The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-04-05 00:00:00

DitiralicriVit FIRE.

flirii.ive.yeent iii l'o.
beginning of the Amer/
• rrbel for voting •r
had been mince
Mill the fame ; he

the impression that _
ever sioee supported
within those walls. r
the company he ki

Tenthly 'weals', about six o'clock, the Inlialritants of the
ballet •f Mile-end New Town were throws situ the greatest
alarm end consternatios, In etrasequeote of a abet dread.
fid coullagration which broke oat at the aster-houses of
Messrs. Barnett and Grice, sugar-refiners, is Cbsrch•streei,
which threatened destructios to t►e whole meighborhood.
Mr. Bernell was attending a vestry meeting, and ►is men,
as usual, were at work spots the premises, when they were
alarmed by sa immense quautity of smoke. Those who at.
tended the pass, which are Seed in safely as the grouted,
bad scarcely time to examiue what produced the smoke,
when the Baines burst from the upper pert of the premises,
in the rear of the building, with such velocity, that they
experienced comaiderable difficulty is escaping. A quint-
al), of sugar wee brought is its the monsiug, is wrier to
be clarified, and was placed iii the trout warehouses.—
The mem, with some difficulty, succeeded iis savior a
portion of it ; bet the devouring element bent' iu a few
minutes glinted considerably asteudsucy, the 'premises be-
teg ciiveloped iis fire and smoke, they were compelled to
abandon the whole of the other property with which the
extensive warehouses h»d heels stowed, amid which has betu
entirely destroyed. The terms brimming to the differeut
offices, with their usual ■lac►ity, were soon arm the
spot, and the titrocuck bed been at hia post; yet it was
rather umfoctituate that the cagier, at first bad sot
a sufficieut supply of water, which, with the circum-
stance of She very high wind, rendered their laudable exer-
tions less effectual, because as they played the wind drove the
water is a contrary dirertion, and they could nut gel it isle
t►e premises till some of the men, at considerable risk, west
personally to guide the pipes into the windows, kr. The
extensive warehouses of Messrs. Haabury aid Co. the
brewers, being adjuinisg, great •pprelunsiois wait enter-
tained for their safety, although protected by a strung party
wall. About eleven o'clock this wall fell is upon them,
and did considerable damage, but the firemen, who still kept
workiag the engines with the greatest alacrity, prevented the
dames from cummusicatiog wit► Hanbury's premises, sad
they also succeeded its saving the dwelling-busee, its which
Mr. Grids family resided. Several reports are its entitle-

00. ~......• Air. line.".easel resoteu. *ems'
reports are iews- 1819.
. COKE returned thanks. Ile had now been lion as to the cause of the eatity ;1. bet, as we rut de.. It deserves to be mentioned as a remarkable cir- Mr. Cuthbert, Sub-Sheriff, proved the execution
cuinstance, that the skill of the celebrated Dis- at the suit of Prisoner, against Magrath ; recalleCfs
five years in Parliament. He entered it at the The"ld "I"rtthediest tatoceuers'estweilate.lwatrbli,:„.. butligteel are
f the American war, and he was caned L.,....proPetee stuck destroyed
bee, imered I. use esor, sod the CARTII was lately sold for 18 bunco dollars, et the a seizure he made, and a sale he elleciel on the pru-
ning u
tl for voting egaiust it. Many oppritailo" •"''"'.... i.
souther. .rh.sre was set essirisiwy got „der auction of the library and effects of the late Pro- peril" of Magreth, to the amount .of 130/. 10i.
been since applied to him, hut he was at tee o'clock last snoring. (esssor SPAIRK•II. at Stockholm. Knew the Prisoner and sew the bend once before ;
the same ; he Caine lino Parliament with Granger, the Farnham man, who was beat by sow Mr. Croke,' on the lands upon which the eel-
ripression that Refiirin was necessary, stud be The steeple chase of thirteen miles between George Ford in a hard battle on the 10th of Ja- sure was mode ; Prisoner ass presets', but M.gr..th
since supported it. He was now 45 years Captain MARION and Mr. &tiaras, fur 800 ' Unary, will tight Cagan, the West countryman, kept et a distance. es he •ppeelseuded an tattler was
1 those walls, and lie MAO really oshatned of guineas, will be decided this uturniog; to start for twenty guineas aside, this morning in Oxford- against his person. Mr. Crofter rook Magretts aside, .
Innl""Y he kept.—(d laugh./ He should ' from Mounti Sorrel House, Surrey. shire. Granger is the favourite. sod quest:oiled him as to the bond in presenct of
i
-
i
, ~_ , •-• -#' :

