The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-05 00:00:00

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By this morning's post the'following letter from
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Lloyd's agcnt at Bristol wis received by -.Messrs.
414
• .AIST'Y • 444,A.v1. r. "to. OTT.
Croskey and Co

.PRICE 4D• STAMPED, 5D

enable me -to take up your interests. It is thus
that yciu:rtiilljustify the confidence I have placed
in yon." '

TEE FRANKLIN P.XPEDITION.

The following is a copy of a letter from Captain
M•Clintock;addressed to Mr. R. Collinson :
" Fox, commenced at Sea July 3 ; closed
- -off Cape Burney, July 26.
" My Dear Collinson,—You will be glad to know
that we are at length at sea, clear of Melville Bay
and the Greenland coast, and Cape York is about
60 miles to the E.N.E. of us.
" At Upernavik I put a letter 011 board the
Emma, Capt. Parker, informing you of the supply
of coals, &c., he so generously afforded me. As soon
as it was all stowed away and the weather permit-
ted me, I steamed onward, leaving behind me there
all the sailing part of the whaling fleet (4th June).
‘.‘ On the 7th of June we ran on a rock near Bu-
chan Island (the Cone Island of the Admiralty
chart), -and stuck fast. As the tide was ebbing, the
water fell about 4 feet,-and left the poor Fox with
a rock under her foremast, and 6 fathoms under her
stern. She heeled over to starboard 35 deg., and
laid the starboard gunwale abreast 'the mainmast
under water. I greatly feared she would tumble
over altogether, or that the loose ice, which lay all
round us, would sdrift down upon the ship and com-
plete the catastrophe. Altogether my cogitations,
when balancing myself upon the weather-gunwale,
while the water steadily rose above the lee one,
were not agreeable. Had anything fetched away
on deck or in the hold, I think she must have tum-
bled over. I did not allow the fellows even to move

Oct.
....
" Bristol, c 2.
"Gentlemen,----I telegraphed to you this after-
noon of the loss of the steamer Austria, from your
port, by fire. I now give details, as communicated
by Capt. Stempson, of the P. Pendleton.
- " The P. Pendleton, arrived this day from_ Vir-
. . .
e destruction by fire of the steamer
.
. . .. . - amburg and Sint tha mpthirito -New
.h of-Sept., at sea, with, it is feared,
the foss of 500 persons.
" A French barque had rescued 68 persons from
the Austria's boats and pieces of floating wood, &c.;
and on the 14th of Sept., in lat. 44.18 N., long.
40 W., and the:P. Tendleton supplied provisions to
the English barque Lotus, having on hoard 18. per-
sons who had aeen traneerred from the French
barque, and would --be-taken on -17—the- Lotus to
Halifax, whither i4h.e was':hound front Liverpool,
The other 50 persons rescued were still on board
the French barque, name and destina'zion unknown
but intended to land passengers at Fr'nyal.
The captain of the steamer jumped overboard,
ithbeoiolti:hrg Lark. of the fire,
which is said to have been caused. by fumigating
andt
it e- was'si- i) drowned.bet een dse6coknsalfvtietil.
" Yours, &e., -
" JAMES LEADER.
ii messes, Croskey and Co., Southampton."
As was stated yesterday,, further details of this
awful catastrophe were exi!ecied to be received by
the Vanderbilt steamer, a dvertisNl to leave New
York on the 25th ult.; but it now appears, 'from
adviecs received by Mc,*rs. Dunlop and .Schoales,
the agents of that line of steam vessels at this port,
that the departure of. the Vanderbilt was delayed
for a week, she being appointed to sail from-New
York on the 2d inst., with the mails for England,
France, and Germ any.

THE CATASTROPHE AT PAGE BANK

COLLIERY.

