The Press. — London, England, 1854-08-26 00:00:00

AUGUST 26, 1854. TRIAL OF LANCASTER'S GUN. SOME important experiments were made off Ports• mouth on Wednesday, in the presence of the Queen and a large number of distinguished and official personages, to test the qualities of one of the new screw gun-boats recently built for the Baltic, and of the famous gun on Lancaster's principle, from which so long a range is to be got with a missile of extra ordinary power. The Arrow, built at Blackwell, and commanded by Lieutenant Jolliffe, was the vessel with which the experiments were made. The place selected for the trials of her gun was at the cliffs adjoining the Needles Rocks, at the western ex tremity of the Isle of Wight. It was believed that the gun could carry a distance of 5,000 yards, but one of 4,000 was selected in this instance, in order the better to ascertain the destructive effects of the shell. Lancaster's gun is an oval one, and the shells are elliptical or egg-shaped ; the gun being a 68-pounder, 10 feet long, and weighing 95 cwt., whilst the shell weighs 100 lb., and has a charge of 121 b. of powder. The Black Eagle, with Sir James Graham, Rear- Admiral Berkeley, and Major-General Simpson, the Lieutenant-Governor, and other officials, on board, accompanied the Arrow to the spot, whither in due course the royal yacht, with her Majesty and Prince Albert, also arrived. The squadron arrived up at the Needles at five o'clock, and the Arrow at once took up her position off the cliff, at the distance of 4,000 yards. She was not long before the first shell was fired, but no one could say or see what the effect was. Another shell was tired, but still the cliff did not fall or any portion of it seem to be struck. This was accounted for afterwards by the information that these two first shells had burst in the gun. The third, fourth, and fifth shells were fired, but still the mark was not bit, nor was it seen where these shells burst, or what became of them. Something ominous was, however, indicated by the fact of the flag at the lighthouse at this part of the Isle of Wight, and which is one of the most important in the British Channel, being suddenly lowered. After the fifth shot, too, a party of spectators, consisting of the attendants of the lighthouse, coast guardsmen, and their wives and families, who had taken up a good position on a rising piece of ground near the light, all at once dis appeared in a most hurried manner. In the course of about a quarter of an hour all was explained. A boat was then seen to be stealing round the Needles Rocks carrying a white flag. Firing was then ordered to cease, whilst the Fairy was sent to learn the news. The flag was made out to be that of tho Trinity-house, and the three men in it provbd to be the attendants of the lighthouse. The message they gave was—" The two last shells have nearly blown down the lighthouse." They also told of the fright of the inhabitants, and the breaking up of a gipsy party, who had taken up their position in an adjacent bay. The Fairy communicated the message to the royal yacht and the Arrow, and the next shell was fired accordingly. It fell in the sea to the right of the Needles, the only one whose transit had been seen from the squadron. This closed the trials ; six shells being the number ordered to be experi mented on. It will thus be seen that not one shell struck the mark, or even went near it. But much of this is to be attributed to the heavy swell on the water at the time, and which rocked the Arrow about like a piece of cork. In addition to this the gun was fired from the side of the vessel, by which, from her rolling so much, it appeared utterly impossible to take anything like a fair aim, especially if the distance be considered. The vessel is fitted to fight this gun either fore and aft or from her side; and the trial would appear to prove that, excepting in smooth water, the former mode