the Prisoner. *wrath declared solemnly on •his
oath, he never signed the bead, and was ignorant of
it. Witness thought it his duty to inquire into the
matter, sod stay the Primmer, upon being
asked about the bond, told witness that it was filled
by a clerk in Limerick; that he paid for the filling
it; that he bought the bond, and would go with
witness to the clerk's NNW. in Mr.Croker'scompany,
but did not know the clerk's name. This witness
alloyed the sale, placing keepers upon the property,
till he became fully acquainted with the circum-
stance; Mr. Croker mounted one of witness's horses
until he arrived at the avenue of his own demesne;
When he disftmeated, and went to get one of his
own hones, and followed witness and Prisoner
to Limerick ; alter Mr. Cooker had left them the
Prisoner told Intl.'s* that all be had said about fill-
tug up the hood by a clerk in Limerick .‘ was all
a falsehood, re it was himself (Prisoner) that had
filled it." This filled witness with indignation that
a man respectable and in comfortable circumstances
should be guilty of so foul a transaction;—witness
then asked Prisoner if any one could give him any
charecter ; the Prisoner declined giving an answer ;
when they came to Limerick, they went to Bayer's
• tiSce. -pyisioner and Mr. Croker; witness suggested
to Neater to go to gaol till the following day, and
:s+luch the Prisoner did voluntarily, in order to make
inquiries of the witnesses who signed the bond ;
wisisess had tics hand-writing to discharge the Ibri-
.
suer from gaol ; witness then inquired as to the
dealiogs that were between Prisoner and Magrath;
Ise was assisted by Mr. Richard Shaughnessy and
the parish Priest, and there appeared to be about
701. due to Prisoner. Magrath was formerly tenant
'to Neslon, whose interest Prisoner purchased, it
hating chattel interest. Magrath then became tr-
uant to Prisoner; Prisoner could not find out the
clerk's house in Limerick.
John floyse, Esq.—Did business for Prisoner,
but was not the attorney in the cue of the judg-
ment ; Prisoner brought the bond to witness ; iden-
tified the Prisooer ; witness knows Mr. Croker to
have been extremely active on the present °cell-
' tion • the Sub-Sheriff'(kir. Cuthbert), Prisoner, and
. ..hir.Croker, came to witness's house ; witness did
trpt hesitate to give the bond to Mr. Corker; when
it was stated that Prisoner should remain in gaol for
a stated time, till inquiries were made, witness re.
commended to Priscis.rr to go, which he retsitily
ae-
quiesced in ; it was the Prisoner's own free act; Mr.
.Croker returned the bond sin the following tiny, and
said twat be had examined the witnesses,and believed
• the bond • fair one; Prisoner was in consequence
let go at large; Mr. Croker afterwards changed his
opinion as to the Prisoner's innocence, and had him
,
* arteste.l. •
Edward Croker, Esq. of Bullinegsrd.—Knows
.the Prisoner and Dune' Megreili, a long lime;
recollect+ the time_ he investigated the bond, and
the Sub-Sheriff having made a distress on Ma-
grade. property ; the land was part of his estate.
litre Mr. evoker confirmed the entire statement of
the Soh-Sheriff.
COURT—Did you, Mr. Croker, motif* Clog-
briny as to the facts ?—Yes ; Mr. Freud read the
informations for Cloghessy; lie signed the docu-
Men!, as he writes his norm, and is not a marks-

