The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-09 00:00:00

has put into Penzance; he was rowed on board the King-
fisher, which took him to St. Helena. All healthy on the
Benguela station. The Wanderer, 14, Commander Somer-
ville, was at anchor off Sierra Leone at the above dale. She
was to have received pratique about the Ist of January, the
fever having left the ship. Commander Galwey was ieuch
beloved and respected by his officers and men, who wit-
uessed his departure with deep regret.
The Myrtle steam-vessel, Master- Commander Bettieton,
arrived from Plymouth yesterday morning.
The Aid, navy I ghter, arrived yesterday with stores from
the eastward.
(From the Deronport Independent.)
Her Majesty's steamer Volage, was commissioned on M
day by ',hut. Gabriel Johnson, for Captain Themes Greaves.
She is to be employed on surveying service in the Me‘titer-
renean.
The Mariner was docked yesterday to have her copper
cleaned. She will be taken out of (lucre to day, and on awn-
day will go into Bernpeol, to have her compasses adjusted,
prior to sailing for the coast of Africa.
Toe Peterel packet, is having her defects made good, and
wilt not be out of the herds of the dockyard till the end of
next week.
Mr. Alexander Leg, first engineer, and Mr. W. H. J.
Newberry, third engineer, of the Avenger, steam. frigate,
have been dismissed the service, for neglect of duty in letting
the water ous of one of the boilors, thereby seriously injuring it.
H.M.S. Cleopatra. 26, Captain Wyvill, has been spoken
with in the Channel. She is from the Cape of Good Hope
station, and has landed her mails and dispatches at Penzance.
H.M.S. QUIEN, 110.—We have frequently had occasion
to notice the smart and seamanlike activity of the crew of
this splendid ship, under the able- command of Capt. Sir
Henry Leeke, K.H. To the instances we have before given
we have now to add two others, alike honourable to the officers
and ship's company, and to the navy in which they serve. A
man need not rank very high in nautical knowledge to un-
derstand that the " fitting out" of a frigate is no small per-
formance. Without efficiency of discipline, and regularity
and method of proceeeing, it must be a matter involving
not only much confusion, but a corresponding amount of
time. We shall see how the officers and crew of the Queen
regard such a " piece of business." They commenced their
duties in reference to the Tyne, 26, at a quarter before 12
o'clock on Friday, and on Saturday last at 2 rem she was ready
for sea, and the first cargo of meal went off to her for Ireland.
The Portland, 50, was commenced on Monday morning,
at seven o'clock, and they bent sails by five
t'clock I Now, such expedition as this deserves more
than an ordinary paragraph. It shows not only what might
be done, but actually what is, which is infinitely more satis-
factcry generally speaking,—it shows too, what thoroughly
good, officer-like management can be productive of, for we
have the greater pleasure in referring to this subject from
our knowledge of the system pursued on beard. The lash
is completely at a discount, the punishments are always mild
and always rare, everything goes on quietly and eff.ctively,
because, from the Captain to the most inferior officer, the
orders are wisely given, and steadily, and firmly seen exe-
cuted. The kind, but just example of the Captain is not
lost upon the other officers, nor is their consistent demeanour
without its legitimate result upon Jack. We must not
close this, without stating that the Lords Coinmissionere of
the Admiralty have in the strongest terms of approbation,
conveyed their sense of the singular activity displayed by
the officers and crew of the Queen, on the occasions we have
referred to.
In Harbour—Queen, 110, Captain Sir H. Leeke, K.H.,
with the flag of Admiral Sir J. West, K.C.8.; Caledonia,
