The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-22 00:00:00

EXPERIMENTS in the MARSHES

Wooi.wiefr, JUNE 21.—Colonel Paterson, Colonel Lacy,
Lieutenant-Colonel Dansey, C. 8., Lieutenant-Colonel Dun-
das, C. 8., Lieutenant• Colonel Chalmer, Lieutenant-Colonel
Sweeting, and Captain Palliser attended at two o'clock P.M.
to-day in the marshes, to witness experiments with an in-
vention, submitted to the members of the Select Committee
by Mr. Marthb, the celebrated chemist, connected with the
Royal Arsenal, whose name has been so often before the
public in connection with simple tests for detecting the pre-
sence of mineral poison. The invention experimented with
to-day consisted of three different kinds of applications of
simple substances to the common fusee used for igniting
the powder contained in shells, intended to burst when fired
from large pieces of ordnance. The description used on this
occasion being one 68-pounder andtwo 32-pounder guns. Mr.
Marsh, unlike many other inventors, makes no secret of the
means by which he expects to regulate the bursting of the
shells when they strike the object aimed at, and one of the
modifications of his principle was very effective, one only
out of nine shells fired with meal powder caps bursting at
about 150 yards from the mouth of the gun, the other eight
entering the butt, and exploding immediately on passing
through, tearing the massive timbers in their progress into
hundreds of fragments, some of them very large pieces.
The success of Mr. Marsh's discovery is entirely owing
to the application of Jeffery's marine glue to attach the
caps filled with meal powder to the fusee, the whole opera-
tion being very simple and easily understood, without the
slightest risk being apprehended when moving the shells
about, or loading, as was shown to be the case with shells
made to explode on the percussion principle. The whole of
the shells fired, with the two other modifications of Mr.
Marsh's discovery, burst, but were not so regular or cer-
tain in exploding at the requisite period as those used with
caps filled with meal powder, as stated in the following
detail

Three fusees filled with the usual composition for bursting
shells were cut about two inches from the top into the form
of the letter V, of sufficient depth to come into contact
with the composition, and a piece of copper inserted and
secured with the marine glue, that substance, in Mr.
Marsh's opinion, being most eligible for the purpose, in
consequence of its tenacity and expanding principle, at the.
same time that it possesses the power of preventing injury
by the admission of moisture or the destruction to
which fusees are liable by the ravages of the white ant
in tropical climates. First shell fired from 32-pounder burst
at the mouth of the gun ; second, from 68-pounder, entered
the butt, and exploded instantaneously, with good effect ;
third, from 32-pounder, burst at 200 yards from the mouth
of the gun.
Three fusees, with four meal-powder caps in each, attached,
and outside covered with marine glue. First shell, fired
from 32-pounder, burst at 150 yards from the mouth of the
gun; second, from 68-pounder, entered the butt with instan-
taneous effect; third, from 32-pounder entered the butt with
equally good effect, in proportion to the size of the shell.
Three fusees, with pieces of wood in the form of letter V,
with thin leaf copper betwixt, joined with marine glue. First
shell, from 32-pounder, entered butt, and exploded in pass-.
ing through. Second, from 68-pounder, burst 200 yards
from the mouth of the gun. Third, from 32-pounder, en-
tered butt, and equally effective as the previous 32-pounder
shell.
Three fusees, with pieces of copper in the form of the let-
ter V, attached with marine glue. First shell, from 32-
pounder, burst at about 150 yards from the mouth of the
gun. Second, from 68-pounder, burst about the same dis-
tance. Third, from 32-pounder, entered the ibutt with good
effect.
Three fusees with caps containing meal-powder. One shell
from 68-pounder, and two from the 32-pounders, all entered
the butt with instantaneous effect.
Three fusees, with pieces of wood and copper leaf, one
shell from 68-pounder entered the butt, and one from 32-
pounder; the other 32-pounder shell entered the mound,
but all burst on striking the latter, at the moment it entered
the ground.
Three fusees with caps filled with meal powder. One shell
from 68-pounder, and two from the 32-pounders, all en-
tered the butt, and exploded instantaneously with powerful
effect.
Three fusees, with pieces of wood and copper leaf, the whole
joined with marine glue, as previously described. First shell
from 32-pounder burst at about 100 yards from the mouth of
the gun. Second from 68-pounder at about 150 yards. Third
from 32-pounder at about 100 yards, none of these having
been carried a great distance. The range of the guns was 400
yards during the whole of the experiments.
The number of shells fired was 24, eight 68-pounders and
sixteen 32-pounders, and only one failed to enter the butt
when carried the length of the range, and it was not above
one foot east of the object aimed at. The river was also very
clear of shipping, and the practice was carried on with only
a few minutes' interruption.

