The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-28 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

Orders were yesterday received at Woolwich to
prepare for laying down moorings in the Long
Reach, at Purfleet, for making fast the old 72-gun
ship Cornwall, now at Sheerness, intended to be
stationed in the river as a receiving ship for the
Coastguard service. ,
The gunboat Biter, Lieut.-Com. J. B. Grove, has
again sailed from Woolwich for Portland, after re-
pairs of machinery.

THE ARMY

Her Majesty's troopship Himalaya, Commander
John Seecombe, has received orders to embark on
Monday, Jan. 3, 1859, from the Dockyard, Ports-
mouth, 2 officers, 102 rank and file of the Royal
Corps of Engineers, with 1 officer's servant, 6 wo-
men, and 8 children for Gibraltar; 2 officers, 41
rank and file, 1 officer's wife, 2 children, and 1 female
-servant, belonging to the 2d bat. of the 25th Regt.,
'for Gibraltar ; 2 officers and 150 rank and file of the
-4th bat. of Rifles, 11 officers, 104 rank and file, 9
women, and 18 children belonging to the 2d bat. of
the 15th Regt., for Malta. The ship will proceed
from Portsmouth to Queenstovrn, and embark for
Gibraltar 30 men of the 2d bat. of the 6th Regt. ;
and for Malta 10officers, 52 rank and file, 2 women,
and 2 children belonging to the 2d bat. of the 3d
Regt. ; and 4 other officers, 32 rank and file, ‘.3
women, and 2 children, and Barrack-sergeant Foley
and wife and child. The Himalaya will call on her
return voyage at Tangiers, and receive on board for
England presents from the Emperor of Morocco
for her Majesty, comprising lions, horses, other
animals, and ostriches; from Malta, invalids and
stores of every description.
Col. Bloomfield, Aide-de-Camp to her Majesty,
and Second-Commandant of Woolwich, has been
granted three months' leave of absence ; and Capt.
Freeth, Deputy Assistant-Quartermaster-General,
has been appointed Acting Brigade-Major of the
garrison, in the absence of Brigade-Major Shaw,
also on leave. The ventilation and other improve-
ments effected in the eastern block of the west
square, Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich, hav-
ing been completed, the building has been handed
over to the barrack authorities for the reoccupation
of the Antrim Rifles.
A demi-bust and plate ordered to be cast of
Russian gun metal in the brass gun foundry of the
Royal Arsenal, Woolwich,representing the crowned
head of her Majesty, was yesterday erected in the
vacant space formerly occupied by the public clock,
in the eastern ornamental archway of the Royal
Artillery Barracks. The work has been hi hl y
eulogised, and the resemblance considered
perfect.
The Soldiers Institute, recently established oppo-
site the Royal Marine Barracks, Woolwich by the
instrumentality of Mr. W. Angerstein, one of the
present candidates for the representation of the
borough, is progressing favourably. The number of
subscribers now on the books of the institute amounts
to 640. A series of lectures, tending to the mental
improvement of the soldier, commenced yesterday
evening, under the sanction of the General coin-

mandini the garrison. The lecture was given in
a large room on the basement story of the estab-
lishment, and was extremely well attended. The
subject selected for yesterday's lecture was " Recol-
lections of India and the Hindoos, before the
Mutiny," by Mr. Jones (Royal Arsenal), an old
resident. The series on the other subjects will be
continued on the 3d, 10th, 17th, 24th, and 31st of
Jan., and on 7th Feb,

to the hospitals, and also to fetch medical assistance.
in a short time there were between 20 and 30
medical men on the spot engaged in examining the
dead and insensible, while every chemist's and doc-
tor's shop in the neighbourhood was crowded with
the dead and dying.
When.some degree of calm had been restored,
and the full extent of the calamity was known, it
was found that life was extinct in no less than 15,
and that probably 20 or 30 had been injured, but,
we are happy to say that, in most cases, the inju-
ries, as fax as known at present, were very slight.
It is impossible, however, to tell what internal
injuries may have been sustained by the sufferers
in such a crush.

Scarcely any of the dead bodies bear the marks
of wounds or contusions. Life had been destroyed
in almost every case by simple congestion of the
brain, caused by suffocation. Although so frightful
an occurrence was taking place on the stairs of the
gallery, the great mass of the people in the theatre
do not seem to have been in the slightest degree
aware of the fact. It is said that, attracted by the
cries and noise, some person opened the gallery
door leading on to the staircase, and about 20 per-
sons rushed out, but the attendant in charge, seeing
that some frightful accident had occurred, succeeded
in forcing to and locking the door, thus, in all pro-
bability, saving many lives, for had the alarm
become general, and a panic ensued inside the walls
of the theatre itself, there is no knowing to what
extent the loss of life might not have reached.
Different explanations were given of the cause of
the catastrophe by the persons connected with the
theatre. Probably this is a point which will never
be thoroughly cleared up ; but it is a somewhat
strange circumstance that just at the moment the
catastrophe was taking place on the staircase an
alarm of fire within the theatre itself was raised, in
consequence of somebody igniting a fusee in the
boxes.

