The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-12 00:00:00

THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

WOOLWICII, APRIL 10 —Tne Intrepid, screw steam
vessel, Commander M'Clintock, and the Pioneer,
screw steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander Osborne,
were taken out of the basin to-day, and are now at
moorings in the stream, in readiness to leave with the
Assistance, Captain Sir E. Belcher, C 8., and the
Resolute, Captain Kellett, C. 8., when they are com-
pleted, which they will be in a day or two, and they
still expect to be able to leave Greenhithe on Thurs-
day next, the 15th inst., as originally named, on their
enterprising voyage. The Lords of the Admiralty
intend paying a visit of inspection to the vessels of
the Arctic Expedition at Greenhithe, on Thursday
❑ext, previous to their departure for sea.
Captain Sir Edward B-dcher, Captain W. A: B.
Hamilton, R.N., second secretary at the Admiralty;
Colonel Colquhoun, R.A., inspector of the Royal
Carriage Department; and Captain Washington,
R.N., were present on the wharf wall at the landing-
place in the afternoon, with a number of officers, to
witness Mr. Hay, the lecturer on chemistry, instruct-
ing the bombardiers of the Royal Marine Artillery
attached to the expedition, in the model of discharging
gunpowder under water by means of the galvanic bat-
tery. The explosive charges consisted of half a
pound of gunpowder in ten canisters, which were
sufficient when discharged in the bottom of the river
to show the principle and uses to which the galvanic
battery can be applied when explosions by means of
gunpowder are found necessary in the Arctic
regions.
Mr. George Shepherd, C.E., has received instruc-
tions from the Admiralty to examine and get repaired
all the gas apparatus connected with the balloons fur
distributing messages in the Arctic regions, and also
to supply a number of new balloons, and the means
of inflating them with gas, to be used by the present
expedition. The balloons are made on this occasion
frrohfleoaton the water, should they come down at sea.
of the vessels a
messages are to be printed on satin of various
colours and on '
papers of all colours, and about half a
million of themi will be printed on both sides, leaving
CollinsTnay
these
room to
fill ha writing the latitude and longitude
messages at the time they are sent up. Some of
Captain be met with by the parties under
Captain
dispatched from the Resolute :--
Expedition. The,
following
in the Behring Straits
which will be
Steering Erankieinllett, in lat. N., long.
°flowing is a copy of the messages
p a balloon from her Majesty's
"Dispatched
ship Resolute, ea
in
the other side.) Pro-
W, To Sir John
visions left at
to winter at orfor
supply several
Mr.
, intending
in the vicinity
A new feature is to be introduced
Yth eeral of his
Captain Sir Edward Bel
cher'sau
:).f.
thofficers and
to the vessels of
Greener having been ordered to
harpoon guns, with a view to enable
e Arctic
regions, for the purpose of
food. ; as fuel, and
men to kill whales and otheuralianrggethfiesihr
0.1
for .Chess
means
with the addition of Minis ri ?skilling birds 0;
such 'Arts as are fit to
.eat for.fi rh --
deer, will enable the enterprising voyagers to obtain
resources hitherto unavailable by any of the previous
expeditions.
____.-•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

EXTENSIVE FIRE.-011 Saturday night at 11, late
hour the inhabitants of the City and cot end of London
were greatly alarmed in consequence of huge sheets of flame
suddenly rising high into the air and lighting up both sides
of the river Thames. This being distinctly perceptible from
the various metropolitan bridges, no time was lost in giving
the necessary intelligence to the engine-stations. The sire
was raging at Mill-wall, Poplar. The firemen having arrived
st that point they found that the disaster had occurred in the
extensive premises of Messrs. Cassell and Co., pitch, tar,
varnish, and patent camphine manufacturer!. The engines
were set to work from a good supply of water. The origin
of the fire is not precisely known, but from the fact of some
miscreant having cut the hose of one of the engines while it
was being set to work, strong suspicion is entertained that
the same party had some hand in kindling the fire. The
is very considerable, and unfortunately the flrua was
Mt inured.

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