The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-03 00:00:00

A COALPIT ON FIRE.

For some weeks past our town has been suffering
from an unusual amount of sickness, in consequence
of which many persons have been obliged to with-
draw from their daily occupations, and much suf-

fering and distress have prevailed ; and now we
have to record another calamity, the firing of the
Wellington Pit Colliery, by which 700 hands have
been thrown out of employment until work can be
found for them elsewhere, or the water which has
been let into this pit can be pumped out and opera-
tions resumed. It seems that the pit was first dis-
covered to be on fire a week ago; and the alarm
having been instantly communicated to Mr. Bourne,
the Earl of Lonsdale's representative at the Colliery
Office, that gentleman forthwith repaired to the
spot, and took prompt measures for staying the pro-
gress of the disaster. This was a work of extreme
difficulty and danger ; but, through Mr. Bourne's
constant personal supervision and direction,aided by
the assistance of his deputy, Mr. Mulcaster, and of
all the officers and men employed at the works, it
was thought that on Thursday the fire had been
subdued. In the afternoon of that day, however, a
quantity of gas unfortunately escaped, and igniting
some timber, gave a fresh impetus to the combustion
of the coal, which afterwards so far increased as to
render it necessary to drown the pit. On Saturday
it was found that all ordinary means were insuffi-
cient to get the fire under. The whole of the horses
down the pit were therefore taken out, preparatory
to closing the shaft, which we understand was re-
solved upon, and we believe a portion of the lower
workings in which the fire is situated will be walled
off from the dip workings, and then inundated with
water by pumping it in,and also probably by a syphon
from the sea. These are extreme measures to take,
but we trust they will prove effective, and shortly
enable the noble proprietor to again get this fine
coal mine into working order. The fire is said to
have originated in a flue which leads from the sta-
tionary engine at the pit bottom, and in which the
soot had accumulated. How long the soot in this
flue may have smouldered is not known, but event-
tually the fire seized upon the coal, and since Mon-
day last continued to spread, despite the efforts of
Mr. Bourne and his staff, aided by the great expe-
rienceo tN
ewoc of the
collieryeewmhinoewntastelegraphed for on the mat'
engineer, Mr. Foster,
ter assuming so serious a shape. We regret to say
that up to the time of our going to press this disas-
trous tire continues to spread, but it is hoped from
the m.?aaures adopted that ;ts ravages wilthe confined
to a limited area. A syphon pipe is now laid down
from the pit, past Toni Hurd Rock, to the sea at
low-mater mark, while water is drawn from the
Scale@ ill pond, from near Janus' pit, and also
Pumped from the sea, near the Bath Houses. As
state d above, the whole of the horses, upwards of
sixty in number, were taken out of the mine. The
closir ig of this colliery is causing vessels in great
numt era to leave this port for Workington and
Mary port. eight or ten vessels having
cleared out
for th eee, ports yesterday. As the Croft
pit was
closed ;some few months back, the whole supply has
now to come from the William and Countess pits;
we, hce, /ever, feel sure every effort will be made to
meet ti to demand, not only for consumption, but
for shit )ment also from these pits.—Cumberland
Pacqtiet .

Full; benefit of reduced duty obtained by par-
chasin. ; lie,-niman's pure Tea; wiry choice at 3s. 4d. and
4s. " High Standard "at 4s. 4d. (formerly 4s. Bd.), is the
strong est and most delicious imported. Agents in every
town t mtpply it in packets.

STAMPED ....sd.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.
The screw frigate Arethnsa, 39, 3,140 tons, 500
horse power, fitting for the first-class Chatham
steam reserve, is being hastened forward with her
final fitments, in readiness for immediate commis-
sion, her destination being the Pacific. It is stated
at Chatham that she will be commissioned by Capt.
Luard, late flag captain of the Formidable, 84, at
the Nore.

The screw corvette Clio, 21, 1,470 tons, 400 horse

power, recently paid off into the third division of
the steam reserve squadron in the Medway, is to

undergo a thorough overhaul in order to ascertain
the defects existing in her engines and machinery
which have been placed under the charge of Mr. C.
Moore, chief engineer. The Clio is in the great
basin, and will, it is understood, be shortly taken in
band in readiness to be recommissioned.

Admiralty instructions have been received at
Chatham for the screw sloop Fawn, 17, 100 horse
power, to be brought forward for commission, to
relieve the Greyhound, 17, 200 horse power, on the
West India station.

A third trial of French and English armour-plates
took place at Portsmouth yesterday under the su-
pervision of Capt. A. C. Key, C. 8., commanding
her Majesty's ship Excellent. The range, as usual,
was 200 yards, and the projectile a cast iron 68
pound shot, the practice taking place afloat from
the Foam gunboat, against the plates fixed on the
side of the Monarch, old sailing liner. The plates
comprised four from the French firm of Petio, Gau-
det, and Co., two of 41 inches and the remaining
two of 51 inches ; one from Messrs. John Brown
and Co., of Sheffield, for her Majesty's ship Agin-
court, of 51 inches; and one from the Millwall
Company, of 51 inches, the average length
of the whole being 15 feet, and their
breadth 3 feet 4 inches. Patin and Gaudet's
two 44in. plates received six and seven shots re-
spectively, and both proved to be of a very inferior
quality. They had both very extensive cracks
and separations of the metal, and showed cracks of
greater extent than has been done by the French-
made plates on any former trial. One of these two
plates struck full on the upper edge by a shot away
from any other indent, broke away the metal from
the main body in a semi-circular form round the
blow to a bolt on the opposite side of the indent.