cannot be adopted with advantage. This was also the first trial on board ship of Lancaster's gun, and, from its pecu liarity, sir shells can hardly be called a fair test. With regard to the length of the range there can be no question about : this was amply proved, as was also the ability of the vessel to bear the discharge of so heavy a piece of metal. AKONO the passengers by the steamer which brought out Lord Harris to India was a French gentleman, who somehow came to be taken for the new Governor of Chandernapre. By virtue of this supposition everybody showed him every attention, and all who had not altogether forgotten their French grammar made it a point to hold conversation, as opportunity offered, with him. He was generally ekteemed as an intelligent, affable, and in every way agreeable fellow-passenger. This attention and this esteem he enjoyed, not only from the company on board generally, bit in a marked degree from the greatest man among them—to wit, Lord Harris. At table he usually sat on his 10-dship's right, and engaged the lion's share of his lordshipb conversation. At length the voyage was at an end, ant: the Governor of Madras and the supposed Governor o! Chandernagore were obliged to part. Lord Harris landed at Madras, and the Frenchman vane on to Calcutta. Here he went ashore and was received at Government-house, but only to take charge of the vice regal cuisine. In short, the supposed Governor of Chander nagore Proved to be Lord Dalhousie's French cook I . eengal Hurkrru. THE PRESS. so Atzt OFFICE OF ORDNANCE, AUGUST 21. Royal Regiment of Artillery.—Gentlemen Cadets to be Second Lieutenants. Frederick George Bayley, vice Tyler, promoted; Noel Hamlyn Harris, vice Smart, pro mated ; Oswald Carr, vice Leonard, promoted ; Henry Whitby Brisco, vice Eden, promoted ; William George Martin, vice Ogilvie, promoted; Philip Henry Sandilands, vice Newbolt, promoted; William James Hall, vice Mahon, pomoted ; Morton Parker Eden, vice Stirling, promoted ; Charles Dalrymple Gilmour, vice Carey, promoted ; Edwin John Ward, vice Strange, pro- moted ; Alexander Dickson Burnaby, vice F. Lyon, pro. moted ; Wilmot Burrows Edward Ellis, vice Taylor, promoted ; Charles George Luard, vice Longley, promoted ; Henry Auriol Douglas de Vismes, vice Keats, promoted. Corps of Royal Engineers.—Gentlemen Cadets to be Second Lieutenants, with temporary rank.—Charles John Darrah, vice Greatorex, deceased; John Popham Maquay, vice Lennox, promoted; Robert Nicholl Dawson, vice Leahy, promoted ; John Major Henniker, vice Bland, pro moted ; Edward Osborne Hewett, vice Baynes, pro moted ; Frederick Mould, vice Le Gallais, promoted ; Con stantine Phipps Carey, vice Durnford, promoted ; William Butler Gossett, vice Frazer, promoted. WAR-OFFICE, Ana. 25. To be Ensigns by purchase. lit Regiment of Foot—Redmond Bewley Caton, Gent.; John Archibald Cumming, Gent. Brd Foot—Barnes John Caldecott, Gent. bth Foot—Oliver Colt Gent. 7th Foot—Edward John Disney, Gent. 9th Foot—William Harris Burland, Gent. 11th Foot—Stuart James Shortt, Gent. 13th Foot—Henry Gillett, Gent.; William James, Gent. 14th Foot—John Donaldson Bradley, Gent. 15th Foot—Walter Godwin Hawkins, Gent ; Thomas Eccles Dickson, Gent 17th Foot—Frederick Carr Swinnerton Dyer, Gent.; Archibald Hammond Utterson, Gent. 18th Foot—Wm. Kemp, Gent.; Fairfax Fearnley, Gent. 20th Foot—John Little, Gent 26th Foot—John Lowndes, Gent. ; William Beers, Gent 31st Foot—George Bayley, Gent.; Gordon George Cow per, Gent. 34th Foot—Norman Ramsay, Gent. ; Edward Jordan, Gent. 39th Foot—James Gibbon Smyth, Gent. 46th Foot—John Horndon Messenger, Gent. 47th Foot—Richard Parker Hawkes, Gent.; Wm. Carnegy de Balinhard, Gent. 44th Foot—James Farquhar, Gent. ; Thomas Collings Maguire, Gent • 151st Foot—Augustus Brigstooke, Gent.; Sidney Henry Swat field, Gent. _ _ 54th Foot—Thomas Parr, Gent.; John Stevenson, Gent. 56th Foot—Thomas Pierce Butler. Gent. 57th Foot—Steuart