gold braid and silver blonde.
The petticoat was white net over white satin, trimmed
with gold braid and white roses, with green and gold leaves.
Her Majesty's head-dress was formed of diamonds and
feathers.
Her Royal Highness the Princess Mary of Cambridge
wore a blue moire antique train, embossed with white
flowers and trimmed with blue. The stomacher was of
diamonds. Three skirts of blue tulle, embroidered with
silver, over a blue silk petticoat.
Her Royal Highness's head-dress was composed of
feathers and a tiara of diamonds of wheat-ears, with lace
lappets. The necklace and earrings were diamonds.
Her Serene Highness the Princess Adelaide of Hohenlohe
wore a train of white watered silk, brocaded with silver
leaves, trimmed with white satin ribbon and silver; the
stomacher of silver blonde and blush roses ; the petticoat
of white satin, trimmed with tulle, silver blonde, and
blush roses. The dress was of English manufacture. The
Princess's head-dress was formed of feathers, roses, and
diamonds.

Her Majesty will hold drawing-rooms, at St. James's
Palace, on Tuesday next, and on Thursday, the 23d inst.

FRAMPTON'S PILL OF HEALTH.—" For upwards of
nine years (writes Mr. Thomas Province, of Winchmore
Hill, Middlesex,) I have experienced the efficacy of this
excellent medicine. I had long previously been afflicted
with headache and indigestion ; but a friend having in-
duced me to make a trial of Frampton's Pills, I now
inform you that a few doses gave me great relief ; and
during that long period of time I have taken them in
preference to any other medicine; and I have the happiness
of saying that I never had a better state of health, which
I attribute to Frampton's Pills. I beg further to add,
that this medicine is in general use by my family, and we
know of nothing to equal it." In any case where an
aperient medicine is required, they need only be tried to
be universally adopted. Sold by all medicine vendors,
Price ls. 10. per box. See the name of " Thomas Front,
29, Strand, London," on the government Stamp,

GREAT FIRE IN LONDON.
AWFUL DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY

On Sunday forenoon, shortly after ten o'clock, the
neighbourhood of the City-road, London, was visited by
one of the most extensive conflagrations that has occurred
in that locality for many years, which in less than half an
hour fired premises containing property valued at nearly
half a million sterling. The whole was not destroyed ;
but the damage done, it is feared by those well able to
form an estimate, will considerably exceed £lOO,OOO.
The fire broke out in the premises belonging to the
Patent Gutta Percha Company, situate at the edge
of the Wenlock-basin, City-road, and extending about
100 feet into the Wharf-road—a thoroughfare filled
with warehouses and stores of vast extent. The
premises of the Gutta Percha Company, although
not more than from 80 to 100 feet in depth,
yet stretched in the other direction upwards of
200 feet, and could not fail from being observed by any
one passing over the City-road bridge, on account of a
lofty and massive chimney shaft' which towered high
above the surronnding house-tops. The building was most
substantially built of brick, and was considered fire-proof,
each compartment being shut off by means of heavy iron
doors ; but the contrary proved the fact, and scarcely any
portion of the factory now remains except a few of the
bare walls, and even these are expected to fall, and if not
they will have to be pulled down.

The factory was divided in the following manner, so as
to afford sufficient room for 300 hands to work :—Tho
machine-room was in the centre of the premises, extend-
ing from the front to the water side. Adjoining this
portion was a wing on the left, used as the engine-
houses, and which contained three powerful boilers for
driving the machinery. Over the machine-room, in the
centre of the premises on the ground floor, was another
extensive range of buildings, occupied as cutting-rooms
and band-houses. On the ground floor to the right was
another wing used as the rolling-houses, containing ma-
chinery valued at several thousand pounds. Above the
last-named was another extensive building, termed the
press-rooms and manufactory of gutta percha articles,
whilst the fitters' and carpenters' shops, and the pattern-
makers' stores adjoined them. Behind the premises
already enumerated stood the manufactory for picture
frames and articles of that description, each portion being
stored with tons weight of the gutta percha, an article
equally as inflammable as spirits of turpentine.
Adjoining the gutta percha company's works on the one
side, or rather separated from them by a space of not
more than two feet, were the extensive factory for making
Edwards's patent fire-lighters, belonging to Mr. W.
Gorton. In the yard of these works stood a pile of wood
(and so close to the premises on fire that it became
ignited) containing 140 fathoms, or about one ship load
and a half.

