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

ILFRACOMB E.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
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 being 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 or injured.
Orders are expected to-morrow for the Belleisle to be
loaded with biscuit meal, and dispatched to Ireland.
The Medea was to leave Greephithe 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
SPHYNX.—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 Ivey of getting
her afloat, 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-morrow. At low water there is 6 feet water under her
stern, the same round her sides, but only 4 feet under the
bow. This rock, which it is desirable to remove, has only
one foot ten inches water over it at low tides. The Sphynx
must have been washed clear, during the late gale, either by
being moved on the starboard or port side, as it is directly in
the front 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 sea, and in a position most favourable
for cables and hawsers to be made fast to her bows. If it
were not for this rock, which is in such an awkward place,
there !appears no impediment to her rescue. The 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 Bettiston,-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
Rattler to-day, the latter requiring some repairs, and the
former shipped the shells, &c., for the trial.at §pithead.

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 sin, has been in the habit of working at Trevol, as a
dressmaker, and was there on Wednesday evening. HeP
disposition had occasioned great friendliness between the
sous 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 trigger, 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-
nined, 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 by the
innocent cause of it being missing. 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 perfect nervous bewilderment. It is not
easy to convey any idea of the suffering 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 uniformly the same towards all.
A Coroner's inquest was held on view of the body of
the deceased, on Friday afternoon, and the Jury, after a
very short consultation, came to a verdict of Acci-
dental Death, or, rather to the cffect. That the de-
ceriSed had died in consequence of receiving the charge
of a pistol fired by Erasmus Roberts, but that the said
Erasmus Roberts was not aware at the time that the
pistol was loaded.—Devonport Independent

- -
ROYAL ACADEMY OF Music —We are authorised
to state that the appointment of Professor of Elocution to
the Royal Academy of Music has just been conferred on Mr.
Frederick Webster, stage director of the Theatre Royal
Haymarket.
An extensive sale of lards, or located estates in
Texas, is announced in our columns to take place by Mr.
Robins early next month. A more favourable opportunity
has never been offered for the emigrant to possess, at a mode-
rate price, fertile lands, which may be used for every purpose o f
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 in the Western
Hemisphere. The distance of the lands from the point of
landing—a matter of very considerable importance to an
emigrant—is. we heir, very trifling.
CHEAP Gas AND GOOD.—Gas of the best quality is
offered by the Liverpool Guardian Gas Company at 3s. Sd.
per 1,000 cubic feet. The agitation of the new scheme ap-
pears to have already reduced the price of the article charged
by the two existing companies there from is., at first, to
noted.
It to 55., and ultimately to the still lower figure jusatnnothaat
tpriocure,"
It is admitted, too, on all hands, that " bettergLs I
now supplied it would be next to impossibleo of our own metropoli-
tan is more than can truly
andtan gganso,daisa wn ea
whave a rredaedry r bpee
ofe the3t saideddal jj:eibneetrvheed.proCvlinecaeps,gaast
with the same sanatory virus.—The Builder.
the metropolis will ere long be inoculated
least, and surely
w Sr. JOBS, HOLLOWAY.—IRISH
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
amongstgreatgoo_dwowuhldombeN%e,effreecttehd.e The subscription is very large
Rev. E. and;Mrs. Hoare, 20/. ; Wm. Nicholson, 211. ; Mr.
Rees, 20/. ; T. Beciggood, Esq , 10/. ; Mr. and Mrs. Richard-
son, 10/. 10s.; Ambrose Ward, Esq., 10/., &c. &c.
morning,BulClDtgh e"ReAv CGeorgeß aG YI
e and—, tYh
ee s
et
he ra dr, r
ayi n
of d a North)
leach Home 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
disco Very. We have heard that the Reverend Gentleman
had forwarded or left behind him letters addressed to Mr.
Reeves, the governor a 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
position in society, may have
sustaining by small means his
operated upon a dispirited man and been the chief impelling
cause of this sad catastrophe. Ile 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 STOKER.—At Bospech
station, Hastings, Leadbeter, a stoker, while clearing the fire-
box of the engine, was nearly suffocated by the sulphuric
vapour from the smouldering coals. He was taken out of the
box in an insensible state.

A Past:aim DIVINE. —Dr. Litchfield, Rector of •
All Saints, Thames-street, who died in 1457, left 3,083 ser-
mons, written by his own hand,— Willmotes ,Pife of Jerel
,
Taylor.