The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-02 00:00:00

NAVAL IN TELLIGEN CE.

PORTSMOUTH, FEB. I.—The Netley cutter has arrived
from Plymouth this morning with supernumeraries for the
flag ship. Her commander reports that her Majesty's brig
Albatross had just anchored in the Sound, having encoun-
tered a gale of wind, and bein2 nearly foundered. Com-
mander Farquhar had been compelled to throw several of the
guns overboard to save her. Spars and boats had been
washed away, but it did not transpire that any of the crew
were lost ar injured..
Orders are expected to-morrow for the Belleisle to be
loaded with biscuit meal, and dispatched to Ireland.
The Medea was to leave Greenhithe this morning; it is in-
intended she shall go to Lisbon on Friday, with his Excel-
lency Sir G. Hamilton Seymour, in her Majesty's steamer
Sphynx.
Tins SPIIYNX. —Her Majesty's ship Retribution went this
morning- to assist in endeavouring to get this vessel off. In
consequence of a survey made by Captain James, Royal En-
gineers, the director of works in this yard, of the position of
the Sphynx, and the apparent obstacles in the wayof getting
herafloat, that officer has gone in the Retribution with thirty
excavators to dig the mud and sand from around a rock
which is within two lengths of the Sphynx, directly in a line
with her cut-water as she now lies. Captain James hopes to be
able to blast this rock with gunpowder, and remove such por-
tions as will afford a passage for her, when the great trial is
made to- ni,rtow. At I nc water filet e is fi feet water under her
stern, the same round her sides, but only 4-1 bet under the
bow. This rock, which it is desirable to remove, has only
one foot ten inches water over it at low titles. The Sphynx
must have been washed clear, during the late gale, either by
being moved on the starbo, rd or port as it is directly in
the trout of her. Several officers went to the spot on Satur-
day and yesterday. and describe her to be perfectly upright
with her head to the ~ea, and in a pasitiou most favourable
for cables and haws' rs to be made fast to her bows. If it
were not for this rock, which is in such an awkward place,
there appears no impeliment to her recue. Th 9 wind and
weather continues most favourable. The Porcupine steam-
vessel, Lieutenant Tumour commanding, returned from her
last night, and went down again this morning with another
lump in tow. A great many additional casks have been sent
down to assist in buoying up the wreck. The Fanny tender,
having Admiral Sir Charles Ogle and Captain Milne, of the
St. Vincent, on board, went down before eight o'clock this
morning, and was followed shortly after by the Myrtle steam-
tender, second master Battiston, to tow if requisite.
The Emerald: tender arrived to-day with a number of
supernumeraries (chiefly boys) from Cork.
The Curlew, 10, fitted with a mortar upon Lieutenant
Roberts's plan, cast off from the jetty to make room for the
Rattlar to-day, the latter requiring tome repairs, and the
former shipped the shells, &c., for the trial at Spithead.

MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT-A.

WOMAN SHOT.

On Wednesday evening last a very sad occurrence took
place at Trevol, near Torpoint, the residence of J. Cory-
ton Roberts, Esq.—an occurrence which has caused con-
siderable excitement and commiseration, and has occa-
sioned the utmost pain to the family of that gentleman.
It appears that a married woman named Elizabeth
Mitchell, aged 29, whose husband is a boatswain's mate
at sea, has been in the habit of working at Trevol, as a
dressmaker, and was there on Wednesday evening. Her
disposition had occasioned great friendliness between the
sons of Mr. Roberts and herself, and they were much
attached to her. The eldest named Erasmus, about 14
years of age, who with his brother has been enjoying
the school vacation at home, on the evening before men-
tioned, asked her to sing a song and she refused, he then
brought from his room a pistol which he possessed with-
out his father's knowledge or consent, and which he had
before thoroughly cleaned, and threatened to snap it at
her if she still declined. She did so, however, and he
playfully pulled the trigs.,,or, when horrible to tell—it was
found that the pistol had been loaded, and the contents
lodged in the head of the unfortunate individual. The
consternation which seized all in the house may be ima-
gined, but cannot possibly be related. The woman fell
bleeding to the ground, and on the young gentleman dis-
covering that a wound had been inflicted, he exclaimed,
"Good God, Charley must have loaded the pistol" (which
afterwards turned out to be correct,) and fled, no one
knew whether. Mr. Chubb, surgeon of Torpoint, was
sent for, but all medical effort could be of no avail, the
bullet had most probably entered the brain, and within a
short time, the poor creature breathed her last without
having uttered a word. Added to the terrible shock
occasioned by this event was the fright produced toy the
innocent cause of it being missirg. Search was made