along the deck. Three steam whalers were in sight;
but as they could not have helped me, I did not
inakeany signal-to them. As the tiderose,the vessel
regained her upright position, and came of quite
easily after being 11 hours upon the rock. It lies
a mile off a very steep bluff, and at the time was
capped with ice, and being only just past high water
could not be seen until just within a ship's length,
and then only- from the masthead. NO injury what-
ever resulted-from this accident, and by next even-
ing it 'even ceased to, be thought of, as we had come
up with the. steath whalers Tay, Chari, and Diana,
and got from them April newspapers and some Po-
tatoes. A few days afterwards a steamer arrived
from Peterhead, with newspapers up to the 14th of
May. Up to the 18th of June we were in company
with some of these vessels ; on that day we lost
sight of the Tay in- a fog. off Sabine • Nand, and
since then. have been groping along by -ourselves.
I regretted parting company very- much, as from
their greater steam, power-and stronger crews they
often foreed a paSsage where we could have done
nothing,
_besides_ which their greater 'experience re-
lieved me-of
.all anxiety., -
" On the 26th we communicated with the Cape
York - natives, and learnt that two steamers had
passed several days - before, -Kane's Esquimaux
dog driver, Hans, is well, has taken a wife, and
lives in Whale Sound. They told us he was very
anxious to get away to the Danish settlements, but
although he has a sledge he has neither dogs nor
kayak. They also Said. the Advance was still lying
on the beach', at her winter quarters. They asked
for Kane, but:not for. their own countryman, Eras-
mus York-, who came home with us in the Assist-
ance. They were all fat and well, and had not
suffered-very much from hunger or- disease since
Ka.ne's. departure ; Petersen sent news of his rela-
tives to poor Hans by these natives.
" The same evening we ran on past Cape York
about 15 miles, where fog, ice, and a South-east gab
detained-us for a couple of days, and then grounded
bergs and pack kept us prisoners until yesterday ;
during our detention we shot large numbers of
rotchers, perhaps 1,500 .altogether—they -are good
eating. I am bound for fond's Bay, to see what in-'
formation can be gleaned from the natives.
" Captains Patterson and Parker speak of one of
Belcher 's ships as being-on shore to the north of
the bay near Cape Burney (from Esquimauk report).
Capt. Deuchars says the natives still_ adhere to the
report of ships visited in 1819, but he says their re-
port refers to two ships, and not to four ships, ca
was understood in England at the time. He under-
stands from them that there is one on shore now
near Cape Kater, in Prince Regent's Inlet, and that
the other was lost previously, further north. Of
course he only.guesses at Cape .Kater. as being the
position referred to by the natives. Capt. Todd has
also heard from them of a ship being onshore on an
-island in Eclipse Sound, and which he says is not
more than 20 or 30 miles up it. Both reports I think
refer to the same wreck (probably. the Fury), and
the distance between the assigned .positions
shows how difficult it is for persons not conversant
with the language to obtain a correct idea of dis-
tance from the Esquimaux. I also hope to get,
more coals from some of the whalers when we
meet at Pond's Bay.
" July 12th, near Cape Warrender.—lt was not
until this morning at an early hour that we suc-
ceeded in reaching Lancaster Sound; we have had
to contest every inch of the way from near Cape
Dudley Digges with loose ice and pack. When I
commenced this letter we were making fair pro-
gress into Pond's -Bay, but soon afterwards we met
the pack, which led us back up to Wolstenholme
Island, and from there we crossed to the north of
Cape Horsburgh. This morninpi, when passing the
Ross Inlet, a party of eight natives were communi-
cated with, the same formerly met with near Cape
Warrender by Captain Englefield. They have spent
the last two winters at their present position (on
Point Beatrice) ; have not seen any ships nor heard
of wrecks upon their shores, near Pond's Bay, or
anywhere else. They know very little of this coast
indeed. I think Croker hav is their limit to the
westward, so
.Beechey Island house remains un-
known to them, One piece of information was most
unwelcome—Lancaster Sound still frozen over. I
am-now testing its truth, and intend to examine
the ice across it before going into Pond's Bay.
" July 17.—We found Lancaster Sound full of
pack, and easterly winds pressed in more of it, so
that for two days we lay to ; land ice westward of
Cape Osborn. Thence we got to Cape Warrendcr,
close alouT shorn. an 1 th- cairn of yeAerday and
last night has allowed the ice to spread, so that now
(4 p.m.) we are about 15 miles only from Cape
Castlereagh, but still picking our way thrOugh the
ice. There is not any fixed ice remaining as far as
we can judge, and 'certainly none across Barrow
Strait. 'The summor seems forward and warm, but
easterly winds have caused us all this detention ;
fortunately we have ample time to spare. . • •
Through the kindness of Capt. J. Simpson; of the
Heroine, of Dundee, we have added a maintopsail
to our little craft.