man.
Mr. Blackwell, gaoler, recollects the Prisoner
coming to him voluistardy ; there was to commit-
tal ; he remained is the Writers, and did out go
among the criminals; he missed Prisoner at flue
o'clock ; staid out ell that night, and rimmed the
following morning; said lie Slew at the island; it
was the morning that Fitzgerald was examined by
Mr. Croker; a letter was brought to him from Mr.
Cuthbert, written by the Prisoner; identified it ;
bad • conversation with the Prisoner tilieut the
letter ; this was on his second committal ; asked
the Prisoner whether the release served upon wit-
res.. signed Sir Richard Dame, was wilt Prisoner's
kaowledge? Prisoner answered, Yes; it was handed
to witness by an unkiiiissio proem..
Sir Rich. flute examined as to the release give,.
_h3 loin for die admittiog the Prisoner to bail, and
In it he (Sir Richard) hail rece.ved etniole security
for Li. appearance. Sir Richard denied the fact,
and swore that the signature affixed to the docu-
ment for his. was • forgery.
Mr. Cutillett again examined.—Said he had re-
ceived a letter signed ‘. Jeremiah flouragan,"
.which went to stilarm Wits tiist Blackwell, the
gaoler, bad received a discharge swots bail f Sir
Richard Dade, and that if he (Prisoner) was not
neschirged, Fe should enter a prosecution for false
•imprisinimect ; that Poisoner acknowledged the
letter to be his; and identified himself with Sir R.
hart's discharge.
Cross.e.ramined.—Did not discharge the Pri-
soner upou these documents; had • conversation
,with Blackwell on the paper lie had received (*sum
sin unktioo it prison.
Potrick Browne—Remembers the day on
which the went to make the seizure; saw
the Prisoner on the morning of the day after, at
•Ballynerty, on his way to Limerick; Kilcullatie is
in the straight line in which the Prouder was tra-
. ; it is at Kllcullaue that Fitzgerald lives.; it
was about seven o'cloek in the looming.
. John Douragati sworn —served Thomas Fitzge-
rilof with a copy of a Crawit summons; knows
Clogliessy and Magratli; swears positively that he
sow them together two sears previous to the preseet
Arens:se:lmi ; Witness is brother to the Primmer,
otid made every effort to Find Fitzgerald. He un-
dereetit a hog cross ex anon as to the means
i.e took to serve Fitzgerald wish a summons; but
sooliiiig worth ot..rice eas elicited.
John Slattery knows Clughessy, is brother-in-
law to II oiragan ; knows hltigiatio, and of au at-
quaintauce between Cloghessy and him ; saw him
..Due or twice with Cloghessc, and tie heed always
in the neighbourhood ; lie is a sky-farmer, ails!
flunks he is as wed known ma any mail JU the
Cont.
The Learned JUDGC charged the Jury, and said
that he felt it his dirty to tell them. that if
,trelievetl the evidence (Jr the prmecistion, in point
sJ Japoi the indictment was supported ; but that it
alepeuded oven ins credit airy chose to irtocia to
Ciogliessy's evioleiire. The P.ismier was charged
with • moot serious offence, au offence for which
he was on trial for tits life ; but the testimony
• Cloghcs.y, if it stood alone. unsupporteceby
circumstantial evidence, might, indeed, be not
sufficient; but when supported by testimony
4,1 the Sals-Sheriff tad Mr. Craker, and the