At Lambeth Workhouse two of the dead hare
been identified. Their names are—
Chas. Barber, 9, Pepper-court, Union-street, aged
14.

Charles Buchan, 11, Tolui-street, Webb-street, S
Olaves's, Southwark.

There' is another lad lying dead at the Workhouse
who has been partially identified, or rather recog-
nised, by a stranger as having been seen at Mr.
Varnell's, fishmonger, Clare-streeet, Clare-market.
Of those committed to the care of Mr. Sewell two
are'dead. Their names are—

William Barnes (sent to Guy's Hospital), aged 15.
His spine was broken, and he suffered the most in-
tense agony about two hours.
William Jennings Jones, aged 17. He died three
minutes after he was brought in from pressure of
the chest.

As far as possible, we subioin a list of names of
those who have been injured in various degrees--
viz :

Edward West, slightly injured. Gone home.
John Fryer, slightly injured. Gone home.
George Right, slightly injured. Gone home.
John Williams, injury to the cap of the knee,
Gone home.

William Vaus, injury to the hip. Gone home.
William Giles, 12, Farnham-court, Holborn,
slightly injured. Gone home.
Edward Churchman, 11, Green Dragon-court;
City, severe internal injuries. Lying at St.
Thomas's Hospital.
• John Stone, 29, Fox-court, Holborn, slightly
injured.

Edward Bland, 10, Market-street, Newport-
market, slightly injured. Crone home.
Richard Hodge, 30, Walaut-tree-place, Lambeth,
slightly injured.

The Himalaya is under orders for Queenstown,
Gibraltar, and Malta. She will receive on board
from Portsmouth Dockyard jetty, on the 3d or 4th
of January next, officers and men, women, and
children belonging to the Sappers and Miners, and
to the 25th Regiment (2d battalion), for Gibraltar;
also officers and men belonging to the Rifles (4th
battalion ; and to the 15th regiment (2d battalion),
for Malta. And from Queenstown she will receive
officers and men belonging to the 6th regiment (2d
battalion), for Gibraltar; and officers and men,
women, and children belonging to the 3d regiment
(2d battalion), and to the 21st regiment (Ist batta-
lion), for Malta—in all 700 souls.
A monument to the memory of the late Mr.
Francis Pellatt, principal military storekeeper
at Woolwich Arsenal, has been subscribed for by
the workmen employed at the several departments
of that establishment, and is now in course of
erection.
The Rifleman, steamvessel, has been removed
from the basin, and is now moored in the river.
She is ordered to be docked for examination, and
will require extensive repairs, having seen much
servite on the west coast of Africa.
Upwards of 60 cases of antiquities for the British
Museum from Carthage and the ancient city of
Halicarnassus, forming the remainder of the cargo
of the Supply, steamvessel, will be forwarded from
Woolwich during the present week.
A return has just been made of the line•of-battle
steamers and other vessels which comprise the steam
reserve at Chatham and Sheerness, from which it
appears that there are at present in reserve 8 line-
of-battle screw steamers, 4 floating batteries, 6 screw
corvettes, and 18 steam frigates and other vessels.
The following is the list of vessels attached to the
steam reserve :—The Royal George, 102; Hero, 91 ;
Cressy, 80 ; Mars, 80; Colossus, 80 ; Meeanee, 80 ;
Majestic 80 ; Goliath, 80 ; Emerald, 51 ; Bacchante,
51 ; Amphion, 36; Scylla, 21 • Cadmus, 21 ; Chal-
lenger, 21 ; Clio, 21 ; Scout, 21; Cossack, 20; Ma-
lacca, 17 ; Fawn, 17 ; Etna, 16 ; and Thunderbolt,
16, floating batteries; Miranda, 15 ; Thunder, 14;
and Trusty, 14, floating batteries; Eurotas, 12;
Victor, 6 ; Phcenix, 6 ; Dragon, 6 ; Driver, 6;
Alacrity, 4; Foxhound, 4 ; Snake, 4 ; Reynard, 4 ;
Wrangler, 4 ; Otter, 3 ; Fearless, 3 ; Locust, 3; and
Wye, 3. The aggregate tonnage of the above vessels
exceeds 100,000 tons, and the number of guns 1,113.
The vessels attached to the steam reserve have just
been inspected by Captain E. P. Halsted, of the
Cressy, 80, guardship of the steam reserve at Sheer
ness.