DURHAM, MONDAY.
During the night of Friday, tete- the whole of
he men had been got out, the fire blazed away in
the shaft with considerable intensity, notwithstand-
ing the engines and water-carts had unceasingly
continued to pour down immense quantities of
water. The fire was still burning on both si les of
the drift, but the chief danger arose from what is
t
oups h
little soeefffa
effect
gas
ss
pivnaoens 6sifott:satonri
and the
gftt
h.
tehbaegtl
et
termed a " blower" of gas, which came out of the
the
edifficulty
t.d
Theerbse-
o
accomplished was to extinguish the light, and to
allow the gas to escape in its fluid form. With this
view various expedients were tried, but without
effect. The fire continued to burn throughout the
whole of Saturday, and •early on Sunday morning
two explosions of gas took place in the shaft, the
first about one o'clock in the morning, and the second
about two. It was then resolved to try to knock
out the gas by an explosion of gunpowder, and for
this purpose one of the small cannons belonging to
Mr. W. L. Wharton, of this city, was procured.
After being ramtned• with powder .to the very
muzzle, a fuzee was attached, and it was let down
the shaft as far as the " blower." Soon afterwards
it exploded with a terrible report, which shook the
houses in the neighbourhood. The rebound snap-
ped the heavy chain to which the cannon was
attached, and the cannon fell into the water
at the bottom of the pit. Several blasts
of gunpowder were afterwards tried, and after
some barrels had been expended the light of the
" blower ", was knoeled._ out abOut four o'clock on
Sunday afternoon. Thirteen engines were at work
on Sunday pouring their continuous streams of
water into the pit. An impression prevailed among
the men on Friday night that their bodily wants
had not been sufficiently eared for by the colliery
authorities, and during the night some miscreant
cut the hose of one of the engines. It was a most
providential circumstance that the fire was suffi-
ciently subdued on Friday morning to enable a
descent of the shaft to be made, for, had a few hours
more elapSed, the whole 86 who were in- the pit
must inevitably have Ferished. The whole ventila-
tion of the mine had been destroyed, and no fresh
air could be supplied, except what was carried
down by the rater. Those who had congregated
round the bottom of the shaft breathed freely
enough ; but the men in the works were nearly all
found in a comatose state, and presented the ap-
pearance of having been drugged. Very few, indeed,
were conscious of the efforts which were being made
to rescue them, for the heavy stagnant air had sent
most of them off into a profound sleep, which, but
for their timely rescue, would have ended in death.
Those in the workings who retained possession of
their senses dare not attempt to make towards the
mouth of the shaft, because, being in total dark-
ness, they were afraid of being lost in the intricacies
of the mine, or getting into places where they would
have been overpowered by the bad air. Those who
were found dead had evidently died a painless death,
having by an insensible gradation passed from sleep
into eternity. The statements of the survivors prove
this, for one young man named Grey says that he
slept from one o'clock on Thursday until three
o'clock on Friday, when he awoke and tried to
arouse a companion who had gone off into the
same state of deep slumber. In this attempt Grey
again began to feel himself overpowered, when at
this juncture he was discovered by those who
were searching the pit. The fate of George
Robson, deputy overman, was exceedingly melan-
choly. He had been at the bottom of the shaft
up to the time 50 of the men and boys had been
got out, and had manifested the greatest anxiety
for those who had been under his control. He after-
wards wandered off unperceived into the workings,
and the impure air had, it is supposed, affected his
senses, for when found some time subsequently he
was lying in the water with his clothes off and his
watch under his head,having apparently laid down
with the belief that he was going to bed. Three
of the bodies were found lying about 50 yards
from the west of the shaft, four were in the north
district, and two in the west district. The air was
very impure in the places where they were found,
. and with the exception of Robson, who it pro•
bable was drowned, they had all been killed by the
" stithe" or sulphurous emission from the fire. The
staple was filled with rubbish last evening. There
have not been any indications of fire this morning,
and it is doubtless completely extinguished.
The inquest on the unfortunate men and boys
was opened on Saturday by Mr. D. Trotter, deputy
coroner, at High Page Bank Farm. 'Witnesses
having been called to identify the bodies, the in-
quest was adjourned until Wednesday week.
The Bishop of Durham visited the scene of the
catastrophe on Saturday, and administered spiritual
consolation to those whose relations and friends
have been so untimely cut off; and he also ad-
dressed a few earnest observations to those who
had been rescued from a terrible death.