Another shot on the lower edgenpened a triangular
crack across two other shot marks 31t. bin. in length.
The third shot fired at the second 41-inch plate
effected penetration in the centre of the plate, and
not in the vicinity of any other blow, the metal

broken away being driven into the ship's side 81in
from the front of the plate, that is 4fin. bayond and
clear of the back of the plate. The 51 in. plates
stood no better, considering the extra inch of metal.
One received ten shots, several of which were edge
blows, and opens the layers of the metal in an un-
usual manner, proving these plates, like the former
ones tested, to be of very inferior manufacture in
the welding. The metal was of good quality. This
plate was struck by three shots in a diameter of
13in., and in the centre of this space there were
very deep fissures with the iron driven into the
ebip's side from the main body of the plate. The
second sin. French plate received eight shots—one
on the upper edge, striking, however, full on the
plate and away from other blows, broke out a semi-
circular piece, 27in. in length and 10in. in depth.
On the right extremity of this plate a crack ran
through three shot marks to the lower edge of the
plate, aft. 6in. in length. Messrs. Brown's plate
stood until after its fifth shot, without giving sign
of a crack, but after that time a succession of blows
in two spots on its lower edge broke up the metal
in those places, as, indeed it could not well have
been otherwise under so unusual a pounding in two
particular spots. It received 12 shots in all. The
Millwall plate received 11 shots, more fairly dis-
tributed. A second unlucky blow on its right lower
corner broke through the metal. With this excep-
tion the plate came out of the trial satisfactorily.
Messrs. Brown's plate, and that of the Millwall
may be considered about equal, and as the best by
far of the six tested. The French plates proved to
be far below the average of " A 1 plates, and very
inferior indeed to the two first plates which were
tried at Portsmouth from the same firm. M. Gaudet,
who was present during the trials yesterday, ex-
pressed his astonishment at the results as regarded
his plates, and said that no such result had ever
attended any trial of them in France. Captain
Harrison, one of the members of the Iron-plate
Committee, was present during the firing, as were
also the respective representatives of the Millwall
Company and Messrs. John Brown and Co. The
uncertainty of the practice yesterday, owing to the
rough state of the weather, destroyed in a great
measure the interest which would otherwise have
been attached to-the trials. Thus, Messrs. Brown's
received the majority of the shots directed against
it by mere chance in two particular spats,
while
the shots on the Millwall plate were scattered.
Under these circumstances the comparisons required
between the two plates, which would have been of
great value, could not be drawn, and only approxi-
mate results could be arrived at. The same argu-
ment2the gunboat, which fully ac-
-0 4, miss" shots yesterday, owing applies, of course, to the French plates, only
in their case their failure altogether to resist shot
enabled a more decided opinion to be formed. There
ono
wereac-
counts utnh tes
formovement
upwardsov
teinn
h euncertainty e
of the practice. All other
oft
of
countries test their armour plates on land, the plates
under
fixed target and the gun
being also fired from an immovable platform. The
greatest
firing can be obtained,
and shots planted in each plate as they may be
wished, so that certainty can be arrived at in any
comparisons which may be drawn between different
plates.
The Dutch screw steam corvette Vesuvius, Capt.
Pschotborg, yesterday at
the Motherbanir
trial
possible being
accuracy a
f
from the Texel for the Coast of Guinea. The com-
mander will be introduced to the Port Admiral and
to the General by Mr. L. A. Vandenberg, Consul
for the Netherlands. When the weather moderates
the Vesuvius will fill up coals and proceed to her
destination.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Staff Commander H.
Beehant, additional, to the Saturn ; Sub-Lieut. A.
C. Harris, to the Liffey ; Sub-Lieut. L. Ching, to
the Edgar; W. D. Tennant has been nominated to
a naval cadetship; H. Brimfield, of the Wye,
confirmed as first-class assistant-engineer ; and W.
Berker, of the Topaze, promoted to acting first
class assistant-engineer.

BOYS DROWNED.—Two lads, aged respectively
12 and 15 years, wero drowned on Tuesday, whilst bathing
in a pond connected with the mill of Mr. Parker, flax
spinner, llunslett, Leeds. The bodies were recovered, and
removed to the residence of their parents, to await the
haquest.

During the first six months of the present year
the number of letters sent through the Italian
Post-office was 17,133,028, being a diminution of 408,491
as compared with the same period in 1862. The number
of journals and printed papers was 14,039,052, showing an
increase of 4,653,624 compared with the first six months of
1862. The revenue derived from the Post-office during the
first half year of 1863 amounted to 75,666,554 fr,, against
61,767,323 fr. received in the first six months of 1862.
The wife of a farmer, named Lemonnier, residing
at Furniehon, near Escardenville (Eure) was found,
three days since, lying dead in the street a few steps from
her own house, having been murdered by heavy blows on
the back of the head with some blunt instrument. It was
immediately suspected that the person who committed the
crime was her own son, a man 33 years of age, who had
been twice confined in a lunatic asylum, and had re•
cently exhibited symptoms of a relapse. This suspicion
soon became a certainty, for the gendarmes found the un-
happy man engaged in washing blood off his heads, and
near him lay a heavy stick bearing fresh marks of blood.
He was immediately secured and submitted to medical exa-
mination, which left no doubt of his insanity.