own testimony in thing up the bond • also,
the letter which be diatetest tha flutf:Sherif4
relative to the release of Sir Richard Haile, being
an additional Migrant forgery which that gentles
man discovered ; his absence from the gaol during
the night, baring told Mr. Blackwell he would
sleep in the Wand, and being seen the following
morning four miles from Limerick, and in the di-
rection of Fittgerald`r residence, although he said
he slept in the island, and it is probable was after
coming with Fitzgerald, with whom Mr. Croker
had oil the same morning an interview relative to
the signing the bond—all these circumstances bore
strongly on the Prisoner. His Lordship said, Fitz-
gerald's absence wall much tote regretted. if the
Prisoner was an innocent men, it was of the most
serious disadvantage to his defence. He should,
however, inflict a most serious line for his disre-
spect to the Court. His Lordship then rec-apitu-
lated the evidence circumstantially ; and concluded
by exhorting the Jury, to give the matter their
most serious investigation ; it was au awful duty
imposed upon them ; if they had any doubt of the
Prisoner's guilt, they would give him the full be-
nefit ; but, Gentlemen, you owe to society a serious
obligation, and 1 trust you will discharge it; it is
a most serious crime, and in this instance, never was
there .• more flagrant care. Gentlemen, give it
your most serious consideration, and I
trust your
verdict will be a fair one.
The Prisoner was found Guilty, and was given
to understand not to eatertoin hopes of mercy.
IN THE COUNTY COURT.
At two o'clock on S .toirdsy, Jeremiah Hannigan
and William Connery were brought up for judge.
ment, having been found guilty of forgery; also
Patrick Minty and Patrick Adams were placed at
the bar at the same time fur judgment, having been
found guilty of taking fire-arms. liostragsa and
Connery were foremost; the latter seemed extremely
dejected, and appeared scarcely sufficient to sup-
port himself during the awful moment the Judge
wss addressing. Hoursgan, oii the contrary, dis-
played a nerve and vigour that astonished the Court.
His countenance end manner uuderwent no alters-
tion.—Tlie Coart was crowded, as the Prisoners
were beyond the lower orders, which gave some im-
portance to the awful sentence oh int to be pro-
nouticed upon them. After being asked io the usual
way, " Why sentence of death and execution should
not be passed upon them ?" However said, "My
Lord, I ask for a long day, to prepare myself
for death, and to settle my family offairs ; and I
declare in open Court, that I never put my hand to
the pen which signed Magrath's twine." His Lord-
ship returned no reply, but addressed the prisoners:
" Jeremiah Houragen and %VW. Connery, you have
been found guilty of forgery, • crime, the commis-
sion and frequency of which, in this country, makes
property insecure, and all dealings between mail
and man unsafe. The law has annexed to that
crime the awful punishment of death. lam sorry to
say it has appeared on your trial that you are expe-
rienced delinquents. You, Connery, had escaped in
one instance, but was found guilty In the second;
end you, Hewers% also was found guilty of a sub-
sequent forgery. It is impossible for roe to bold out
the slightest hope of mercy. Prepare, therefore,
for death! Such time will be allowed you as I trust
in God you will make • good use of—therefore,
prepare yourselves for the awful punishment you
are to undergo. Patrick Hanly and Petrick Adams,
you are boil) young men, and you have been footed
guilty of robbing and taking arms, and mast there-
fore be offered up as victims to the offended laws
of the country. It has appeared that in eight parts
of your Neighbourhood attacks were made for
arms ; and it was proved also on your trial that
they disclaimed the name of robbers, but gloried
in that of White Boys. It is manifest, therefore,
she object of taking anus is for u rebellious pur-
po.e ; some very dreadful object must be in view ;
you are unfortunately deluded into the commission
of these crimes by periodical attempts made on
you by demagogues to ensnare the unfortunate
peasantry of this county ; therefore the taking of
o single gun must be for a rebellious purpose.
Tire law has annexed to that crime the punish-
ment of death. In the hope that your exemplary
said awful punishment may have a wholesome
effect on the country. these are the expectations
the law has in view. I cannot hold out the slight-
est expectations of mercy. Such time will be
allowed you, as I trust in God you will make goof
use of, that by penitence and prayer you will make
atcuensent to your God. and draw down his mercy
upon you. It is, therefore, my painful duty to
pass on you the awful sentence which the law has
:Annexed to your crime.
" You, Jeremiah lionragan. William Connery,
Patrick Haply, and Patrick Adams, he now taken
from the (lock in which you stand, to the gaol from
whence you came, arid each of you to be Wien to
the common place of execution, and there each
of you hanged until you we dried, and way the
Lord have mercy on your souls !"
After sentence was passed, Hoursgan threw open
Lis hands, returned thanks to the Jury. acknow-
ledged the justice of his ssensenve, said implored
the mercy and forgiveness of Heaver.; he appeared
well dressed. and is a stout. healthy, well-looking
man; the other prisoners did not utter • sentence.

NAVAL IA 7'ELLIGENCE.

•PRIL 3.

Arrived the Camden, Juhisems, from limab iy; sailed early
in November, awl from S:. Helena, 11th Ftbrisary, ahr,c
the Earl of Baleares, and Thames, sad she Seer transport,
sere lying; spoke the naafis, fawn llamas.
PLYMOUTH, amt. 3.
Arrived the Eagle, Radford, from Hell Cu, Lisbon
Grace, Mistook, &um Shields fur Cad's ; and the Let from a
cassia.

ISARNICII. APRIL S.
Arrived the Lard !Crime irseket with a mail treat ea:-
hares. The Joseph mad Dorothy, Marlow, at idyll, Rut
*shore last night epos Laugeard Fort beach; assialeeser Las
besu seta of tw ber.
AAAAA otrra, *ram t.
Arrived the Demuth, Boashoff, Isola lAntgatuad, with her
rudder damaged.

