The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-22 00:00:00

The Late Mr. Joshua Field.

With the deepest regret we announce the death
of Mr. Joshua Field, F.R.S., of the firm of lauds-
lay and Field, engineers. Mr. Field expired at his
residence, Balham Hill, on the morning of the 11th
inst., the immediate cause of his death being dropsy
supervening on an attack of gout, his illness ex-
tending altogether over a period of four months.
The deceased gentleman was in the 77th year of his
age, and up to the commencement of the disease
which has terminated so unfortunately h 3 possessed
in the fullest degree all his powers of mind
and body.

His death is too recent to enable us to give as yet
as full a sketch of Mr. Field's life as we could wish.
Of such men data exist and facts are known which
lie dormant and almost forgotten, until time brings
them to light.

The Institution of Civil Engineers owes its
existence to six young men—H. R. Palmer, Joshua
Field, William Maudslay, J. Jones, C. Coilinge,
and James Ashwell—who founded it in 1817.
Mr. Field was one of the earliest vice-presidents,
holding that office until Jan, 18,1848, when ho was
elected president, being the first mechanical engi-
neer who filled the chair. The admirable manner
in which he fulfilled his responsible duties is too
well known to need comment.

To Mr. Field, in connection with Mr. Maudslay,
may be traced, in a great degree, the origin of ocean
steam navigation. The engines put by these gentle-
men on board the Great Western, in March, 1838,
were so completely successful that they long served
as a model for other builders. On Sunday, April 8,
1838, she started on her first voyage from Bristol
with seven passengers and 50 tons of goods, and
reached New York on Monday, April 23, thus ac-
complishing the 3,000 miles in 13 days and 10
hours.

Mr. Field was not more respected for his talents
as an engineer than loved and esteemed for his
amiable qualities and fine disposition. To know him
as a man of science was an honour, to be classed by
him as a friend was something beside which even
honour sank into insignificance. His death has
been a blow deeply felt by nearly every member of
the profession.
Mr. Field was interred at Norwood Cemetery on
Tuesday, the 18th inst. The funeral cortege con-
sisted of nine mourning coachcs, containing the re-
latives and more immediate friends of the deceased,
and 14 private carriages. At the cemetery gates
were assembled a considerable number of workmen,
tphreinwcioprks
allyfocra long
lderlympener,iwod.ho have been engaged at

DEPARTURE OF THE CHANNEL FLEET FROI
KIRKWALL—A correspondent at Kirkwall, writing
on Tuesday, says :—" The Channel fleet, which has been
detained for two or three days by thick rainy weather,
left Kirkwall Bay to-day between one and two o'clock-
They intended proceeding through the Westray Firth to
the Atlantic, but after being under steam for several hours
they returned to inganess Bay, on account of the strong
tide being against them. The vessels are now anchored in
the above-mentioned hay, and it is anticipated that they
will work out into the the Atlantic to-morrow."

AN ATOAI OF A JoKE IN A MOUNTAIN, OF A Cobs'
PLutENT.--It has been remarked—says (of all papers is
the world of letters) the Lady's newspaper of to-day—that
ladies have generally a great fear of lightning, and this has
been superficially ascribed to their natural timidity; but
the truth is, that it arises from their consciousness of bong
04trAetiye,