120, Captain M. H. Dixon, with the flag of Rear-Admiral
Sir John Louis, Bart.; Mariner; Volage; Avenger, and
Coefiance, steam-vessels; Peteret, packet; Sylph and Net-
ley, tenders; and Constitution, Brazilian frigate.
In Barnpool—Recruit.
WOOLWICH, M A RCII 6..—Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Adam,
15.0.8., Commodore Lord John Hay, C. 8., Lords of the Ad-
miralty ; Captain Ellice, Controller of Steam-machinery;
and Captain Sir William Symonds, Surveyor of the Navy,
visited Woolwich Dockyard to-day, and were received by
Commodore Sir James G. Bremer, K.C.B. and K.C.H. ;
Superintendent Lieutenant Fowler, and Mr Dyer, Secretary;
Captain Beatson, R.E., in charge of works • Mr. Lang,
master-shipwright; Lir. Read and Mr. Cha!field. assistants
to the master-shipwright; Mr. Lloyd, chief engineer; Mr.
Atherton, assistant to the chief engineer; Mr. Jenkins, store-
receiver ; Mr. Elson, master-attendant at her Majesty's
dockyard here; Mr. Miller. of the firm of Miller and Raven-
hill; and Mr. Smith, inventor of the screw-propeller.
Their Lordships arrived at two o'clock, and shortly after
proceeded to the Amphion steam-frigate, at present in the
east dock, opposite the blacksmiths' shop, and, having de-
scended the steps leading to the bottom of the dock, ex-
amined the stern part, where the screw-propeller, 15 feet in
diameter, is fitted. Their Lordships, on coming up from the
bottom of the dock, went on board the Amphion, and a por-
tion of the crew, under the command of Lieutenaut Sibbald,
manned the capstan, and raised the powerful screw•pro-
peller from its position at the bottom to the level of the
maid deck of the vessel. This is effected through a well cut
in the stern, to admit of the screw-propeller being entirely
detached, and taken on deck when necessary, or when
it is desirable, to make the vessel depend upon her can-
vass alone, without the aid of steam. Their Lordships
appeared to think it would be advisable to raise the screw-
propeller aboui 6 feet higher than it was raised during their
visit, which may be easily effected by raising the supports of
its great weight to allow more space :for working the blocks
by which it is raised. On the screw-propeller being again
let down to its working position, their Lordships descended
to the bottom of the dock, and held a long conversation
with the heads of the departments on improvements which
the working of this invention would admit of. Their Lord•
ships went on board the Amphion a second time to examine
I the engines and boilers, and the mode in which the axle of
the sorew-propeller is adjusted, with the manner in which it
-1 is connected
.and disconnected, and altogether reinained at.
Abe Amphionstperatde oflin houreqdaludeLiid
—Prom the Asuphion'thehttoidiihirer: --te.Asit -Chic
Royal Albert, of 120 guns, and- Mr. ez g conducted their
Lordships under the larboard aide of this splendid vessel,
to show them the strong manner in which the oak planking
was attached to the frame. Their Lordships then went on
board the Royal Albert to witness the progress she is
making ; the cross-beams of the orlop deck being nearly
half laid, and they give an appearance of great strength,
owing to the massive timber required for the breadth
of beams in a vessel of the magnitude of the Royal
Albert. Their Lordships subsequently visited the Terrible
steam-frigate in the basin, where she is fitting with Captain
Smith's paddle-box boats, and a number of artificers and
others are employed upon her to make her ready for sea.
The Terrible is under the charge of Lieutenant Murray ;
Captain Woodford J. Williams, her commander, being en-
gaged in charge of the Odin steam-frigate, with provisions
for Ireland. Their Lordships remained at the dockyard
until 5 o'clock, when they lett by the west gate on their
return to town.