DIAL. APRIL 1.
Came Javfa from the Riser the Treat, Dungbotsum, fur
Neu Bounarriek ; William Parkrr, Raicars!, fur Quebec;
Tabasco, Westmorland, fur Densrrary ; risanah, Irvio, fur
Burdua, Iticharitsusi, fur Prince Ertsrard's Island;
Dispatch, Tandlry, fur (kappa; Clartanuni, Kura, fur thb.
'altar ; and Tbanses, Lawanrs fur the South Srusl•
Arrived sail wiled fur she River she Elisabeth, Reid, Cram
Tassu; Mariner, Barrow, from Leghorn; sad Palladium,
ritterisn, from Vitseent's—tbe latter MOWS& witit a large

. . ilfiliet R
IitIMMIRYDAVY, BART. LLD. PRA
PRUIDENT TIC ZOTAL SOCIIITY, &C.
(Fans w 78s Navy liaafkly Magazins."]
•
Sir Humphry Davy was born December 17,
1779, at Penance, in Cornwall. His family is
assamst, and above the middle class ; his pates mil
grimikinindfather had considerable landed property,
in she parish of Budgwin, and his father possessed
ta:paternal estate opposite St. Michael's
, called Farrel, oo which he died in 1795,
Baer having injured his fortune by expending con-
Offerable moms in attemptiug agricultural improve-
vent.. Sir liumpliry received the first rudiments
of his education at the grammar-schools of Pen-
mince and Truro ; at the former place he resided
with Mr. John Tonkin, surgeon, a benevolent and
intelligent man, who had been intimately connected
with his maternal grandfather, and treated him
with a degree of kindness little leas than parental.
In 1804. he commenced his interesting course
of lectures before the Board of Agriculture, which
he continued for ten years. The dependance of
agriculture upon chemical causer, had previously
been noticed, but was first completely deinou-
abated in these lecture., which, at the mine time,
conveyed much practical information. But so rapid
were the discoveries of the smilior, the, in ',retire-
ing these discourses for publication • few y.urs
afterwards, he was under the necessity of makilig
several alterations, to adapt them to the improved
state of chemical knowledge, which his own la-
bours had. in that short time, produced.
In 1803 he was elected F.R.S., and, in 1805, a
Member of the Royal Irish Academy. He had
already acquired, by his talents and urbanity, the
friendship of m st of the distinguished literary men
and philosophers of the metropolis, and enume-
rated among his intimate friends the late venerable
President of the Royal Society, the celebrated
philosophers Cavendi-h. Hatchett, Wollaston,
Bsbington, Children, Tennant, rod others equally
eminent. At the same time he corresponded with
the principal chemists of every part of Europe.
Bring appointed in 1806 to deliver the Bakerian
lecture of the Royal Society, he displayed some
very interesting new agencies of electricity, by
Means of the well-known galvanic approatus.
Soon afterwards he made one of the most brilliant
discoveries of modern time, in the decomposition
of two fixed alkalies, which, in direct refutation of
the hypothesis previously adopted, were found to
consist of a peculiar metallic base united to a large
quantity of oxygen. These alkalies were potash
and sods, and the metals thus discovered were
called potassium and sodium. Mr. Davy was
equally successful in the application of galvanism
to the decomposition of the eoliths. About this
time lie became secretary of the Royal Society.
lu 1808 Mr. Davy received a prize from the
French Institute, as a tribute to his indisputable
merit, from which even national enmity could not
withhold the weed of admiration.
lo mermaingr kir experivaentson the application of