Smythe Wyndham, Gent. 69th Foot—George Joy, Gent. 60th Foot—Llewellyn Edmund Traherne, Gent.; James Joseph Collins, Gent. 63rd Foot—Samuel Ashton Tate Benyon, Gent. ; Law rence Edward Knox, Gent. 65th Foot—Arthur Branthwayt Toker, Gent. 66th Foot—Henry Charles Spearman, Gent. ; John Baring Short, Gent. 68th Foot—Edmund Peel Ethelston, Gent. ; John Hobert Culm Seymour, Gent. 69th Foot—Henry Scott Turner, Gent. 77th Foot—George Edward Leggett, Gent. 79th Foot—William John Macknight Crawford, Gent. 80th Foot—Henry George Pattisson, Gent.; Robert James Maxwell, Gent. Rifle Brigade—John Plumtree Carr Glynn, Gent. 2nd Regiment of Life Guards—Francis Trevelyan Buck land, Gent., to be Assistant-Surgeon. Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards—To be Ensigns and Lieutenants by purchase—George Ernest Ross, (lent., and George Maynard Ives, Gent. 3rd Foot—Charles John Roper Tyler, Gent., to be En sr gn. 10th Foot—Ensign Frederick Beatty to be Lieutenant; Charles Errol Hope, Gent., to be Ensign. 15th Foot—William Robertson Tyler, Gent., to be Ensign. 26th Foot—Brevet Major Francis Carey to be Major; Lieutenants Robert Creighton Granville to be Captain ; William Mosse to be Captain ; Ensign G. Wilbraham Nor they to be Lieutenant. 115th Foot—Lient. Cortlandt George Macgregor Skinner to be Lieutenant. 87th Foot—Ensign Frederick John Nash Ind to be Lieutenant; Edward Birkett, Gent., to be Ensign. 38th Foot—Francis James Rooper, Gent., to be Ensign. 41st Foot—Lieutenant Hugh Rowlands to be Captain; Ensign John Stirling to be Lieutenant; Alfred Walter Thynne, Gent , to be Ensign. 43rd Foot—Ensign Hon. William Henry Herbert to be Lieutenant. 46th Foot—Quartermaster Joseph Cartmail to be Pay master. 49th Foot—Harry Denham Tanzia Savary, Gent., to be Ensign. 50th Foot—Ensign Monta,gne de Salis Mc K. G. A. Clarke to be Lieutenant; the Hon. Charles Cornwallis Chetwynd to be Ensign. 51st Foot—Edward Marcus Beresford, Gent., to be En sign. 60tb Foot—Second Lieutenant Wykehann Leigh Pem berton to be Lieutenant; John D'Olier George, Gent., to be Ensign. 6Rth Foot—Captain Alexander Macdonald to be Cap tain ; Lieutenant Stephen Croft to be Captain; Ensign 813 lingo Shelley Light to be Lieutenant; John Francis Sparke, Gent., to he Ensign. 7•2nd Foot—Lieutenant C. C. Wellesley Vessey to be Adjutant. 74th Foot—Ensign George Pilkington Blake to be Lieu tenant; Abel Straghan, Gent., to be Ensign. 90th Foot—Ensign W. John Roue to be Lieutenant ; John Joshua Nunn, Gent., to be Ensign ; Lieutenant Henry Hope Orealock to be Adjutant. 97th Foot—Ensign Douglas A. AVG regor to be Lieute nant; William Henry Coate Oates, Gent., to be Ensign. Rise Brigade—Second Lieutenant Boyd Francis Alex- ander to bi'Lientenant. 9rd West India ltegitnent—Ensign West Holmes Hill to be Lieutenant. Cape Mounted Riflemen—Ensign Walter Henry Gill to be Lieutenant. School of Musketry at Hyde—Sergeant John M`Kay to be Quartermaster. STAFF.—Purveyor to the Forces Matthew Wreford to be Purveyor-in-Chief to the Forces serving in Turkey. BREVET.—Colonel Thomas Fox Strangways to be Brigadier-General; Captain Alexander Macdonald to be Major in the Army; Brevet Major Alexander Macdonald to be Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army. Itt Fag. APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTIONS. APPOINTMENTS. Llentenants—George E. IL Gore to the Royal William ; John W. Webb to the Curacoa; William Lambard to the Victory; Wil liam Henry Liddell to the Curacoa; Louis Geneste to the Cos sack ; John Ward and liasil S. de IL 11111 to the Salamander ; John 13. Field to the Cossack. Surgeons—Frederick James Whipple to the Salamander ; Ro bert T. Easton to the Cossack; John Rower. M.D , to the Cars cos ; Henry Slade to the Harrier; Johu Jack to the Curlew; James Atchison, M.D., and Thomas Crawfbrd to be Surgeotit for service in the prison ships in the Midway ; Joseph Caldwell to the Wuterloo. Masters—James D. Milne to the Malacca ; Thomas Hart to the Curacoa: George H. Loveridge to the Salamander. Assistant-Englneer of the Third Clue—Henry Bi enford to the Fleet. Ounuer—Thomas Harris to the Curlew. Paymaster—Joseph H. W. Bowman to the Salamander. Clerk—Henry M. Moore to the Supply. Boatswain—William Beverley to the Curlew. Carpenters—George Hughes to the Curlew ; Bevil Kingston to the Supply. PROMOTION. rohn de Couroy A. Agnew (flag) to be Cote- FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE. Tuesday, August W. BANKRUPTCIES ANNULLED.