From the fact of the Wenlock Basin, which was 100
feet wide, being besides filled with water, not the least
fears were at first entertained of the flames being able to
attack the wharf and warehouses on the opposite side,
but such was the extraordinary progress of the fire, that
several buildings on the opposite side of the water were
ignited.

Two vessels lying in the basin near the factory were
destroyed, and many miles in length of wires in gutta
percha for the Electric Telegraph Company were also
consumed. As soon as the firemen had obtained the
mastery over the fire in the opposite warehouses the
whole force was brought to bear upon the main factory,
but in spite of which hour after hour was spent, and mean-
while the flames continued to roll upwards in immense
bodies, and even as late as half-past 7 o'clock on Sunday
evening the fire was far from being entirely extinguished,
but all danger of any further extension of mischief was
over.

The total loss will amount to many thousand pounds;
the damage done at the gutta percha works alone will
reach to between £60,000 and £BO,OOO. The loss will
principally fall upon the Royal, the Imperial, the Scottish
Union, the Yorkshire, the Sun, the Hand-in-Hand, the
County, and other offices.

Upwards of 300 men will be thrown out of employ by
this disastrous event.

FRIGHTFUL STEAM-BOAT ACCIDENT.

A most lamentable and fatal accident occurred on
Thursday on board the Times screw steamer, one of the
vessels belonging to the Dublin and Liverpool Steam-
packet Company, and commanded by Captain James
Collis. She left the North-wall, Dublin, for Liverpool,
at six o'clock, p.m., having on board 330 deck passengers,
chiefly emigrants, and seven cabin passengers. She also
carried, as part of her cargo, a number of cattle. When
nearly opposite the Pigeon-house, at about seven o'clock,
a partial explosion of one of her boilers took place, causing
a rent, through which there was an immediate and destruc-
tive escape of steam. A scene of the greatest confusion
and terror ensued. A number of the passengers who
crowded the deck were instantly overwheltred and fright-
fully scalded by the steam ; and those who escaped its
destructive effects were in the greatest alarm for their
lives. The condensed steam and boiling water shot up
from the midship hatch and the window of the engine-
room, and descended on the deck passengers who were
gathered in the waist of the vessel. Scarcely anything
could be imagined more appalling than the sight which
the deck presented—men, women, and children, rushing
to every side for shelter from the scalding steam ; others
—many of them women—screaming in agony ; the terri-
fied cries of their friends, and of numbers who were in
search of, and apprehensive for, the safety of their friends,
added to the bellowing of the cattle and the bleating of
the sheep and lambs, with which the vessel was laden,
rendered the whole a scene of horror almost without
parallel. _ _

On the vessel being stopped, the boats were lowered,
and the sufferers conveyed ashore. Nothing could be
more frightful than the appearance some of the poor
creatures presented as they were taken from the boats.
On examination, it was found that thirty-three persons
were injured, many of them severely, and that two, a boy
about four,`and a girl about three years old, were dead.
Inspector Finnemore had stretchers brought for the
conveyance of those who could not be taken on cars to
the different hospitals in the city. Some of the passen-
gers who had escaped uninjured were sent by a float up
the river and landed at the wharf ; and those who had
received partial injuries, which did not render it necessary
to send them to hospital, were treated with the greatest
humanity by numbers of citizens, who exhibited the
utmost amount of sympathy for them. None of the
cabin passengers were injured. The second engineer was
severely, the first engineer slightly scalded.
As soon as the accident became known to Mr. Middle.
ton, the agent of the company, he immediately despatched
the Mona steam-tug to the vessel in order to afford any
assistance that might be required, and directions were
given that no expense should be spared that might be'
necessary to procure proper treatment for the passengers
who were injured.