electricity to chemistry, and on the alkalies, phos-
phorus. sulphur, carbonaceous mutter, and the
acids which had not been decomposed, he succeed-
ed in proving the simplicity of the oxyrnuriatic
acid.' During the greater part of 1810 Mr. Davy I
was employed on the combiostious of oxyniuriatic
gas and oxygen, and their chemical rd aeons to in.
flammable bodies; and his experiments were con-
firmed by those of several French chemists, and by
Berzelius of Stockholm. But the inferences drawn
by them from these experiments, differed in some
instances from those deduced by Mr. Davy. The
partisans of Lavoisier would not allow that oxygen
is one of the principles of alkalies ; they denied
the metallism of potash and soda as metallic
oxides ; and maintained that they were simple
bodies, which in combining with hydrogen formed
hydro rent.
Towards the latter end of 1810 Mr. Davy de-
livered a comae of lectures before the Dublin
Societe, and in December received from the
Provost and Senior Fellows of Trinity College,
Dublin, the honorary degree of LL.D.
In the following year, although oe believe Mr.
Davy made few discoveries of great public interest,
there is reason to believe that he effected one of the
greatest importance to his own happiness; and it
may hilly be questioned whether the success of
any of his former experiments gave him half the
pleasure which he experienced on the first dawn of
the hope that he had excited some interest in the
bosom of his present amiable lady, then Mrs.
Apreere, widow of Shuckburgh Ashby Aprerce,
Esq. and daughter and heiress of the title Charles
Kerr, of Kelso, Esq. By his union with this lady,
in I'el2, Sir H. ucquired not may a considerable fur-
tune, but the inestimable treasure of an affectionate
and exemplary wife, and a congenial friend and com-
panion, capable of appreciating his character and
attainments. A few days previously to his mar-
riage, he received the honour of Knighthood from
his Majesty. then' Piiiice Regent, being the first
mammon whom he conferred that dignity.
' The researches *filch led to the invention of
the safety-lamp for coal mines, which has been so
viierally and successfully adopted throughout
Surope, may justly be considered as the moat im-
portant of all Sir Ilumpliry Davy's labours, since
they enabled him to provide the means of preserv-
log many valuable lives, and preventing horrible
mutilations more dreadful .rem thou death. The
frequency of such accidents, arising from the ex-
plosion of the fire-dsmpor inflammable gas of the
coal mines, mixed with atmosplicricul sir, occasioned
the formation of a Committee at Sunderland, fur
the purpose of investigating the causes of these ca-
lamities, end of endeavouring to discover and
apply a preventive. Sir fleinephry received an in.
mason, in 1815, from Dr. Gray, spite of the
Members of the Cionmittee ; w cons.quea.e
whirls be wrist to the north of Englond, and visit-
ing some of the ptiocipal collieries in the neigh-
bourhood of Newcastle, soon roliviirced himself
that no improvement could be made in the mode
of ventilation, but that the tleeir.fil I,reiresitive must
be sought its a new method of lighting the mime,
free (rota &agar, and which, by indicuting the
slate of the ass in she part of the c where
infl 'mumble air was disengaged, so as to render
the atmosphere explosive, should oblige the misters
to retire till the workings were properly cleared.
The common memo thou employed for lighting
mines consisted of a steel