" July 24th (Possession Bay south 10 miles).—
Since the 17th we have been almost constantly be-
set. The ice carried us about 40 miles N.E. of Cape
Castlereagh. Last night it opened sufficiently for
us to steam through, and now, although not in clear
water, we arglree to move upon our course; the wind
for the last four days has been westerly, so that I
hope a vast clearance has taken place in Barrow
Strait. Three days ago, just as I had succeeded iu
making an advance of half a mile after seven hours
steaming and blasting, and was thinkins myself
the most unfortunate individual in the Arctic world,
the Tay was discovered in the north-cast struggling
through- the ice.; from her greater power she was
able to make better progress, and by midnight
seemed to have reached sonic water to the eastward
and was soon out of sight. I determined to regain
the land, and now esteem myself fortunate in hav-
ing done so. Our coals have been sadly- worked
since leaving Upernavik, but even if I fail to get
any from the whalers at Pond's Bay I can fill up
at
Beechey. We have not quite 35 tons on board.
"July 26 (off Cape Burney, 15 miles north of
Pond's Bay)—Yesterday we joined the Diana, and
as she is likely to go to England before the close of
the season, having already killed 12 whales, I in-
tend to finish this long letter and put it on board
her. This evening we arc both fast to a loose floe,
and drifting with the current about 15 miles a-day
to the southward, and along the edge of the land
Sound, ice, Bor 9 miles off shore. The Diana reached the
north water off Cape York a few days before us,
but although,she went up to Whale Sound, could
find no place to cross the middle ice to greater ad-
vantage than where we did a few days after her.
She made the land off Jones' Somidland her subse-
quent track has been precisely similar to ours. She
affotds no additional information with respect to the
state and position of the pack. There appears to be
water off Ponds Bay, and as the land ice is still fast,
we may expect still to find the natives at Button
Point. Time flies rapidly, and still no kind west-
erly winds. If I was independent of Beechey Island
it would be as good as a week's addition to the
length of the season. The Diana is, like ourselves,
anxious to get to Pond's Bay. There is no wind and
much loose ice about. I think we shall certainly
get there to-morrow, and, if necessary, I shall de-
vote a week or even a fortnight to the business of
extracting information from the natives. . . .
" The weather continues unusually warm and
calm, and the land looks as if it had already expe-
rienced a hot sunimer. For = the
_present adieu.—
Sincerely TOUTS,

Throughout Sunday and Sunday night men were
actively employed in filling up the staple, Ti fa-
thoms in depth, which communicates with the drift.

"F. L. M'CLINIOCK."

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

TATTERSALL'S.-.—YEsTERDAY.

For the Cesarewitch 12 to 1 was offered on the field, and
half a point more agst Prioress. At one time offers were
made to back Malacca for £l,OOO agst anything, but subse-
quently 14 to 1 was laid agst him. Not more than 20 to 1
was obtainable about the English Rose. 12 to 1 was
offered on tho field for the Cambridgeshire.
A new candidate -for Derby honours was introduced in
Polonius, about Whom the quoted odds-were taken to £3OO.
Ho-is by Jericho, or:WeatherLit, out of Guaracha.

•
•
12 to .1 agst Roman Candle (Offered)
100 to 8 hgst-Prioreas (offered)
14 to .1 agst•lllalaccz (taken) • • -
100 to 6 agst llappy Land
100 to 6 agst, English Rose (take '2O to 1)
20 to 1 agst Rocket (offered)
20 to • 1 agst Underhand
1000 o'3o agst Turned Loose (taken and offered)
40 to 1 agst Queen Bess (taken)
40 to 1 agst Julia (taken)
40 to 1 agst Courier (taken)
50 to 1 agst Pretty Boy (taken)
4000 to 60 agst Zouave (taken)
1000 to 10 agst Satinstone (taken)
1000 to 10 agst Odd Trick (taken)
1000 to 10 agst Lifeboat (taken)

, CAMBRIDGESHIRE.
12 to 1 agst Leontes (offered)
14 to 1 agst Blanche of Middlebie (offered)
25 to 1 agst English Rose (taken)
30 to 1 agst Happy Land (taken)
50 to 1 agst Ethiopian (taken)
1000 to 20 agst Brother to Bird-on-the-Wing (taken)

DERRY

1000 to 60 agst Marionette (taken)
30,000 to 300 agst Polonius (taken)

,
The bar 4ilver brought by the last nest India
steamar has been sold at 610 per ounce. This is an ad-
vance of id. on the price realised about tie middle of last
month, but 61d. had been the current rate during the past
ten days. spills for the Cure of
[ADVERTISEMENT.] —Holleway
Dropsical Affections.--The causes of this direful disease are
e apre cure preceding
is to rm ol' e complaint
tvarious. It is often engendered by the morbid state of the
system, whereby the free circulation of the blood is impeded,
firorstitthmianyg originate gibnae
dtoeneo from
effect somect
ob-
structions bypurifying the blood and causing the discharge'
-'
of the superabundant fluids from-the body ; forrthis purpose
take Holloway's pills, a 3
,y-reO
Y possess such.cle=siiiw .
the
parties that the dropsical patient is graduall ~, pro-
parties to
health, and tho whole frame
is permanently renovated.
en.
These pills may be safely tak • by- male ar.finikie, :at all
periods of life