The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-31 00:00:00

THE ANC TIC EXPEDITION.

TO TILE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—As the Investigator and Enterprise are to be
sent again to search for Sir John Franklin's ships,
every means of preventing their being delayed by
remaining inclosed in the ice should be made known ;
and since sawing a passage through Melee has proved
tedious, and even impracticable in places where its
thickness has been great, 1 think it tnay. be advanta-
geous to draw attention to the use which it is intended
to make of gunpowder for this purpose,• in the hope
that those wh ) may have any information on the
subject may make it public ; and I beg to state that
I had an opportunity, whilst attached to the Pru,sian
Royal E igineers, of seeing the report of some expe-..
rineents made at Dantzio, fronufaiiikaiii-a4 ars..
by firing a charge of 61b. in the centre of ice 26
inches thick a portion of 20 feet in di,meter can be
broken up. Other expi•riments made at Montreal,
under the direction of Colonel II0;loway, of the
Royal Engineers, produced similar results, and from
these it appears that charges lodged under the ice,
where that is possible, ciiuse the greatest effect. But
it is most desirable to obtain inforniath n on the
action of gunpowder upon thicker ice. and it is hoped
that any persa n who may possess such knowledge
will mNlic it public as soon as possible, in order to aid
in the extrication of the brave men in whose fate all
nations are now interested.—l am, sir, your obedient
servant, P. J. BAINISRIGGE7 Captain R.E.

DEATH OF LIEUT.-COLONEL
IRVINE, C.B, CHIEF DIRECTOR OF AD-
MIRALTY WORKS.

It is with much regret that we record the death
of Lieutenant• Colonel Archibald Irvine, C.D., Direc-
tor of Engineering and Architectural Wotics of the
Admiralty, which event took place at half•past twelve
o'clock on Saturday night, at his residence, Highgate.
Up to within the la•t three years Colonel Irvine's life
was spent in the service of the Honourable East
India Company's Engineers, in which his career
was an arduous, gallant, and most distinguished one.
Ile served in many sieges "and stcrrns, in wh.c!), he
was severely wounded, and, we believe, personally led
n or two forlorn hopes. As a military engineer his
talents were highly prized in India. He filled there
many very important and responsible situations, and
firaly wound up his service in that part of her
Majesty's dominions by distinguishing himself as an
engineer officer at tha great battles under Lord
Harcinge.
In India his engineering skill and ability intro-
duced him to the late Lord Auckland, 'hen
Governor-General, who, on Colonel lrvine's return
to England, now about three years since, appointed
him successor to th I late Colonel I3randreth, R.E.,
as chief of the Admiralty engineering and architec-
tural dqartment at Somerset House. We fear,
however, that this has proved a rather unsuitable
office for him, and that the excessive cares and im-
mense anxieties attendant upon it have contributed
in no small degree to break down a constitution
which, after so many years' toil in India, required
repose and retirement. The gallant deceased, we
believe, has left a large young family, the provision
for which has been much circumscribed by the
bankruptcies in India, and the depreciation of certain
interests in which he had made large investments.
Mr. Scamp, chief assistant to the late Colonel
Irvine, will carry on the duties of the department until
the vacancy is filled up.
The selection of a successor will be a most difficult
task, and will require the utmost care and considera-
tion in making it, if the economy and efficiency of
the vast public works now being carrried on by the
Admiralty be regarded.

ATTEMPTED MURDER —DUDLEY, SATURDAY
Yesterday evening Sarah Evans, who stands charged
with attempting to murder two of her children by cutting
their throats, underwent a final examination before the
magistrates at this place. The particulars published
previously in some of the papers are incorrect. The
evidence of Sarah Evans, one of the prisoner's
daughters, a girl of thirteen, who was examined yester-
day, went to prove that, hearing In r younger sister,
Rosannah, crying, she went up stairs to her, and found
her lying on a bed with her mother standing by
the bedside. Rosannah's throat was cut and bleed•
ing fast, and a bloody knife was lying by her.
Her mother's right hand also was bloody. When her
mother saw her (witness), she said, " Sarah, it is your
turn next," and approached her; on which she ran
down stairs, followed part of the way by her mother.
However, she escaped from her, and ran to her father,
who was at work near, and told him what she had seen,
on which he rushed into the licthe and wrested the knife
(which she had taken up again) from her. When the
prisoner was taken into custody by constable Shore, she,
on being told the charge against her, said, " I am sorry
I did not do for 'em alt, and myself too." On the hus-
band handing the knife to the constable he point, d out
that it had been sharpened; on which the prisoner ex-
claimed, " I did keen it. The devil told me to cut the
child's throat;" and, turning to her husband, she added,
"It 'll be your turn next." Two surgeons deposed as to
the nature of the wound, which was an inch deep and
three inches long. At first it was feared it would be
fatal, but the child is now progressing favourably. A
the close of the inquiry the prisoner was fully committe
for trial at the assizes. She is said to be of a disturbed
state of mind.
MOORE, THE POET. —We have great pleasure in
quoting the following paragraph (from the 'tut Journal),
as a rumour had got into circulation that Mr. Mo-,re
was seriously indisposed:—" THOMAS MoonE.—The
post is in the enjoyment of good health, physical and
intellectual, at his cottage at Sloperton, takes his aitily
walks along the terrace which borders his pretty garden,
and drives as usual each day in a small pony carriage.
He is not living in more than tho ordinary retirement in
which he has passed the last seven or eight years of
his life."