wheel revolving in contact with flint, and afford.
ing a successor's of sparks: but this apparatus ale
ways reqoired 111 person to work it, mid was-not
entirely free from danger. The Ere-damp was
known to be light carhuretted hydrogen gas; bUt
its relations to combustion had not been examined.
It is chiefly produced from what are called blowers
or fissures in the broken strata. near dykes. Sir
Humphry made various experiments no its combus-
filially mid explosive nature; mid discovered that
the fire damp requires a very strong heat fur its in-
flammation; that 'mate and carbonic acid, even in
very small proportion', diminished the velocity of
the inflammation ; that mixtures of the gas would
not explode in metallic canals or trough., where
their diameter was less than one seventh of an inch,
and their depth considerable in proportion to their
diameter ; and that explosions could not be made
to vim through ouch c sisals, or through very floe
wire sieves, or wire gauze. The consideration of
the-se facts lest Sir Hurophry to adapt • lamp, in
which the fl.mie, by being supplied with only a
limited quantity of air, should produce such a
quantity of azote and carbonic acid as to prevent
the explosion of the fire-damp, and which, by the
nature of its apertures for giving admittance and
egress to the air, should he rendered incapable of
communicating any explosion to the external air.
These requisite, were found to be afforded by air.
tight isiiteriis, of venous construction., supplied
with air from tubes or camels of small diameter, orplacedfrom apertures coveted wish wire gauze, placed
below the flame, through which explosions cannot
be communicated ; and having • chimney at the
upper part, for carrying of the foul air. Sir
Humphry soma afterwards found that a constant
flame might be kept up from the explosive mixture
issuing from the apertures of • wire-gauze sieve.
He introduced a very small lamp in a cylinder,
made of wire-gauze. having six thousand four
hundred apertures its the square inch. He closed
all apertures except those of the gauze, and intro..
duced the lamp, burning brightly within the
cylinder, into a large jar, containing several quarts
of the most explosive mixture of gas from the
distillation of coal and air; the dame of the wick
immediately disappetre.l, or rather was lost, for the
whole of the interior of the cylinder became filled
with a feeble but steady flame of a green colour,
which burnt for some minutes, till it had entirely
destroyed the explosive power of the atmosphere.
This discovery led to a most important improve.
ment in the lamp, divested the fire-damp of all its
terror., and applied its powers, formerly so dos
structive, to the production of an useful light.
Some minor improvement., originating in Sir
Humphry'e researches into the nature of flame,
were afterwards effected. Experiments of the most
satisfactory nature were speedily made, and the in-
vention was soon generally adopted. Some
attempts were made to dispute the honour of this
discovery with its author, but his claims were coo.
firmed by the investigations of tbe first philosophers
of the age. The coal owners of the Tyne and
Weer evinced their Deese of the benefits resulting
from this invention, by presenting Sir Humphry
with a service of plate worth two thousand pounds.
In 1613, Sir Humphry was elecred a Corre-
sponding Member of the Institute of France, and
Vice-President of the Royal Institution ; in 1817
one of the eight Associates of the Royal Academy;
in 1818 created a lisremet ; and during the last
ten years lie has been elected a member of most
of the learned bodies of Europe. We regret that
our limits preclude us from entering into the in-
terestiug details of Sir Humphry's travels in dil-
Greta parts of Europe for scientific purposes, par-
ticularly to investigate the causes of volcanic phe-
nomena, to instruct the miners of the coal dis-
tricts in the application of his safety-lamp, and to
examine the state of the Herculaneum manuscripts,
and the remains of the chemical arts of the an-
cients. He analyzed the colours used in painting
by the ancient Greek and Roman artists. His ex-
periments were chiefly made on the paintings in
the baths of Titus, the ruins called the baths of
Livia, arid in the remains of other palaces and
baths of ancient Rome, and the ruins of Pompeii.
By the kindness of pia friend Canova, who is
charged with the care of the works connected with
ancient art in Rome, lie was enabled to select with
his own hand specimens of the different pigments
that had been found in rases discovered in the
excations, which had then been lately made be-
neath the ruins of the palace or Titus, and to com-
pare them with the colours fixed on the walls, or
detached in fragments of stucco. His delicacy in
selecting only minute portions of the colour, and
from places where the loss was imperceptible, was
so mod: upproved, that Signor Nell,. proprietor
of the celebrated Nozze A Idobratidini, liberally
Ilef united lain to make similar experiments on
the colours employed in that valuable antique
painting. The results of these researches were
published in the Transactions of the Royal Society
fir 1815, and are highly interesting. The ams-
eluding observations, in which he impresses on ere
tins the superior importance of permanency to
brilliancy in the colours used in palming, are pare
ticularly judicious, and worthy of attention.
Towards the end of 1818, and in the beginning
of 1819, he examined at Naples the Herculaneum
manuscripts, and soon declared his opinion, that
they had not been acted upon by fire so as to
be completely cerbonized, but that their leaves
were cemented together by • substance formed
during the fermentation, and chemical change
produced its a long count of years. Ile invented
a composition far the diesolution of this suborner.,
but could not discover more than from 80 to 300
out of 1,465 manuscripts, whirls presented any pro.
bability of success.
On has return to England, in 1820, his respected
friend, the late worthy Professor of the Royal
Society, died. Many diocussious took plate
amongst the members respecting. a proper sue-
ces.or. Several individuals of high, and even
very exulted rank, were named as candidates ; but
the scientific part of the Society justly considered
this honour, the highest that • scientific sew
rem attain in Britain, tint as • proper appendage
to mere rank mid fortune, but as • reward fur
scirivtific merit. Amongst the philosophers whose
labours have enriched the Transactions of the
Kuyul Society, two uric moat stein-rally adverted
to, Sir Humphry Davy and Dr. Wollaston; but
Dr. IVullostoo, whose modesty is only equalled by
.his profound knowledge and extraordinary mealy,

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