The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-16 00:00:00

THE FLEX AT DEVONPORT.

The Correspondent of a Morning Paper, wile has
been for ten days in the track of two foreigners sus-
pected of setting fire to the Talavera, has soddenly left
off the pursuit, as he has no hesitation now in say-
ing that the fire resulted from spontaneous combustion.
In a letter dated Devonport, Wednesday, he accounts
for it thus :—" It appears what is called a " bin" had
been placed under the shed which covered the Talavera.
This " bin" is an erection of wood made for the purpose
of bontaining the offal collected from the neighbouring
parts of the yard till it can be conveniently removed
from the arsenal, and the one constructed under the
shed over the Talavera was of the extent of about 400
square feet. It was placed on the south side of the
ship, and at the distance of abont 30 feet from her. The
refuse from all the neighbouring works and offices badbeen
thrown into it, and it contained, as lam informed, a large
mass of filth composed of oakum, tallow, waste of paint,
old canvass, sawdust, chips, &c. This mass generated
a high degree of heat, and spontaneous combustion was
the result. The fire thus originating, communicated
with the shed over the Talavera ; for it is now &lin
that the shed, not the ship, was first on fire. From the
shed the Talavera was kindled, and the coal tar with
which that vessel was impregnated to saturation, gene-
rating gas in large quantities, by the heat of the burning
shed operating upon it, an easy medium for communi-
cating the flames from one part to another was thus
provided, and the rapidity with which they spread from
stem to stern is in this manner accounted for. This
solution of the mystery appears to me perfectly satis-
factory. The contents of the bin are exactly such as
would give :se to spontaneous flame, and this is not the
only instance of spontaneous combustion in the
arsenal. The Rear-Admiral mentioned the follow-
ing facts relative to spontaneous combustion this morning :
—Some time since a quantity of vegetable oil having
been drawn off from a cask, a portion of it was spilt
upon the floor. Sawdust was thrown upon it in order
to dry it up, and when this object was accompiished, it
was then swept into a mass, and placed in a small cart
in a position where it was exposed to the sun. The
day was extremely warm, and not long after it had been
exposed in this manner, a report, as if a musket had exi-
ploded, was heard, and immediately afterwards the
wood near which the cart stood was found to be on
fire, as well as the mass itself which the cart contained.
The Admiral also mentioned that a quantity of rope-
yarn had once been laid untarred in a heap, and the heat
which it soon generated was so great, that it raised the
thermometer to 180. These facts show that sponta-
neous combustion is very possible, and, taken -in con-
unction with the fact that a " bin " 'was- placed under
dhe shed which covered the Talavera, satisfies' my mind
that the information I now convey fo you 'Collative to
ie breaking out of the fire is perfectorrect."

COURT-MARTIAL ON HENTY.
SHEERNESS, THURSDAY EVENING.-Sir John Hill,
the Captain-Superintendent, came into Court shortlyafter 11') o'clock to-day, and the principal dock-ofhet7s
having assembled, he directed Henty to be brought in.
On his arrival in custody of the London police officer,
Mr. Essen, the agent to the solicitor of the Admi-
ralty, rose, and addressing Sir .1. Hill, said, " 1 am not
at present prepared to adduce any further evidence
against John Henty for firing her Majesty's ship Cam-
perdown, and I have therefore to request that he be
discharged.'
Sir John Hill (addressing Lieutenant Wisc, the
director of the dock police)—You are to discharge Mr.
Henty accordingly.
Ilenty then bowed and left the Court. He had,
however, scarcely got out of the room when he was told
by Lieutenant Wise to consider himself a prisoner.
Shortly afterwards Lieutenant Heale arrived in a galley,
from her Majesty's ship Ocean, lying off the dock,
ac-
companiedby a sergeant and corporal of marines ; and
Henty having been pointed out to him, he immediately
addressed him, signifying to him that he must proceed
on board the Ocean in custody. Henty, who had pre-
vmus'.y seemed much delighted at his release, was greatly
disconcerted at this unexpected turn of affairs, and fol-
lowed the marines on board the galley. On his arrival
on hoard the Ocean he was immediately placed in cus-
tody in a cabin, in the middle deck, and a marine sta-
tioned at the door.
The result, is, that he will be tried without delay by
a court-mai tial, consisting of five captains and two i heotrno-
manders, who will be summoned from Chatham and
neighbouring places for that purpose.