The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-06 00:00:00

SCARCITY OF FIELD OFFICERS.

In consequence of the scarcity of field officers in the
garrison at Woolwich at the present time, it has become
neces••ary to aprint a number of captains to act as field
officers, and the following have been notified in garrison
order for that duty : - Until further orders, Captains
Marriost Smythe and Phillpotts, Royal Artillery, and
Captain Moot e, Royal Marines, will do the duty of field
officers of the day.
Memorandum.—ln consequence of the regiment being
considerably below its establishment, the Lieutenant-
General of the Ordnance directs that discharges by pur-
chase be suspended until further (riders.
By general order dated August 22, the Lieutenant-
General of the Ordnance has appointed Lieutenant R.
W. Haig to be assistant instructor in practical artillery
at the Royal Military Academy, vice Griffin, resigned."]
CAptain Baddeley having been appointed adjutant to
the field batteries in Turkey, under the command of
Colonel Lake, has resigned the adjutantcy of the 2d bat-
talion, and proceeded to the seat of war to assume his
•
new duties.
The Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance has appointed
Second Captain R. P. C. Jones to be adjutant of the
2d battalion provisionally, under the general order of the
sth of February, 1826, vice Baddeley, who resigns the
adjutantcy only.
In consequence of the above, Second Captain Bad-
deley is posted to Captain Lawson's company, let bat-
talion, vice Jones.

Mr. Commissary Young is promoted to be Chief Com-
missary in the Field Train Department.
The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has ap-
pointed Lieut.-Col. H. F. Williams, C. 8., Royal Artil-
lery, to be her Majesty's Commissioner at Kars ; and
her Majesty, by commission, dated Aug. 7, 1854, has
been pleased to grant that officer the local rank of
colonel while so employed ; and the Lieut.-General of
the Ordnance has sanctioned-the Appointment of Lieut.
Teesdale, Royal Artillery, aide-de-camp to Colonel

FATAL ACCIDENT IN ARTILLERY PRACTICE.
On Monday afternoon, while Captain Oldfield's com-
pany, and the detachments of Royal Artillery, at pre-
sent stationed at Shoeburyness, were practising with
four large guns, one 10 inch gun, 9 feet 4 inches long,
of 85 cwt., and one 8-inch gun, 8 feet long, of 52 cwt.,
with spherical shot, at targets, the one at 800 yards
range, and the other at 1,500 yards range, and with one
of Lancaster's 68-pounder oval guns, 9 feet long, weigh-
ing 95 cwt., and one 56-pounder gun, 11 feet long,
weighing 98 cwt., the latter burst in the act of firing at
2,800 yards, the object against which both it and Lan-
caster's gun were fired, with spherical shot, being a flag-
staff at that range. The whole of the gunners who
manned the 56-pounder gun escaped unhurt, with the
exception of a slight abrasure on the back of the band of
one of them ; but a most melancholy and fatal accident
took place on the adjoining platform. The largest piece
of the breech of the burst gun, upwards of a ton in
weight, proceeding to the right, broke down the brick
work in front, and, sweeping along the platform, jammed
Colour-sergeant Rose between it and the front elevation,
teat ing his flesh and breaking both his thighs, and caus-
ing such other injuries that he died within an hour after
the accident took place. The same mass of metal of the
breach in its progress struck Repository-sergeant Lee,
breaking both his thighs, and inflicting such other in-
juries that he died the same afternoon, after both thighs
had been amputated. Pay-company-company-sergeant Williams
was also struck by the same piece of the breach and had
one of his thighs broken, which was shortly after am-
putated, and it was hoped he would recover, but, unfor-
tunately, it was found that his left arm was shattered,
and it is apprehended it will have to be amputated. Cap-'
tain Bullock, R.N., with a party of I,dies and a number
of the sea-bathing parties from Southend, were stationed
about 30 yards from the spot where the gun burst to
b whoa potico; fortwal*ls IJI ficafe4 without