The engineer, William Galway, gives the following
account of the accident :—" At about half-past six the
vessel was going at about nine miles an hour against the
tide, which was then flowing—the pressure of steam on
the boiler at the time being ten pounds to the square inch
Less than it was calculated to bear. When the vessel had
proceeded down the river to the point nearly opposite the
Pigeon-house, he was going up the ladder from the engine-
room, after having left the machinery in charge of Patrick
M'lntyre tthe assistant engineer), when the explosion
took place. He immediately rushed down, seized the
safety-valve and stopped the engines, and in doing so was
severely scalded on the hands. He also states that at the
time the vessel started the water in the boilers was fifteen
inches above the level of the action of the flame from the
furnaces. In accounting for the cause of the accident he
states, that in one of the landings, or compartments of the
boiler, a portion of the rivets had been frayed, and when
the pressure was put on, the part that was thus indurated
gave way. The pumping gear for supplying the engines
with water was in perfect order, and at work at the time
of the accident."

Nine of the sufferers are dead, and several others are in
a hopeless state. At the time of the accident there were
320 passengers on deck, of whom 36 were scalded by the
steam as it escaped from the fractured boiler. They were
all of the labouring class. Of six women who could not
be removed from the Pigeon-house Fort, owing to the
severity of their injuries, one died on Friday morning,
and two others are not expected to survive.

Mn. PHILIP PIJSEY has been elected President of the
Royal Agricultural Society of England for the ensuing
year. The receipts of the last year were £6,816, and the
expenditure £5,685, giving a balance of £1,131 in favour
of the society. The Gloucester meeting will be held in
the middle of July.

PLYMOUTH ELECTION.—The candidates were Mr.
Roundell Palmer, Peelite, and Mr. Braine, Liberal. The
polling took place on Thursday. Palmer, 944 ; Braine,
876. The ejection of Mr. Mare, the late member, was on
the petition of Mr. Braine, who paid all the costs.

EPSOM RACES.—The total number of passengers con-
veyed between London and Epsom during the four days
over which the races extended was 41,164. On the
Derby day alone 26,926 persons availed themselves of this
means of transit. This enormous amount of traffic passed
over the railway without accident to a single passenger.
HYDROPHOBIA.—The inhabitants of Eyam and the
surrounding villages in North Derbyshire have been hor-
rified by the ravages of a mad dog. The rabid animal, it
is stated, had bitten probably upwards of fifty dogs,
besides other animals, before it was killed. The extent of
the danger is, therefore, incalculable.
A MONSTER YACHT.—The American steam-yacht
North Star arrived at Southampton, on Wednesday, after
a passage of ten days, eight hours, and forty minutes,
from New York, which port she left early in the morning
of the 21st ult. The North Star is a beautiful new steam.
yacht of over 2,000 tons burden,. belonging to Commodore
Vanderbilt, of New York, the pioneer of the various lines
of mail-steamers between that city. and the Pacific. This
steamer has been constructed specially for the private use
of that gentleman, and the present is her first voyage.
She was built by Mr. Simonson, of New York, and her
dimensions are—length of keel, 260 feet; length of spar-
deck, 270 feet; beam, 38 feet. The engines are from the
Allaire Works, the cylinders being 60 inches diameter,
with 10 feet stroke, and the paddle-wheels 34 feet in dia-
meter. The steam is generated in four boilers, each 24
feet long and 10 feet diameter, with single return flues.
A steam-yacht of such gigantic proportions as these is
likely to excite great interest in this country. Her cabins
and interior arrangements are of the most commodious
and elegant description, and fitted up entirely for the
convenience of the family of the o ;viler, by whom he is
accompanied. The North Star will shortly proceed to
St. Petersburgh, and thence to the Mediterranean, touch-
ing at several European ports, merely on a visit of pleasure.
Some idea of her size may be formed when we state that
the North Star is of larger tonnage and greater power
than the Victoria and Albert Royal yacht. She cost
$509,000, and her weekly expenses are about £350, ex-
clusive of fuel. The crew cons!sts of nearly 100 men,
including officers, seamen, engineers, firemen, &c. The
vessel, after coaling, will be thrown open to the public,
and her stay is expected to occupy ten or twelve, days.
The rapid voyage of this vessel from New York to South-
ampton is an evidence of her great speed, particularly
when the newness of the machinery is taken into account.
During one twenty-four hours the log of the North Star
shows that she ran 344 miles. Her consumption of coals
has been 500 tons.