The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-29 00:00:00

FATAL ACCIDENT AT PORTLAND.

An inquest was held on Friday evening before
Mr. Stegall, one of the coroners for the county of
Dorset, at the Portland Breakwater Hotel, on the
body of Thomas Fletcher, seaman, who was killed
by a cannon ball fired from her Majeaty's ship Blen-
heim, under the following circumstances :—On
Friday last the chief engineer of the Portland
breakwater (Mr. Coode) was steering a four-oared
galley, cf which the deceased was one of the crew,
from Weymouth to the breakwater, and while
passing some 500 or 600 yards from the Blenheim
a shot struck the boat on the starboard bow, be-
tween the gunwale and the water, knocking de-
ceased down from his seat. He fell with the ex-
clamation, "Oh dear, my back is broken." The
boat was instantly ruu alongside the Blenheim,
but in spite of the promptest medical aid being
rendered, the hemorrhage was so excessive, the spine
being completely shattered, that the deceased very.
shortly expired. In the course of the evidence it
transpired that the boat was at least from 60 to
100 yards out of the line of fire ; that the shot was
fired at a short range target, placed at a distance of
60 yards only from the ship ; that the shot was
fired not by one of the crew, but by a Coastguards-
man on board, for practice ; that the ball struck
the water before it hit the boat ; and that no man
had been stationed (as is customary) to look out
seepoots ed
noticeb y tthoe
tghuon gunner,
tMr. T
that no boat came within the range of the guns,
although i h
att
hew
ahsadd
Lieu-
tenant that practising with the guns was about to
be carried on. It is only due to state that the man
who fired the gun from the position in which he was
placed, standing as he did several yards from the
ship's side, could not see the boat approaching the
lino of fire. The jury returned a
verdict of " Ex-
cusable Homicide," with a requestthat
the coroner
would represent in t s rong terms to the Board of
Admiralty that in the opinion of the jury " gross
neglect is allowed to exist
on board her Majesty's
ship Blenheim during their practice of firing,
thereby endangering
life and traffic in Portland-
roads."

NEW HOP FAIR.—The hop-growers at Farnham,
in Surrey, and the principal inhabitants of Reading are
making efforts to establish a hop fair in the latter town. The
railway accommodation at Reading is represented as affoFcl•
ing direct access to all parts of the country, and the opinion
ha gained ground that a hop fair in that town would, as a
matter of course, attract many of the merchants who have
now to attend Weyhill and other places which are difficult
to get at, so far as railway convenience is concerned A.
committee of gentlemen interested in the project has been
formed in Reading to confer with the principal hop-growers
in Surrey, Kent, and Worcestershire, and the matter has
been so warmly taken up iu Surrey that there is a prospect
of the first hop fair being held in Reading in the month of
September next. The hop growers, especially those in
Surrey, look upon this additional fair for the outlet of their
stocks as a great boon, and they have expressed their earnest
determination to support it if established. The authorities
of Reading have offered the Corn Exchange for the fair,
and its easy distance from the railway station renders it,
apart from other considerations, an excellent place for the
purpose.
DEATH.—A singular death has oe-
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when a monkey, belonging to an Italian organ grinder,
jumped on her back from the street, and so alarmed her that
she was attacked with convulsions, and died in two days
gay