The fee-farm rents, dispersed throughout eighteen
counties, of the late Viscount Fitzwilliam, are announced
in our columns, by Mr. George Robins, for absolute sale
next month. It will be a capital opportunity for the
possessors of the fee-simple estates to have the means
of purchasing, and thus relieving their property from a
perpetual rent charge—a never-ending annoyance; and,
with a view to a good income, it offers a tempting oppor-
tunity to solicitors, who by this means are entitled to a
fee for each separate rent. If left in arrear a single
week, a reminder puts a fee into the solicitor's pocket,
and will amount, in the aggregate, to a round sum.
They are situate in the following counties:—
Bedford Rutland
Essex Shropshire
Hants Stafford
Hereford Suffolk
Hertford Surrey
Leicester Sussex
Middlesex Warwick
Northampton Wilts, and
Norfolk Yorkshire.
The advertisement gives additional ,particulars to illu-
mine the profession.
DEATHS OF INFANTS IN ENGLAND AND WALES.

—There have just been laid before the House of Lords,
pursuant to order, some very remarkable returns, show-
ing the number of inquests that have been held for the
last ten years, in England and Wales, upon the bodies of
infants of one year old and under, distinguishing those
cases in which verdicts of " murder," or " found dead"
have been given by the juries at such inquests. The mere
enumeration of ?the cases, with a few remarks subjoined
to each, occupies a folio volume of more than 150 pages,
which fact will afford some idea of the extent of mor-
tality among very young infants, from the various "ills
that flesh is heir to," or is most unnaturally exposed to,
during that tender age. Some of the verdicts returned
sound rather curiously; such as the following, being very
common among the list, and being selected at racdom
from the immense numbers enumerated in the volume in
question:—" Casually overlaid in bed by his mother;"
"Found dead in his bed with his mother;" " Died sud-
denly by the visitation of God, of convulsions;" " Died
by the visitation of God, to wit, stoppages," or " to wit,
in a fit ;" " Casually poisoned by an overdose of lauda-
num ;" "Casually poisoned by laudanum administered
by mistake;" and the like. The number of verdicts of
wilful murder against the mother, or " against some
person or persons unknown," is still more terrible,
proving that the attention of the Legislature should be
directed to the subject, in order to see whether the ex-
isting poor-law does not tend to cause such a fearful sys-
tem; and, if so, whether a statute that could even be
suspected as tending to such results ought not to be suc-
ceeded by wiser and more liberal enactments.
DARING SACRlLEGR.—lnformation has been circu-
lated throughout the Metropolitan and City police, that on
the night of the 13th instant the parish church of Everley,
near Pewsey, Wilts, was broken open, and the following
property stolen therefrom, viz , a Bible and Prayer-book
(in a case), bound with dark green morocco, name written
inside, " Emma Annatta Astley ;" a Bible with dark
cover, name written inside, " Frances Astley ;" four
Bibles, marked on the outside " Society for Promoting
Christian Knowledge," and written on the inside
" Everley Church, 1844 ;" six Prayer-books, similarly
marked ; and a Prayer-book, written on the inside " W.
Waterman," having a dark-coloured cover. A reward of
101. is offered for the discovery and apprehension of the

thieves.
The Commission for Metropolitan Improvements had
a meeting on Wednesday, at the office, in Whitehall-
place. The Commissioners present were the Earl of
Lincoln, Lord Lyttelton, Lord Colborne, Right Hon.
J. C. Herries, Sir Charles Lemon, Mr. H. Gaily Knight,
Mr. Alderman Humphery, Mr. A. Milne, the Hon.
Charles Gore, and Sir Robert Smirke.