FRIGSTFUL SCENE AT THE BRIGHTON PAVILION.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 81, 14 August 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

FRIGSTFUL SCENE AT THE BRIGHTON PAVILION.

(From the Express.) . The Koyal Pavilion at Brighton was on Wednesday night (May 13) a scene of great excitement and alarm. At the commencement of the present reign the building passed into the hands of the Brighton Corporation, and its rooms are notv let off for meetings, entertain- ! ments, &c. On Wednesday evening the Collins troupe of Christy's minstrels had engaged tbe music-room for their performance. A crowded audience assembled. As soon as the doors were opened an escape of gas was perceplible. The large chandelier of the room was lit up, and some of the others appeared to be " turned on ;" therefore the increase of the peculiar smell common to gas escapes created a good ] deal of anxiety amongst the assemblage. However, people came trooping in every minute, and only a very few cautious j ones again retired. As the time for I the commencement of th& performance i — eight o'clock — approached, the atmosphere of the room be»un to get quite oppressive, and the waiting audience felt somewhat alarmed. ' The officials were hunting about the room, seeking to discover the escape, but still the seats were kept, and the number of the seat holders increased. Jnst before eight o'clock, ,a voice was heard from one side of the room, calling that the escape was there, and the announcement was received by a large section of the audience with a round of applause. In a few seconds more the crack of a lucifer match was heard, and a light was saen to be passed along the wall, about seven oi eight feet from the floor. Instantly a great patch of flame burst forth, accompanied by a report like the discharge of a piece of ordnance. In another instant a second explosion of the same kind took place further along and higher up the wall, a third and lesser one followed in the same diagonal track towards the roof, and then, like the ! culmination of a thunder-clap, came an explosion far louder and more violent than those preceJinar. This took place in a corner of the elaborately-decoratod roof just under the dome, and sent down a mass of plaster, woodwork, and broken glass on to the portion of the room immediately beneath. Fortunately, the heavier portion fell in tbe space fronting the platform, and therefore no one was struck down. Dense volumes of smoke and dust, however, poured forth into the room, and either obscured or extinguished the light's in the large crystal centre chandelier. The side of the room on which tbe explosions took place is the next to the lawn, to which access is given by lofty windows opening to the floor. These were draped with damask curtains, which caught fire nfter the explosions, and added to the terror lof the crowd. The effects of this; terror baffle all description. At the first explosion shrieks and cries broke forth, arid a general rush was made towards th<R single door by which the audience entered. This was quickly blocked up, and lamentable results would have ensued had not some parsons had the presence of mind to open the lawn window, and cry to the people to escape that way. A large number did so dash out of the room, heedless of the danger threatened by fire and further explosions. Others escaped by the platform door, and in a few minutes all were got out. Then men set to work to extinguish the flames, which jeopardised the entire building. Water was at hand in abundance, the police fire brigade quickly attended, and in less than an hour all ' danger was past. One side of the room, including part of the ceiling, is completely wrecked, and if restored to iis original state of intricate decoration will cost a large sum of money. The buikliu°" is insured. In several cases women sustained severe frights, and medical assistance was needed in lengthened and repeated swoons. No serious injuries were, however, recorded at the j time when our parcel was despatched. j A considerable amount of property, in I hats, shawls, &c, was either lost or damaged beyond further wear in the rush of the crowd. The room was on ' ground floor. The accident is said to have been caused by a temporary connexion for footlights being made in a wrong manner.

The Cork Constitution stated that two American agents have paid a visit to Charleville. They came by the Dublin train, and brought with them a number of persons whom they had enlisted for the construction of a Hail way in America,. They wanted others, however, and they thought that Charleville mijjht furnish them. To the people attending 1 market they accordingly addressed themselves, presenting most promising prospects, and offering most seducing wages. The thoughtless listeners were soon caught, am) were ready at once to engage for embarkation. However, Mr Clancy. D.L., hearing of it, went to the palish priest, who accompanied him to the scene of operations, told the people that it was not for a railway, but for war, the enlisteis wanted them. They then informed the latter that if they did not decamp they would be given in charge to the police. They took the hint, and about fifty persons whom they had engased thus fortunately escaped. Tensile Strength of Cotton. — At a recent meeting of the Philosophical Society of Manchester, Mr Charles O'Neill exhibited a mounted tibro of New Orleans cotton, torn by a gradually increasing weight suspended to its extremity. It had sustained a weight (gradually increased) of 162 grains for many minutes. Mr O'Neill stated that there were 143 such fibres in the hundredth part of a grain of cotton. Each fibre, therefore, weighs less than the ten thousandth part of a grain ; and the strongest fibres are capable of supporting more than two million times their own weight. Mr O'Neill is engaged in making experiments upon the tensile strength of other fibres by special apparatus. Prince Charles of Lowenstein has been betrothed to the Princess Sophia of Lichtenstein, sister of the reigning Prince. Prince Charles was born on May 31, j 834, and the Princess Sophia on July 11, 1837. Out of 36,590 common brewers in the United. Kingdom, 32,072 pay license on. less than 1000 barrclsof beer each. There are only two who pay upon upwerds of 400,000 barrels each