The Sun.
London, England, 1839-10-15 00:00:00

NEWLY-INVENTED LIFE-BUOY.

(From a Correspcndent of the Times.)
We have at all times great pleasure in being the
channel of communication to the public of disco-
veries
or inventions calculated to lead to the happi-
ness or to relieve the sufferings of our fellow-men ;
and in this spirit we have on many occasions called
the attention of such of our readers as reside at
those parts of our sea coast which are the scenes.of
frequent shipwreck to the importance of Captain
Alanby's apparatus for saving the lives of mariners.
It is not, however, of that admirable contrivance
that we wish now to speak, for indeed its merits are
sufficiently known, but to a very clever invention of
Captain Henvey, of the Royal Navy, which, if
used along with Captain Manby's, may be of the
greatest service. It is a life-buoy of the simplest
but most efficacious description, and one which, as
we have been assured by competent authority, has
already proved useful in practice. This life-buoy
consists of a light wooden frame, and in shape of
a horse-shoe, but sufficiently wide to admit of a
man's body, and rendered buoyant by plates and
discs of cork attached to it. The hinder pert is
open, but the front is fashioned into the shape of
a beak, for more readily cutting the water.
The ‘‘ Lincolnshire Association for the Pre-
servation of Lives in Shipwreck," whose exertions
in this benevolent cause . have already been the
inerns of saving so many seamen from a watery
grave, having satisfied themselves of the utility of
'Captain Henvey's invention by trying one which
that officer presented to them, lost no time in or-
dering three more ; and we understand they have
it in contemplation to combine the use of these
life-buoys with Captain Manby's apparatus, in 'such
a way that the lives of mariners, and of passen-
gers on board stranded ships, they hope, may be
saved, when, by all the means heretofore used,
nothing could be done to relieve them. A
word or two will make this plain. By means of
Captain Manby's apparatus, a cord attached to a
shell, forced from a howitzer, is thrown over the
wreck, and then the crew, by getting hold of the
cord, are generally enabled to pull a boat to them
from the shore. But cases sometimes occur in
which the ship is so placed, or the sea is so high,
that the boat is either swamped or dashed to
pieces ; the night closes in upon the sufferers, and
all perish. Now it seems quite possible that in
many cases, where no boat could live, a series of
Captain Henvey's life-buoys might be drawn off and
made use of in succession till every person was re-
moved from the wreck. Cases, too, not unfre-
quently occur in which the life-boat from the shore
is enabled to get within a few yards of the ship, but,
owing to the agitation of the water in the inter-
vening space, both crew and passengers are lost in
the attempt to traverse this fatal gulf. It has been
suggested, and we speak professionally when we
say there is good ground for the hope, that by help
of Captain Henvey's life-buoys many
persons
might be saved who would otherwise be drowned in
li
attempting to reach a boat so circumstanced. f
e-
It has also been suggested to us that these
buoys might with advantage to the cause of bnina.
nity, be carried onboard all coasters and other
s
vessels in winter when most exposed to shipwreck.
But we confess we are not prepared to go along
with this suggestion ; not but what a life buoy must
be useful in such cases, but the chances of ship-
wreck are so exceedingly small, and the cast of a
sailor's mind so essentially improvident, that we
should feel utterly hopeless of any attempt made to
induce either him or his captain or his owner 10
provide his vessel with any such apparatus.
It is a very different affair, however, to work
on the good sense and benevolent feelings of those.
public spirited institutions, the professed object of
which is to provide a means of escape for those who
certainly will never dream of providing such means
for themselves, but who, nevertheless. have very
strong claims on our sympathy. For the rest, it
is but justice to Captain Henvey to say, that his
motives in this matter are quite pure—that he has
not descended to the quackery of a patent for his
invention, and that lie generously offers to explain
its principle to any persons interested in such mat-
ters; or, if it be wished, he will have any number
that may be required constructed, and tried under
his own eye, at such cost as will just cover the
expenses. Captain Henvey resides in Guernsey,
IA we are
and a post-paid letter so addressed wouiu,
that
well assured, meet with every attention from
ingenious and generous officer.

SUMMARY OF MATHEWS'
ACCIDENTS.

