The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-08 00:00:00

THE ACCIDENT AT SHOEBUYRNESS.

An inquest was held on Wednesday, in the mess-room
of the officers of the Royal artillery, at Shoeburyness, be-
fore
Mr. Codd, of Maldon, coroner of the district in which
Shoeburyness is situated, on the bodies of Colour-Sergeant
Rose, Repository-Sergeant Lee, and Pay-company Ser.
geant Williams, who died from the injuries they sustained
by the bursting of a 56-pounder gun, while carrying on
practice with it at a range of 2,800 yards. Mr. Christo-
pher Dale, of Shoebury-hall, was appointed foreman of the
jury, and they then proceeded to view the bodies of the
deceased, and ultimately the pieces of the gun, which were
left in the positions in which they fell at the time of the
accident.

The first witness examined by the jury was the sergeant
who had the charge of the gun during the practice, and he
deposed that the gun was fired at an elevation of 8 degrees,
with a charge of 161bs. of powder, and a shot nominally
designated a 56 pounder ; but the one put into the gun
previous to its bursting weighed 54 lbs. 14 oz. only. He
said he could not in any way account for the accident, as
he considered it quite safe, and did not consider the prac-
tice by any means dangerous at the elevation at which it
was fired, as he had on many occasions fired it at an eleva-
tion of 20 degrees.

Sergeant. Watson, of the laboratory department at Shoe
bnryness, was the next witness examined, and he deposed
that he received the gun into his charge on the 17th of
September, 1852, and that 175 rounds had been fired from
it within that period and the time of its bursting. He
• also stated that he had minutely examined it on the 4th
of August laat by the mode termed sun proof and by wax
placed on a rod and put inside the bore,to ta a perfect
im •
premien of the state of the interior of the breach, and
he
could not find the least appearance of defect, but con-
sidered it perfect in v
The inry
were
sateisear:drespect.
from the evidence of the above
sergeants that the examination of any other witnesses
would not elicit thecauseoe
al, who of the accident, and after exa-
mining Dr. Doneantdhed the deceased, brought in
a verdict of "Accidental death
Dr. Donell was assisted by
D."
Miller, of Wakering, but
the lose of blood had been so r.
great Previously that scarcely
a cupful passed from each of the sufferers when their limbs
were amputated.
ere placed in three coffins,
The remains of the deceased w
and these were, at eleven o'clock yesterday
placed on
and covered with the all
one gun•carria'P' national flags, and
the melancholy procession, consisting of all the offi
accompanied the remains to their last ra at
ShoebnrYness,rest-
ing-place, in the parish churchyard of South Shoebury,
a distance of about a mile and a half from Shoeburyce,'.
The piece of the breach of the burst gun which caused the
death of Sergeant Rose, aged 37, Sergeant Lee, aged 35,
and Sergeant Williams, aged 37, was 28 cwt. It was the
wife of Sergeant Williams, and not of Sergeant Rose, who
died of cholera at the Tower of London, and fortunately
they had no family.

DUNBAR HERRING FISHING, pSe t. s.—The fishing is
now drawing to a close. Ou Friday the
fishermen were
not content with
good aver
Man ofet at
them the
re-
ground on that day and Satage shots, but surday. y
turned with their boats quite full ; but the consequence
• is that the fish has been disturbed, and in the morning
the take is very partial. Prices rose from 14s. to 18s:,
but in the afternoon boats again fell in with the shoal,
and prices are now 10s. per cran.
Ma. CARDEN.—In reference to the case of Mr. Card-
ing, now undergoing sentence in Clonmel gaol for his
attempted abduction of Miss Arbuthnot, the Evening
Mail says :—" Neither by birth, parentage, nor educa-
tion can Ireland prefer the slightest claim to Mr. Car-
den. He was born in England, land so was his father be-
fore him. He is the graduate of an English university,
where he gained some distinction. There is nothing
Irish belonging to him, ezcept a certain quantity of
green acres."