for him in all directions, and it was nearly midnight
before he was found in the neighbourhood of the house.
in a state of perf'ect nervoti beAilderment. It is not
easy to convey any idea of the suffoning created in the
family of Mr. Roberts by this dreadful misfortune, for if
among the many virtues which distinguish them, one is
more prominent than another, it is a kind heartedness—
shown. always, and tinitornilv the same towards all.
A Coroner's inquest w3s held on view of the body of
the deceits, d. On Friday afternoon, and the Jury, after a
very short eonsllt:4•;n. to a verdict of Acci-
dental I)oath, . or, ti,, eff.-4t, That the de-
cease:l had (lied in , r,equetwe of ri,ceiving the charge
of a fired f,• • i,ut that the said
Erasmus Roberts
•: time that the
w
was loaded.—Denanr)or

Indepencitrt

—We are authorised
inept of profess,or of Elocution to
''as just been conferred on Mr.
dir,ctor of t 1;. Theatre Royal

ROYAL ACADEMY OF ?•j ;33C

:o state the th,

le Royal Ac..ad,m‘ of Mu,;(
'redtriek NVe:,bt,r,

iaymarket

An extensive sale of lan i or loca'led estates in
Texas, is announced in our eoHnins to takr! place by Mr.
Robins early flex t month. A more favoitrihble opportunity
has never been offered for the emigrant to possess, at a mode-
rate price, fertile lands, which [nay be us d tor every purpose of
agriculture peculiar to the country and climate, and which,
we understand, are all within short distances of rapidly
thriving towns of importance, with the advantage of water
communication, and 'natural resources of the most tempting
kind, to those disposed to try their fortunes iu the Western
Hemisphere. The distance of the lands from the point of
landing—a matter of very considerable importance to an
emigrant—is, we hear, very trifling.
CHEAP Gas AND GOOD.—Gas of the best quality is
offered by the Liverpool Guatdian Gas Company at 35. Bd.
per 1,000 cubic feet. The agitation of the new scheme ap-
tn noted.
.
that
pears to have already reduced the price of the arti.
sclet,
charged
by by the two existing companies there from 75., at u
then to 55., and ultultimatelytaortilsi, tesitll w
It is admitted, too, on all ialtb eetrtile rggraebs an
just
than
which is more than can truly be said of our own metropoli-
tannow supplied it -would" be next to impossible to procure,"
gas, as we have already repeatedly observed. Cheap gas
and good is now the order of the day in the provinces,. at
least, and surely the metropolis will ere long be inoculated
TRESS.—This
witshTt.he
jeaomueiv,sallotojurLyorvvi,rAu.ys.-2ihneißuilder..
sßpis
parish, with its adjacent district of St. James, have deter-
mined to send 251. per week to one parish in Ireland. If
this were extensively imitated great good would be effected.
The subscription is very large, amongst whom were the
Rev. E. andalrs, Hoare, 20/. ; Wm. Nicholson, 211. ; Mr.
Recs, 20/„. T. Bedgg E
son, 10/. 10s.; Ambrose
SUICIDE OP A sq., 101.; Mr. and Mrs. Richard-
cLElß N
Ga ryds,l RsAtq ,
yl 0
e/.
s, e
r d.
aB6ye. (Friday)
morning, the Rev.
George Ireland, the chaplain of North-
leach House of Correction, in this county, was found in his
room, with his throat cut, and quite dead, the fatal act hav-
ing, it is presumed, been committed some hours before its
discovery. We have heard that the Reverend Gentleman
had forwarded or left behind him letters addressed to Mr.
Reeves, the governor (..4' the prison, and to his own family, in
which he expressed his intention to commit suicide. We
have not heard a cause assigned for this very rash act, but
fear that straitened circumstances, And the great difficulty of
sustaining by small means his position in society, may have
operated upon a dispirited man and been the chief impelling
cause of this sad catastrophe. He was beyond the middle
age, and has left a widow and a large family of, we believe,
seven children. None of these, at the time of his death, had
joined him at Northleach. An inquest will be held on the
body to-day.—Gloucester Journal.
- -

SINGULAR ACCIDENT TO A STORES.—At Bospech
station, Hastings, Leadbeter, a stoker, while clearing the fire-
box. of the engine, w.is nearly suffocated by the sulphuric
vapour from the smouldering coils. He was taken out of the
box in an insensible state.
A PROLIFIC DIVINE. --- Dr. Litchfield, Rector of,
All Saints, Thames.streot, who died in 1457, left 3,083 ser-
mons, written by llis own band.— illmetes Life of Jeremy
Taylor. .