The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-08 00:00:00

proceed at once with fortifications at certain weak
points. Since the return of General Williams he
has been closeted with sonic of the chief architects

and builders here, and the Engineer Department
has been working night and day at the plans of
these works. Unfortunately, in planning the St.

Lawrence Canals and the different lines of railway

military considerations were ignored; thus, the
Beauharncis Canal was placed in the seignory of

Beauharnois on tho south side of the St. Lawrence,

with its inlet only seven miles from the United States
frontier, and its outlet about the same distance from
the railway intersecting the Ogdensburgh line at
Moors junction near Rouse's Point, and running
thence to Plattsburgh. It is therefore easily assail-
able at both ends, and will require to be strongly
defended, and held by a large force to maintain the

line of communication. I believe it would be cheaper
and infinitelysafer to construct at once a new canal on
the north shore, where it ought to have been made at
first. The Cornwall Canal through the greater part

of its length is commanded by islands in the St.
Lawrence, properly belonging to Canada, but sur-
rendered to the claims of the United States with that

total carelessness of consequences which has marked
British diplomacy in all boundary questions with
America. The Grand Trunk Railway between Lake
Ontario and Lancaster is so near the shore that
trains must. run the gauntlet of artillery fire from
the American side. The inlet of the Chambly

Canal connecting Lake Champlain with the St. Law.

rence is commanded by Fort Montgomery, a very
strong casemated work, built on Canadian territory,
complacently surrendered to the United States
by the Ashburton Treaty. Congress has just ap-
propriated 150,000 dols. for additional works to
this fort, which seals up Lake Champlain, pro-
tects the bridge which unites the Northern New
York Railway with a network of roads to Troy,
New York, Boston, and intermediate points ; and
it can only be reduced by a regular siege, covered
by a force large enough to resist the large armies
which might be brought in a few hours to its assis-
tance. Between jobbery, folly, and the blunders
of diplomacy, our communications with the West
are most precarious, and can :only be maintained
by better artillery, and a more skilful use of it than
the United States can command.
Congress has made large appropriations for de-
fences on the Lakes; 750,000 dols. for forts at Os-
wego, Niagara, Buffalo, and Detroit, and several of
the 20 iron-clad steamers just voted are said to be
allotted for the same purpose. With the ;excep-
tion of the fort at Kingston, covering the inlet of
the Rideau military canal connecting the St. Law-
rence with the Ottawa river, Canada has no defen-
sive works on the Western Lakes of any strength.
The Rideau Canal will admit the passage lof the
smallest class of gunboats ; the St. Lawrence
Canals, if they can be kept open, will pass them all.
The command of the Lakes is of first importance,
and to obtain this will every energy of the United
States' Government be concentrated in a new war
with England, as it was with the last. The United
States has infinitely more to lose on the Lakes than
it had in 1812, but it has also much better means
of offence and defence.
For some weeks the defences of Sackett's Har-
bour and other exposed points on the American
side have been strengthened, the works being car-
ried on day and night, Sundays and weekdays;
and large bodies of troops have been gathered at
these places. It is estimated that there are 40,000
men, chiefly recruits, between Chicago and Rouse's
Point, more than a third of them being on the land
faontier between Rouse's Point, on Lake Cham-
plain, and Ogdensburg, on the St. Lawrence.
Among these troops are some veteran regiments,
being those which surrendered to the Confederates
in Texas and the territories at the outbreak of the
revolution, and were released on parole not to serve
against them during the war, or until regularly
exchanged.
The Commissariat officers have proceeded to Bic
to superintend the landing of the stores by the Mel-
bourne. Owing to the unusual mildness of the sea-
son, the river is free from ice, and if the steamer
arrives this week there is no physical difficulty to
prevent her coming up to Riviere de Loup, the
eastern terminus of the Grand Trunk, where thero
is good wharfage.
A little snow fell last night, but not enough to
mako sleighing here ; below Quebec there is good
sleighing, and the Government road to the Lower
Provinces is in good condition for the passage of
troops. The erection of temporary barracks along
this road would at a small expense enable troops to
be sent forward from Halifax to Quebec in about
10 days, or in half that time if conveyances were
provided. The Government messenger from Hali-
fax with the despatches from the Europa came
through by this route in less than four days.

TILE FATAL ACCIDENT AT ST.

MARTIN'S HALL.

The coroner's inquiry into the causes that led to the
deaths of Richard Wood, Patrick Coghlen, and W. Sabcy
was opened yesterday at King's College Hospital.
Mr. St. Clair Bedford (the coroner) and the jury having
examined tho bodies of the unfortunate men,
Mr. David Sabey, of Pitman's-buildings, St. Luke's,
identified the body of Walter Sabey. He was my nephew.
He was about 23 years of age, and was a carpenter. I was

engaged at the hall when the accident took place.
Coroner—l will take the identity of the bodies before I
enter into the circumstances relating to the accident.

