The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-18 00:00:00

PORTSMOUTH, WEDNESDAY.

The weather this morning is very fine, and the sea
comparatively smooth. The French steam squadron.
with the Reine Amelie brig yacht, and La Favorite cut-
ter, left their anchorage this morning at a quarter past
six o'clock for their own harbours. The Inflexible and
Belle Poule sent up top-gallant masts and topgallant
yards this morning, and hoisted the blue peter for the
recal of all officers and seamen from the shore, as early
as half-past six o'clock. The Belle Poule got under
weigh at half-past eight, and the Inflexible at half-past
nine o'clock. They were soon out of sight. Spithead is now
solely occupied by British men-of-war. The line-of-
battle ships, St. Vincent, 120, Captain Rowley, flag of
Admiral Sir Charles Rowley, Bart. ; Caledonia, 120,
Captain Milne ; and Queen, 110, Captain Martin, will
leave Spithead in a few days for a short cruise, and, to •
gether with the Albion, 90, Commodore Lockyer, if they
can fall in with her, try their sailing qualities. Rear-
Admiral Bowles, C. 8., will vacate his seat at the Admi-
ralty for the time, and hoist his flag (blue, at the mizen)
on board the St. Vincent, as Commander-in-Chief of the
squadron. Captain Rowley will not go out in his ship,
the St. Vincent, on this cruise, but will remain ashore'
to assist his gallant father in the flag duties of the
port, the very precarious health of Sir Charles render-
ing assistance in his office necessary. We are not aware
whether the experimental brigs will join the squadron or
form one of themselves • we should imagine the latter.
Portsmouth has been the scene of several shocking acci-
dents during the late rejoicings. On Monday, about
half-past ten, a labourer in the dockyard, named Thomas
Smart, was struck by a ladder, which was blown down
by the violence of the wind, by which his skull was hor •
ribly fractured, and he died soon after being conveyed to
Hasler Hospital. He was aged about sixty, and has been
a number of years in the dockyard. Last evening, whilst
the jury had retired to allow time fur the Coroner to
draw up his inquisitions in the case of the accident on the
King's Bastion, information was brought to the Coroner
that a few doors off, at the sign of the Valiant Soldier,
an elderly man was standing at the bar drinking, and
talking about the French to the landlord, when he cud •
denly vomited a mouthful of blood and fell upon the floor
a corpse. An inquest was held upon the body this even-
ing, and a verdict of " Died by the visitation of God "
returned. A young woman was dragged out of the sea
near Point beach on Sunday night, during the terrific
storm which prevailed about one o'clock ; which, toge-
ther with the two soldiers killed by the gun, and one
at the same time severely injured, and the accident on
board the Reine Amelie, form a catalogue of disasters
seldom paralleled in so short a space of time in one
locality. The pay-boat went out about twelve o'clock
to take the advance wages to Spithead for five of the
brigs. The wind to-day was, at daylight, north-west,
and this afternoon west-north-west, with every appear-
ance of a dry night.
THE LATE SHOCKING ACCIDENT ON THE