There seemed indeed a fatality attending all inY
husband's movements from home. How many severe
and dangerous accidents did he encounter in the course
of his life! First in Ireland, in 1794, he was almost
drowned, (I might almost say actually, for he suffered
all the pains of such a death,) and was taken out of the
water in a state of total insensibility. In 1801 a heavy
platform fell upon him while acting. and he was taken
off the stage as dead. In 1803 he was violently thrown
from his horse at a review, and was threatened with
dangerous consequences ever after. In 1807, on
shooting-party, his gun burst and shattered his hand,
and he was many weeks after under a surgeons care.
'
In 1814 he was thrown out of his tilbury, and become
lame for life. In 1817 another horse fell going down a
steep bill in a tilbury, and Mr. Mathews was thrown
over the animal's head, and severely cut and bruised.
In 1827, while in a floating-bath at Brighton, the
" life-preserver" turned round and forced him upon his
face, in which position he must have been suffocated
had not a gentleman witnessed the accident, and rescued
him from his danger. In the year 1829 the roller of
the drop-scene on the Plymouth stage fall upon his head
while " At Home" there, and he was taken up to all
appearane dead, and remained many minutes in a state
of insensibility. Four years after this, precisely the
same accident occured at the Devonport Theatre, and
with the same results. In 1833, while returning from an
evening walk, a large dog ran between his legs, and
knocked him down with a violent shock. The acci-
dent again placed him under a surgeon's hands.
few weeks after, while recovering from his hurt, an
ther dog threw him off a garden-seat, and painfully in-
jured his hand and wrist.—Lifr of Mathews.

SINGULAR APPLICATION.—On Monday "W
widow of a man named Moses Pasfield, who was trans'
ported to Van Diemen's land about eight years since:
applied to the Chelmsford Magistrates to be permitt.,a
to swear an affidavit that she was the convict's •wife'
The woman said that she had received a letter froul
to
Andrew Jolemy, Esq., of the above-named colony,
whom her husband had been assigned on his landingd
there, to say that by his good conduct he had acquire
fifty acres of land, which he had farmed during the
time he was alive, and that on his death he had left
will bequeathing property to the amount of upwards 0_
300/. to his wife, which Mr. Jolemy would send 01ei
to her on his being assured that she was now alive.
The affidavit was, of course, permitted to be sworn.
Essex Herald

--
wood
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cases, 12 inches lOng by five inches wide, each playing fourr aro
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Six Airs £7 70 1 Eight Airs extra, 14 0
Eight Airs ... 818 6 large ... ......... Xl4
4 ,4 0
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At T. COX SAVORY'S, Working Silversmt, Doors
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N. 13. The small Musical Boxes, 34 inches long, c shell
selling in tin cases, price 19s. each, or in cowl:J(ol6°u ,
cases 255. each. be h"
A 'Catalogue containing a List of the Music nial answer
gratis, or can be forwarded by post as a single letter In a
tea post-paid application.
___—, __....

BIRTHS.
On the 13th inst., at Vinters, in Kent, the lady of Charles
James Whatman, Esq., of a son, still-born. 'grs•
On the Gth inst., at the Vicarage, Chievely, Berke,
E. Robinson, of a son. ds,
ar
On the Ilth inst., at Bedford-row, ME.• H • Edw
a son.
On the 12th inst., at Gower-street, Bedford-square, the 144
of William Weld Wren, jun., Esq., of a daughter. _ fjonrY
On the 12th inst., at St. John's-wood, the lady 0'
Young Hulbert, Esq., of a son.

MARIED.
On the 10th inst., at Beaumaß
Wa ris, les, Hugh Beaver,tctf
of Glyrigarth, Anglesea, to Isabella Janet, third daug.6lllietrierure)
Sir Duncan Campbell, Bart., of Barialdiue and
Argyleshire.

lED.
On the 11th inst., MaryD,
the wife of William Hooper,
of Finchley. 4
HoOlunortnh,em4atnhyiynesta.r,s
aMmr.emWbiellriaomf
thWeilLliaomndso,nopfrCetsrss.tle-street,
late of
On the sth inst., at Hastings, Miss Mary Page,
Stafford-row, Buckingham-gate. at a ver 1
On the 7th inst., at Rathmines, near Dublin,
y_ ad.
eg
van ced age, Captain Festus Kelly, formerly of the
Oth H
ment of Foot.
On the 7th inst., in the prime of life, Samuel under"'
,
of Morton, near Gainsborough. wife
On the 10th inst., at St. John's-wood, Charlotte, the, 36.
of On the
Criehlow, Esq., of the Island of Barbadoes, age' 1
On the 11th inst., Louisa Dorothea, youngest daughter:
T. C. Whitmore, Esq., N.Y., aged one year and eight rnont
On the 11th inst., at Stamford-hill, Mrs. Elizabeth Hrden'
aged b 2.
On the 11th inst., Ann, the wife of Mr. Richard Moser, °f
Iligh-street, Southwark, agekl 47.

OVNG' "
London: Printed and Published by AIURDO in the
No. 112, Strand, at The Sun Office, No 112, Strr'
county of Middlosex.—Tuesday. October lb,