~... ....
Mrs. Wood identified the body of Richard Wood as that

of her• husband. lie was a gasfitter, and was 21 years of

age,
Margaret Maley, of No. 2, London-passage, identified
the body of Patrick Coglin. Ho was a bricklayer's labourer,
and was about 25 years of ago.
Mr. John Barr Brown, house surgeon of King's College
Hospital, said—l saw the three injured men when they
were first brought to the institution on Friday last. They
were in a very bad state. Wood was totally insensible, Sabey
was partially so, and Coglin sensible. Wood had a broken
leg, a broken arm, a brOken rib, and symptoms of a broken
head. Sabey had abroken arm and other injuries. Coglin had
a broken arm and rib, and evidently an injury to the spine.
Wood was put to bed and the usual remedies applied, but
he died within half an hour after his admission. Saboy
continued in a state of stupor till five o'clock the next
morning, when he died ; and Coglin became delirious a
little before seven in the evening, and after being so for
about half an hour he died at eight o'clock. There has
been a post-mortem examination in each case. 'Wood died
from an extensive fracture of the skull ; Sabey died from
the shock received, combined with the injuries; and the
same circumstances had caused the death of Coglin.
Henry Daniels, a labourer,"said—l was employed by
Stephens, a zinc• worker in Old-street, to erect the scaffold
in St. Martin's Hall. I erected it from Mr. Stephens'
verbal directions, and it was completed on Friday morning.
Stephens was not present during the whole of the time I
was engaged in performing the work. I cannot say that
Mr. Stephens said that he was satisfied with tke work after
it was done, Mr. Prince furnished the materials for the
scaffolding. He resides at 74, Melton-street, Fore-street.
Coglin, the deceased, and Huggett assisted me in selecting
the boards. The scaffolding was required to fix the chandeliers.
He considered that the scaffolding was sufficiently strong
to support eight men. I should not have hesitated to have
gone on it with that number of people. I think there must
have been some sudden jerk. Stephens told me there would
be three or four men at work on it. I asked Stephens what
weight ho wanted on it, and he said three or four men. 1
saw seven or eight men on the scaffold just before it fell.
After the accident I saw one of the cross poles which sup-
ported the flooring was broken. I belies o the pole would
have borne the whole weight of the men provided there
had been no jerk. There were 9 feet 6 between the two
uprights, and 12 boards rested upon the cross poles.
The Beadle—The boards weighed 421 b. each.
Witness—Some were thicker than others. Breaking of
the pole, I am certain, was the occasion of the accident.
Mr. Stephens saw the poles and boards before they were
loaded to be brought away. He said he thought they were
sufficient for the purpose. I put up the poles because,
when I first spoke about the scaffolding, it was proposed to
use cords, and Sabey said cords would not be strong enough.
Mr. Stephens told me to erect the scaffold for three or four
persons. Tho scaffold was never tested to see whether it
was secure. Mr. Sabey who was foreman of the carpenters,
said ho thought the scaffolding would act very well.
By Mr. Boulton, for Mr. Stephens—l first went to work
for Mr. Stephens on Monday week. I saw him in the
morning while we were getting the beards ready. I have
known the poles to have been used once previous to being
taken to St. Martin's Hall ; they then carried a greater
weight than they wore expected to bear at the Hall, I was
directed to select light poles.
By a Juror—l don't know that by a light pole a short
one is meant. I was directed to get some light poles, and
I did so.
The inquiry was then adjourned.

TIIE NUSSEE.RABAD TIMGEDY.

The following is from the Nusaeerabad eorres

pondent of the Times of indict, dated Nov. 21
This station has been the scene of an act of savage
atrocity which has struck every one with horror
and consternation. Lieut. W. A. Stewart, of her
Majesty's 28th Regiment, returned from parade on
the morning of the 19th. He lay down upon his
bed and fell asleep. He lay upon his right side, his
arms folded upon his bosom. His mussaul entered,
put the muzzle of his own doubled-barrelled gun to
the back of his head, fired, blew the roof of his skull
and the greater part of the face off, scattering the
brains over floor, walls, and ceiling, then retreated
to an outhouse, lay down, placed the mouth of the
other barrel under his chin, and shot himself dead.
All this must have been the work of a minute. No-
body was on the spot; the butler was at the bazaar,
and the first discovery was made by the barber on
entering to shave the hapless deceased. A court of
inquest assembled, but as yet no adequate cause has
been discovered for this fiendish act. Lieutenant
Stewart had been until lately second in command
of the Mhair Regiment at Ajmeer, and while there
had been robbed by this man of some rupees, which he
discovered, and warned him that he would turn him
off. Unfortunately he did not do so at once. The mus-
saul was a Mussulman, and, it is said a discharged
Sepoy. That he was acquainted with firearms is
shown by the fact that a soldier of the 28th stated
on the previous day he had cleaned this gun and a
revolver, and put both up in their cases. The
ruffian must have taken the gun out, put it toge-
ther, and loaded it, as well as the revolver, which
was found beside his dead body with its five cham-
bers charged also, but with the bullets put the
wrong way. The man was known to have " saints"
of his caste about him, and there is a surmise that
the act may have been the result of a deep-laid fa-
natical plot. The deceased is universally regretted
by all who knew him. He was a good officer and
a perfect gentleman, and the sorrow of his brother
officers is heartfelt. On the very day of his death

the general order appointing him interpreter to his
regiment was received. His death must have been
instantaneous, for as be lay in calm sleep, with
folded arms, so he was found. He was buried yes-
terday morning, followed to the grave by the
Brigadier's Staff, the regiment, and all the officers
of the station. I have briefly stated the facts of
this deplorable catastrophe ; no words could con-
vey the shock it has been to the whole cantonment.
There were two bullets in the barrel. The shot
was fired downwards, for the balls passed through
the bedding, and were picked up flattened on the
floor beneath the bed.