--JAMea HART, Borough road, Southwark, engineer— rem). Miura, Newport, Essex, corn merchant WILLIAM PILLINO, Shudehill, Lancashire, publican. BANKRUPTS: 4one M'CALLA and ALEXANDER FOTIIERTIIe• HAM, Friday-street, Cheapside, warehousemen—Oro. Patecn and JAMES PRINCE, Regent-street and Carlton-street, West minster, wine merchants—EßENEZEß KEMPRTER, MACXENZIII CoRNSITUR PROUT NEwcomng, and FNANcia Tito*. GRIFFITHS, Graceohureh•etreet, City, and Liverpool, shipovmeri —GEORGE HAMMOND, King's-TOW, Walworth, carpenter—Om. HENRY TUOMAN and JAMES EvENS TUOMAN, Great Tower-street, City, provision merchants—SAMUEL HELBERT ELLIS, jun., Stock Exchange, City, dealer in stocks--TnoNAH MAIN, Albert•street, Walworth,engineer—RlCKAßD BENCH. Birmingham, flour dealer —HENRY WIT.RON, Old Swindon, 'Wiltshire, grocer—BENJAMIN SMITH, Kildwick, Yorkshire, worsted spinner—ALEX►Nntit SMITH, Liverpool, merchant—Hoon BROWN, Liverpool, mer chant. SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS.—JAmze Nont.E, Edinburgh, tavernkeeper—JAMES IVNAIN, Glasgow, temperance hotel keeper. Friday, August 25. BANKRUPTS.—NICHOLKON MASON DAY and JoiPk TURNER, Bunhill-row, engineers ADAM Humrzn, Oxfoid, draper— WILLIAM ALDER VINCENT, Wolverhampton, pri nter—.JOHN CHAPLIN and ROBERT {VIOLET, Leicester, tern Jong JOREPR WRITING, Cambridge, apothecary /cts Nitestry, lilackfriars-bridge, manufacturer of mantlew—Jonx kftufzit, St. Peter's, Islington, stock and share broker—WILLIAM FLEX MAN the younger, High-street. Kensington, corn and seed merchant—JOHN CLARKE, Beividere•road. Lambeth, butcher — CHARLES GROVE, Birmingham, licensed victualler—Saint:mt. 11 ourou, Edgware-road, builder—Oxonoit WEBB, Shoreditah, cheesemonger--Jouu PATIRKON WATERKON, Alexander terrace, Paddington, builder--Jcatzs WRIGHT, Rood-lane, ShIcOWTHST , —• JOSEPH WINDLE COLE, Birchin-lane, merchant—Cncetii HEYNE, AL Benet's-place, Oracechurch•street, broker—WILLIAM WAILER the younger, Chesterfield. ironfounder— HOWARD BUSHY Fox, Liverpool, metal broker—JOSEPH Rontusow, Nantwich, brazier. SCOTCH SEQUESTRATION. DIONT6IIIII Omura! Minix/fast, Hamilton, quarrier. A TERRIBLE. INSTANCE Or INDIAN SUPERSTITION in relation to debt is recorded by the Calcutta Englishman as having lately occurred in Oude. A milkman, being in debted to a certain Lallah, his neighbour, in the amount of sixty or seventy rupees, was inees.antly troubled by the creditor to pay his debt, but which the ill-fated milkman was not in a position to perform. From harassing impor tunities the Lolls ruthlessly threatened to have his house sold or razed with the ground, and himself thrown into prison. This decided the unfortunate man in his deed of desperation. Forthwith-he decided to destroy himself and family rather than suffer the indignity of having his do mestic privacy invaded ; and, after winning his wife over to his sad determination, he proceeded, in order to pre clude the possibility of escaping, to bind her, together with his children, firmly down to the ground, and locked the door of the apartment, and, after having placed plenty of combustible matter, such as straw, cow-dung, and bam boos, about the house, the poor wretch, with stoical firm ness, wrapped his body well round with cotton, and, barri cading the doors, set the house on fire, which, being rapidly enveloped in flames, was soon consumed, along with the unfortunate suicides. mander.