The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-05 00:00:00

TEE SUMTER AND HER DOINGS,

Three American captains—Captain Smith, of the
Arcadia; Captain Minott, of the Vigilant; and Cap-
tain Hoxie, of the Even Dodge—have arrived in
Liverpool by the Spanish steamer Douro, from
Cadiz, where they were landed, after their vessels
had been captured and burnt at sea by the Sumter.
It is their intention to return in the royal mail
steamer Bohemia, of the Quebec and Montreal line.
According to the account of these gentlemen, the
Sumter is a very indifferent screw-steamer, of
about 500 tons. Her armament consists of four 32-
pounder guns and one 68-pound pivot gun. She is
well supplied with small arms and ammunition, salt
provisions, and general stores. Her crew are re-
presented as about 90 in number, mostly Irish, and
so discontented that 11 of them deserted at Cadiz.
The marines on board are all Irish.
The Sumter brought 43 prisoners into Cadiz, being
the crews and officers of the captured ships. Several
of the prisoners (negroes) were detained on board
the privateer, as part of her crew. The accounts
given by the captains are very similar, and Captain
Hoxie's embraces nearly all the facts of interest :
His vessel, the Even Dodge, a craft of 222 tons,
was owned in New Bedford (Mass.). On the 26th
Nov. last she sailed thence for the South Pacific on
a three years' whaling voyage. She was in every
way equipped. On the Bth December, when in
latitude 31 N., long. 50 W., about 10 a.m., the
weather being thick at the time, a steamer flying
Ithe American Union Ensign came in sight and
immediately fired a shot across the bows of the
barque. In a few minutes afterwards the steamer
ran astern of the barque, hoisted the Confederate
flag, and Captain Sommes ordered Captain Hoxie
to come on board the steamer with his papers, at
the same time saying that the steamer was the Con-
f-a—fo year vessel Sumter. On going on board the
Sumter Captain Hoxie was shown into the cabin
where Captain Sommes was sitting. The latter
after looking over the papers of the Even Dodge,
said, " Oh, yes. It is all right. She is a lawful
prize of the Confederate States, and I shall burn
the ship." He then said, "We are short of water,
and you have plenty, I must have some of that."
He then ordered Captain Hoxie to go back, accom-
panied with an armed boat's crew of the Sumter,
and bring off the water, of which they took about
1,000 gallons. They also took a quantity of tobacco,
soap, and clothing, all the charts, and the captain's
sextant and chronometer. On again being taken
on board the Sumter, Captain Hoxie was told by
Sommes that he must restrict himself to one bed,
and one trunk for his clothes, and his mates and
crew must restrict themselves to one bag each for
clothing. These conditions were complied with as
speedily as possible, and the crew of the Sumter
appropriated all the carpenter's tools which were
on board the Even Dodge. The vessel was then
set on fire, and about sundown, when the Sumter
wore away, the barque was blazing from stem to
stern.

A BALLET GIRL BURNT TO DEATH.—An inquest
was held at Liverpool on Saturday last on the body of
Fanny Julia Power, aged 20 years. From the evidence
given before the coroner it appeared that the deceased was
a ballet-dancer and actress at the Theatre Royal, Liverpool.
On the night of the 16th ult. she was performing in the
pantomime, and between 9 and 10 o'clock was retiring from
the stage, at the conclusion of one part of the ballet, when
she stooped to look at her shoos. The hind part of her
skirt lifted as she was in the act of stooping, and her dress
caught fire from a gas jet placed in the side wing. The fire
was put out and the deceased was taken home. Sho was
badly burnt over her body and arms. She died on the 30th
ult. Mr. Copeland, lessee of the theatre, explained that at
each side wing of the stage was placed a gasman, whose
duty it was to see that the ladies and gentlemen in making
their exit from the stage did not permit their dresses to
brush against the side lights. In the present case the man
stationed at the side wing through which the deceased
made her exit was in his proper place, but it appeared that
after retiring the deceased looked at her shoes, thus raising
the skirt of her dress so as to bring it into contact with the
light. He thought it was possible that the light had been
lowered beyond its usual position, and that the gasman
thinking the deceased had passed on, allowed his atten-
tion to be drawn away for a moment. Verdict—Acci-
dental death,