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XLV. Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles, 

 To Mr. Tilloch. 



Sie, An extraordinary accident lately happened to my 

 neighbour, Mr. Watts, chemist, in the Strand, which has 

 excited the attention of several persons of his profession. I 

 am anxious your ingenious readers should know some par- 

 ticulars respecting it ; and if you will indulge me by insert- 

 ing briefly an account of the affair, I shall feel obliged, as 

 it might in future prevent a more serious evil. 



Mr. Watts had taken into his premises, as usual, a car- 

 boy of aquafortis, and from some unknown cause, the fo|- 

 jowing morning, his warehouse appeared to be on fire; 

 there being a great quantity of smoke seen issuing from 

 many parts of the building. On entering the apartment, 

 the carboy was on fire, and more than half consumed. I 

 saw the remains of the basket and straw taken into the 

 yard. The air quickly revived the fire, and I have no 

 doubt but I could very easily have blown it into a flame. 

 Particular inquiry was made respecting the straw, and it 

 appears to have been perfectly clean and new. There was 

 no turpentine, or other inflammable spirits, within a foot 

 of the spot where the carboy stood ; and it has very much 

 surprised all who have seen it, how the acid could ignite 

 such materials without the aid of other agents. Perhaps 

 some of your scientific correspondents can assign a cause 

 for this strange event, which does not appear to be gene- 

 rally known, and may point out a remedy for preventing a 

 more serious conflagration. I am, sir, 



Your obliged humble servant, 



Lancaster Court, Strand, J{ t TeeD. 



11 September, IS 10. 



The French Government has recently ordered all the 

 superb remains of Roman architecture at Nismes to be 

 cleared from the rubbish with which they have been for 

 several centuries confounded. All the modern buildings, 

 which disfigured these monuments of antiquity, have con- 

 sequently been removed, and the decayed or ruinous parts 

 of the original architecture have been strengthened and 

 repaired. 



BETHLEM HOSPITAL. 



Application was made to Parliament, in the last session, 

 for an Act to enable the Governors of Bethlem Hospital to 



exchange, 