DREADFUL COLLIERY ACCI

DENT.
UPWARDS OF SEVENTY LIVES LOST.

BAZICSLEY, MARCH 6, FIVE P.M.—We regret to record a
fearful coal-pit accident, attended with the loss of nearly
eighty lives, which took place yesterday afternoon, at the.
Great Ardsley :slain, er Oaks Colliery, near Barnsley. About
three o'clock, several persons near the mouth of the pit were
alarmed by a terrific explosion from the shaft, which was fol-
lowed by an eruption of smoke, timber, coal, stone, &c., re-
sembling the eruption of a volcano. Two or three of the
men were removing the corves from the pit. mouth at the
time. We understand that there had been no previous indi-
cations of danger up to the very moment of the explosion.
The pit was considered to be in an ordinary state of safety,
with the exception of one bank on the west side of the broad-
gate, which was between an upper sad lower seam, and
about seventeen feet in length. The men were instructed to
use great caution in passing that part of the pit with lights.
The parties who were in the immediate neighbourhood or
this place have perished. None remain to give an account of
the origin of the accident, which is believed to have been at
this spot. The explosion was of so violent a character that
it blew up the landing at the mouth of the pit, and shot up
stones, &c., to the height of 30 or 40 yards.
Immediately after the explosion, Mr. George Wilson. one
of the managing proprietors, with several men, went down
into the pit, to ascertain the state of the case, and to render
the sufferers such aid as might be within human reach.
Unhappily, the time of the explosion was when the full
force of men and boys, to the number of 100, were working
in the pit. Mr. Wilson was accompanied by George Armi-
tage, the under ground-steward, Joseph Littlewood, fore-
man. and several men. In descending the pit, they heard
groans and cries of distress from the sufferers iu all direc-
tions; and on reaching the bottom, some of the men who
had gathered round the shaft assailed them with exclama-
tions of gratitude. Several of the men still living were found
to be severely wounded by the concussions they had sustained
during the explosion. Others were in a state of insensibility.
Twenty-three were drawn out of the pit alive in a short period,
and about an hour afterwards three others. The melancholy
search was continued, and before twelve at night 41 others were
taken out dead. Being convinced that all who had not then been

found must be dead,—and the state of the pit being such as to
render it very unsafe to continue the search, Mr. Wilson and
his assistants re-ascended the shaft. Measures were then
taken for ventilating the pit. But this was rendered difficult
b. y the fact that the explosion had broken down the separat-
ing wall between the downcast and the up-cast shafts. Only
one more body was recovered up to three o'clock to-day;
but the utmost efforts were being made to restore the venti-
lation of the pit, so as to render possible a more complete
search for the bodies. Armitage and Littlewood bad left the
pit about a quarter of an hour before the explosion, and re-
ported in the office that it was perfectly healthy. The pit is
the property of Messrs. Frith, Barber, and Co , and has been
worked four or five years. It is 282 yards deep.
Between 30 and 40 of the dead bodies ,et remain in the
pit. About the pit mouth and all the roads leading to the
pit were to be seen the mourning and anxious relations of the
deceased or injured miners, whose lamentations were most
melancholy. The inquest is expected to take place on
day, before Mr. Lee, coroner of the district. The pit, which
is the scene of this sad calamity, is about two miles from the
scene of the accident which a few weeks ago caused the loss
of BiX vas.

THE LATE STEAM-SHIP COLLISION.—GRAVESEND,
SATURDAY NIGHT.—The efforts of the Whitstable smack
men in raising the sunken wreck of the schooner Rose, run
down on Sunday morning last by the Royal Victoria, have
proved most successful. Immediately intelligence reached
them of the accident they proceeded to the spot, and con-
trived, after much labour, in chaining down six smacks to
the wreck, and on Friday she was lifted and carried about a
mile up the river. She there grounded, and the flood this
morning carried the smacks and their burthen on to the
Essex shore at Shell-haven, where there is little doubt all
her cargo, a most valuable one, will be saved. Her appear-
ance externally forcibly shows the fearful character of the
collision, her larboard bows being cut down nearly to her
keel, the deck torn up to a considerable 'extent, and the
foremast carried away. Captain Webber, the master, who
was saved, and taken into Leith by the steamer, returned to
London last night. It should be observed that the captain
was saved by a bargeman, who picked him up in a boat and
took him aboard of the steamer. With respect to the situa-
tion of the schooner at the time of the collision, we have
ascertained that she was moored close in shore on the Essex
side, out of the way of the general navigation of the Thames.
There were three or four large vessels lying at anchor outside
of her. How the steamer came s_o. close in shore, out of the
proper course, is a circumstance difficult to solve.
JENNY LIND. Jenny Lind has iinally arranged
to come to London and Majesty's at h.r Majest3' Theatre, Mr.
Lurnley giving her
breach of Contract with Mrirt against all actions for
Bunn. The battle in the Courts
will therefore be fought, dat all,between the two managers.
"410rning Herald.