Sunday Edition. December 24. ftand that Mis. Conway, Mlns Burna, Mr. Kennedy, »nd the full strength of the company, will asslet, thru making the Christmas attractions very great, to-morrow there will be a grand extra e forty 9*9o* Qi gmalbpok undsr hl» ohargs, THE INTERNA.TIGN HW.: FORMATION OF THE FIFTH -DISTRICT SEC TION. A mooting was held at No. 129: Spring street, o» Friday evening, for the purpose oi forming a section of tho International Workingmen’s Association, Emile D. Francois presided, and Carl J. Herbold actod as secretary. The following resolutions weri read and adopted Resolved, That we tho undersigned believing thi principles of the International to be tho only pana cea for the evils under which the proliateriate of ail countries is laboring, and seeing the necessity of an English speaking section in this, vicinity, hereby pledge ourselves to the support of tho principles set forth by tho Warious congresses of the Interna tional held in Europe, and Resolved, That we exert our whole strength to make this section successful, and hereby cordially invito ail persons irrespective of race, color or sax, to join us in this movement and enroll their names. Citizen Gabriel was elected Treasurer. A Com mittee of three was appointed to procure cards ad vertising the. meeting. It was moved by Mr. Mc- Gregor that a debate be opened next Friday, Dec. 29th, subject matter to be “the International and its bearing on American politics,” carried. After some business relative to the organization* had been hurried through, the meeting adjourned, TERRIFIC EXPLOSION OF G/IS. THE UPPER PART OF THE CITY IN DARK NESS-NARROW ESCAPE OF SEVERAL WORK MEN. At 6 o’clock P. M., yesterday, the gas -in the purifying house of the Metropolitan Gaslight Company, in the centre of the block In Forty second street, between Eleventh and Twelfth avo nues, exploded with a terrific report, SHATTERING THE BUILDING, shaking others in the vicinity, and making a general wreck. Tho windows in the tenements for a block around were broken, and the entire upper part of th® city was at once enveloped in darkness. The most intense excitement was created for a time,- but few persons being aware of the actual cause of the sud den extinguishment of light, while those who heard the explosion imagined the disaster to be much, greater than it subsequently proved to be. It was at first believed that there had been a very serious loss of life, but this proved to bo incorrect. The only wonder, seeing the extent of the .wreck, la that there were not many lives lost. Tho hour al which the disaster occurred may account in part foi this, as most of the laborers were absent at supper. So far as can be ascertained, THE ONLY PERSON SEVERELY INJURED was a laborer named Patrick McGrath, who was oul about the head, and somewhat injured. Search waa mado among the ruins, but no bodies wore found, and it is almost certain that tho only ono badly in jured was McGrath. Tne upper part of the building was. completely riddled and torn into fragments. The force of the explosion seemed to be directed upward. Tho loss to the Gas Company is estimated at $30,000. Ths losses on other property will amount probably to $2,500. After two hours of darkness, the damage was par tially repaired, and that portion of the city served by the Metropolitan Company was again illuminated, and penny dips and kerosone were again at a dis count. Minor Items —Ann Mulligan, aged 50, of No. 416 West Twenty-sixth street, diod sudden ly yesterday. Samuel Blanchard, colored, aged 40 years, died suddenly yesterday, at No. 22 Clark street. During the past week there have been in this oity 148 marriages and 440 births. Car No. 34. of the Eighth avenue line, yesterday ran against a coal cart at Hudson and Morton streets, and Fuller, aged 17, of No. 767 Washington street, who was riding on the front platform, wai seriously injured. Louisa Schraft, aged 1 year, died suddenly yester day, at No. 203 East Fourth street. The Weather.—No subject created such universal condemnation yesterday as tho wea ther. Even those who have been pitching into Tweed and the Ring, Tom Murphy, and other objects of public contempt, were forgotten for a few hours, and Mr. Brown, the healthy street contractor and the weather, were denounced in language mors terse than elegant The streets were in a condition all day of the sloppiest, and the ladies who wcr® compelled to be out did not look radiant with smiles. Were this oity the habitation of many Frenchman, we’d have innumerable suicides to record. An Old Confidence Operator Set tled.