The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-25 00:00:00

NEW FACTS IN SCIENCE.

The meeting of the Geological Society, on Thursday,
was marked by feaures of peculiar interest. The proced-
ings commenced with a most elaborate paper from the pen
of Professor Oweo,on the remains of reptiles found in the
sandstone of Warwick, and the relation of that deposit to
the keuper formation of Germany. The Professor
detailed the result of some microscopic examina-
tions, conducted with his usual accurary and persever-
ance, and exhibited some microscopic drawings of sin-
gular fidelity and beauty. As the summary Of his ob-
servations, we may state that he proved that the ani-
mals considered by Dr. Jaeger, of Stutgard, to form
three genera of Mastodon Saurus, Phylosaurus, and
Dracosaurus, are, in fact, the same creation, which
Professor Owen, from the intricate form of the teeth,
denominates the Labyrinthodon. The Professor sug-
gested the probability of the Warwick sandstone
being identical with the keuper sandstone of Ger-
many, a proposition which met with some objections,
though but one opinion prevailed as to the value
and importance of the Professor's investigations in a
zoological point of view ; the accuracy and patience
of his research ; the truth and importance of his
conclusions. The next paper was on the elevation
of a part of the coast of Ireland, in the vicinity
of Waterford, by Mr. Austen ; white a communica-
tion from Mr. Lyell, on the fish and other organic
remains of the Crag of Norfolk and Suffolk, terminated
the written communications of the evening. These
various topics gave rise to animated discussions, and a
fine display of intellectual gladiatorship was exhibited,
the combatants being Professors Buckland and Sedg-
wick, Messrs. Lyell, I)elaboche, Murchison, and others.

PROGRESS OF GEOLOGICAL DISCOVERY.—It is a
well known fact that, during certain past ages of• the
history of our earth, volcanic agency was developed
on a scale of infinite grandeur and importance, ar.d
that in particular a considerable portion of the
centre of France, including the whole of the ancient
province of Auvergne, as well as the country
bordering on the Rhine, was once the site of volcanic
agency of exceeding power and extent. We owe ,to-
the zeal and energy of two English geologists, Messrs.
Hamilton and Strickland, the discovery of a series of
dormant volcanos, situated in Asia Minor, commensurate
in importance with those of central France and the Rhine.
In a district in the vicinity of Smyrna called the Katake-
kaumene (name indicative of its burnt and parched cha-
racter), our spirited countrymen have discovered a series
of volcanic vents, which though now in a state of repose,
were once awakened to the most fearful activity, and
must have presented a scene of devastation far excelling
that of Fitna and yeauvius at the present day. It is an
instructive an.d an awful lesson, to reflect that these
once active fires are hushed, but not extinguished ; and
that the same Almighty hand which called them first
into being may again rouse them to all their pristine
energy and power of devastation,

CORONER'S INQUEST.

FRIGHTFUL CASE OF BURNING--A WOMAN

BURNT TO DEATH.
On Saturday evening at five o'clock, an inquiry of a most
painful description was gone int.) by Mr. Higgs, the coro-
ner for Westminster, at the Flask Tavern, Ebury-square,
Pimlico, before a jury of thirteen highly respectable gen-
tlemen, for the purpose of investigating the cause of the
death of Mrs. Hannah Burrows, aged 57. It appeared
that the unfortunate deceased was the wife of a schoolmas-
ter occupying apartments at No. 6, Flask-row, Ebury-
square.
Robert Burrows, the husband of the deceased, was called
and examined. He stated that on Friday morning about
half-past seven o'clock she arose from the bed, and after
lighting the fire and making breakfast ready, she called
him shortly after eight. He got up, but after breakfast
was compelled to go to bed, owing to his feet being cold.
He had not been there long before he was alarmed by
hearing deceased scream out, " Oh, Robert, Robert, I am
on fire." The bed was in the same room, and on turning
he perceived the deceased's apron in flames. He jumped
out of bed, and succeeded, he thought, in effectually ex-
tinguishing the fire, and she sat down on a chair near the
window. Shortly after she, appeared in one blaze and set
the room on fire.

CORONER—Were you sober at the time? Witness—
! was:

Juror—When did you discover that she was again on
fire? When she sat down on the chair I think she fainted
away, and it was some minutes before I perceived that the
whole of her underclothing was on fire. I got hold of her
and put her on the floor, when I threw a cloak over her,
and endeavoured to extinguish it, but could not. The
fire and smoko became so great that I was almost suff9..
cated.

Juror—Was there no one in the house to assist you ?
Witness—Yes; and they came immediately. I gave the
alarm.

A Juror said it appeared to him that the witness had not
exerted himself as he should have done. The poor wo-
man trust have suffered dreadfully—in fact he never saw
a more shocking sight. She was completely baked. Ad-
dressing the witness—How long was it before you called
assistance? Witness—l can't say exactly, for I was so
frightened.

Juror--Did you attempt to do anything else to extin-
guish the fire after throwing the cloak over her ? Wit-
ness—l threw over her a piece of oil-cloth, and burnt my
hands in so doing.
A Juror here requested of witness to show his hands,
which he did, but there were no burns to be seen.

CORONF.R—HOVr long was it before the fire was put
out? Witness—Upwards of twenty minutes.
A Juror (to the Coroner)—lt's most extraordinary that
she could hare been burning that time. There must be
great neglect somewhere. _

- The CORONER observed that the witness was thrown into
such a state of excitement at the time, that he know not
what actually occurred.
A Juror—flow long did deceased live after the flames
were got under? Witness—She was dead, Sir, long be-
fore that was done.

CORONEa— When you gave the alarm, what was done ?
Witness—The landlord came up, and subsequently other
parties, and they extinguished the flames.
Mr. 13assan, the occupier of the house, said that about
nine o'clock on Friday morning he was alarmed by cries
of fire. Thinking it came from the street he opened the
window to see where it was, but seeing all was quiet, a
thought struck him that the cries were in the house, and
he immediately ran up stairs. On reaching the landing_
place of the first floor he was met by the first witness, who
was in a dreadfully excited state, and was crying out,
" Fire, fire." He rushed into the front room, which was
full of smoke, and on fire in several parts. Under a
table in the centre of the room lay the deceased appa-
reedy in the agonies of death. Her clothes were on fire,
and it was burning fiercely about her. Witness managed to
get hold of her arm, dragged her out of the room to the topof
the stairs, a here he left her, and ran down stairs to givo the
alarm. He returned as soon as possible with a blanket,
and wrapped it round the deceased, but he was unable to
put the fire out; subsequently two pails of water were
brought to him, which he threw over her and it was then
extinguished. On examining the room he found the chair
upon which the deceased had been sitting burnt through.
It seemed as if her clothes had been on fire when she sat
down, as stated by her husband. The flooring of the room
in several parts was much burnt. In answer to several
questions, witness added, that he had never seen the hus-
band or deceased intoxicated during the period that they
had lived in his house.

A Juror (to the husbani.)—Can you in any way account
fur deceased's clothes taking fire?—Husband. No, air, I
cannot.

Several of the jury considered that there was a mystery
about the ease, and that the unfortunate deceased could
not have been burned more had there been no one in the
room.

There being no other evidence, the Coroner made some
few observations, and the jury returned a verdict, That
the &ceased, Hannah Burrows, was accidentally burned
to death."

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

MANCHESTER- RmAy.

There was certainly a good muster this morning, and as
certainly no business; all were offers.
THE CHESTER Cur.-100 to 10 on the field, 15 to 1
bar Bloomsbury ; the field v. 12.
THE DERRY.-13 to I were offered on the field.