The Press.
London, England, 1854-05-20 00:00:00

10 (flatus.

EXPLOSION or A BALTIC GusßoAT.—Her Majesty's
gunboat the Jasper, with thirty-three hands on
board, blew up on Monday morning, twelve miles off
Beachy Head, but happily no life was lost. The
Jasper left Portsmouth harbour on Saturday morn-
ing for the Baltic, under the command of Lieutenant
Crawley, having about two tons of powder on hoard,
and other ammunition. She bad proceeded
as far as Beachy Head, when, about half-past
six on Monday morning, a fire was discovered
between the boiler and the powder - magazine.
Fvery effort was made to extinguish the flames,
but without avail. For nearly two hours the
crew remained in the vessel, exerting themselves to
arrest the progress of the fire, but, finding that there
was no prospect of getting it under, and that the
flames were rapidly approaching the magazine, they
deemed it expedient to quit the ship in their three
boats. They lay by the vessel, at a safe distance, for
nearly half an hour, when the fire and smoke sub-
sided, and some of the crew volunteered to return
to the vessel. Almost at the same instant the
flames burst forth with renewed violence, and in a
few moments more the vessel blew up. The crew
were picked up by a Liverpool trader, which took
them to within about three miles of Brighton, where
they safely landed in their boats, and proceeded
forthwith to Portsmouth, having lost nearly every-
thing on board.
CAPTAIN W. H. TAYLORI of her Majesty's Corps of
Gentlemen-at-Arms, was found dead on the morn.
ing of yesterday week, under somewhat mysterious
circumstances, at his lodgings in Great Ryder-street.
On the same morning the landlord of the house saw
him in his room apparently in his usual health.
Some time afterwards, on going up with the break-
fast tray, he found the door locked inside, and pro-
cured the assistance of a police-constable, who broke
open the door, and discovered Captain Taylor lying
flat on the floor, with his bead in a bath, in
which were about six inches of water. Medical
assistance was promptly procured, but it was found
that life was extinct. At the coroner's inquest,
held on Monday, Mr. J. B. Taylor, a brother
of the deceased, stated that Captain Taylor had
served some time in India, and since his return
had been subject to epilepsy, but that his general
health was good. Mr. T. G. French, surgeon, gave
it as his opinion that death had arisen from a sudden
attack of epilepsy, and not from drowning, although
the immersion might have probably prevented reco-
covery from the attack. The inquiry lasted a con-
siderable time, and a verdict of " Death from natural
causes" was ultimately recorded.
A NOTICE was issued on Sunday last by the minis-
ter and churchwardens of St. Michael's Church,
Highgate, regretting that the church had been struck
by lightning in the storm of the previous Tuesday,
and that the architect considered it quite unsafe to
assemble therein for worship.
A YOUNG LADY. apparently about thirty years of
age, committed suicide last Saturday evening in one
of the most fashionable hotels of Glasgow, by sus-
pending herself with a cord from the window-shutter.
The melancholy act appears to have been the result
of disappointed love, and to have been deliberately
premeditated.
A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE occurred on Monday at the
extensive establishment of Messrs. Dunbar and Sons,
shipowners, Fore-street, Limehouse, which raged
fiercely for nearly two hours, destroying much pro-
perty. A large warehouse, containing several hun-
dred loads of unpressed straw, was among the pro-
perty totally consumed.
Ox Tuesday night a female was seen floating
in the Serpentine, buoyed up by her clothes. She
was rescued by some boatmen of the Humane Society
when on the point of sinking, and, singularly enough,
was quite unable to tell how she came there. She
had been fast asleep, she said, and, when awoke by a
sensation of cold, found herself struggling in the
water. If this story be true, it forms one of the moat
curious cases of somnambulism ever recorded. The
woman is servant to a gentleman residing in Lowndes-
square.

AN EIANTLI of the way in which newspaper reports
grow is given by the Dundee Courier. There was a story
of Highlanders hurrahing on a steamer at Constantinople,
and shocking the Turkish ladies who sat in boats. Turk-
ish ladies seldom travel thus; but, swallowing that diffi-
culty, how can we get over the fact that no Highlanders
had arrived at Constantinople ? There was a Scotch sur-
geon to a regiment; the Scotchman, we presume, has fine
legs, or fancies he has, and he dons the modern antique
garb of the Highlands ; he walks about Constantinople,
and astonishes the natives: there is a Highlander—a
Highland soldier; where there is a Highland soldier, in-
genious rumour infers, there must be a Highland regiment;
if a Highland regiment arrives, it must be per steamer; if
it arrives per steamer, it must hurrah;
if it hurrahs, it will
assuredly mount paddle-box; ladies in boats below will be
astonished ; and there is the tale.
TER EMPEROR SOULOUQUI is making great preparations
for the invasion of Dominica both by sea and land.