—John Rescue, one of the oldest confidence operators in the city, was, yesterday, arrested by Officer Freeman, of the Twenty-sixth Precinct. Three weeks ago the prisoner met John Nelson, living in the interior of the State, at tho Naw Haven depot, at Twenty-seventh street, and by means of the bogus gold game succeeded in swindling him out of S7O. There are several other cases against the rascaL He was, yesterday afternoon, taken before Justice Hogan, at the Tombs, and on tho complaint of Mr. Nelson was fully committed to await a trial. Fell Dead in the Bowery.—Coro ner Herrmann held an inquest yesterday in the case of the man who was found, on Friday evening, dead on the walk in front of No. 9 Bowery. Deceased was recognized as Henry Hufnagle, a German tailor, late ly living in Third avenue, near Seventeenth street, and was on his way home when he fell dead from disease of the heart. Supposed to Have Taken Poison.— Last evening, Annie Scott, aged thirty-five years, was found sick in one of the Seventh avenue cars, on its arrival at the depot at Fifty-third street. Sha was removed to the. West Forty-seventh street polled station, and two physicians summoned, who wer® of the opinion that she had taken poison. She waa removed to the Reception Hospital. Another Death from Abortion.— Catharine Cahill, the young Irish woman, who was. removed on Friday from No. 22 Pike street to Bella* vue Hospital, supposed to be suffering from th® effect of an abortion, early yesterday gave birth to an eight months’.child. She herself died soon after ward, She refused to tell anything concerning th® affair, although several times questioned before,. death. Columbia Yacht Club.—At. Lba annual election of the Columbia Yacht Club, held ou Tuesday evening, the 19th Inst., at the club-.hQ.uso, foot of West Fifty-seventh street, the following officers were elected for the ensuing year Joseph Nobles,. Commodore; Robert McQuinny, VicetCom modore; George W. Brink, Secretary; C. M, Arm strong, Treasurer; John Smith, Steward; R. V.Free man, Measurer. Fatal Fall Down Stairs.—Coro- ner Herrmann held an inquest yesterday in,the casa of Patrick Garvey, aged 38 years, who was found on Friday evening lying insensible at the foot of a flight of stairs leading to his apartments in the tenement. No. 85.6, Greenwich street, and died in a .few hour# afterward. He is supposed to have falleq backward down the stairs, and fractured his skull. Nsws Dealers’ Guards.—This com pany, composed, as the name the news dealers of this city, go on a target.,excursion on Christmas Day to Jackson Park, E&nter’s. Point* The guards and their guests will undoubtedly have ft gpodi time, for the news dealeas are- a wide-awak® set, and understand how to enjoy, themselves and, make their guests comfortable. Mercantile Libbary.—The Library od Reading Room of the MerciwHile Library will b® open to members on Christmas and New Year during the usual hours. This, is a good ideat, as many of the members have np homes in whUh to spend thesQ days. A Collision.—Two sleighs came in collision.yesterday, at Fifth avenue and Forty-ninth street. Owen Casey and Boswell D. Tompkins wera thrown; out and seriously, injured. The slaighs war® overturned* and somewhat, damaged. An Old Shooting Affray.—Daniel; E. Finn, Archibald Hamilton, and Walter Kelly wer«, admitted to bail yesterday by Justice Hogan, on ft charge of having beer) concerned in the shooting ot Maurice Stack, at No. 199 Washington street, on thft Bth of November last. The attendant physiataft nounced him out of danger. Fatal Hatchway Casualty.—John. Keyser, aged> twenty-nine y aars, who was Injured nearly a month ago by falling through the hatchway of No. Bf).Front street, where he was employed, died early yesterday at his residence, No. 641 Washing ton ste He was a relative of Ex-Shpriff Keys er- Hurt by a Casting.—Patrick Lcn. non, aged thirty, of No. 538 West Twenty-seventh atreet, had a casting fall on him yesterday, in Cnld.. well’s foundry, at No. 556. West Twenty-seventh street, fracturing three ribs. He was seat to Belle* vue Hospital. A Bad Fall.—Edward Patterson, of Sixth street, Wißiamsburgb, a lather, yesterdajf fell from the third story to tha cellar of the now building, No. 733 East Tenth street, and was dan, gerously injured. Taken to Bollova. Sacred to His pild 6? mud was gathered up in a heap tn Delanoey etreel I yesterday, and in it was placed a wooden cross, which bore the legend: “Snored to the saeBWW M coawwtw »r?wa. UM f 5