The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-31 00:00:00

FATAL ACCIDENT in the EXPERI-
MENTAL MINES at CHATHAM.
CHATHAM, OCT. 30.—The public are already aware
that a sham siege has been for some days past going
un u• an the Chatham Lines, in the n=.--ignbourhood of
the casemate barracks, where Captain Wynne, of the
Royal Engineers, is attacking the glacis of a fortifi-
cation, which Lieutenant Penrice, of the same corr,
is defending. Previous to this day seieral explosions
have taken place without any important result or ac-
cident, and it was generally understood that others
would take place to-day. In the early part of the
afternoon great sensation was created in Brompton,
Chatham, and the neighbourhood, by the rumour that
a serious and fatal accident had taken place in the
mines, and on proceeding to the spot it was found
that ie report was but too true. From information
obtained on the spot, it appears that in the course uf
the morning a charge of 2501b5. of gunpowder was
fired in the right branch of Lieutenant Penrice'a
countermines, and about half-past one o'clock a
smaller charge of about 511:5., besides some locsa
powder, was exploded. After air had been pump d
into the mines fur some time, three men, namely,
James Sullivan, a private in the East India Com-
pany's Sappers, and Harris and Bailey, two privates
in the'Queen's service, entered the branch where the
explosion had taken place, for the purpose of digging
out the loose earth: In a few minutes Bailey came
out of the mine, saying that the foul air so affected
his head that he could not stand it any longer. Sul-
livan and Harris not making their appearance, some
alarm was excited, and corporal Dent and private
Murphy entered the mine in search of them, when
they found them lying at the further end of the
branch in a senseless state. Corporal Dent, although
seriously affected by the vapour, succeeded in getting
llarris out, but Murphy was unable to assist Sulli-
van, and fell senseless in the passage, completely
choking it. Some delay occurred in extricating
Murphy, and when that was effected, Lieu-
tenant Muggeridge, who was in charge of
the party, led his men in to rescue poor
Sullivan, who was lying on his face at the
extreme end of the braneh. lie immediately got out,
and Mr. Weeks, a surgeon, of Brompton, being sent
for, was promptly on the spot, and applied remedies,
but in Sullivan's case without effect, as, owing to the
delay in getting him out, he was quite dead. Murphy
and Harris were conveyed on stretchers to the hos.
pital in Brompton barracks, where they are doing
well. Several of the party who entered the mine the
last time were more or less affected, and the Lieute-
nant himself was partially delirious for some minutes
after he came out. Immediately after the accident
all further operations in the works ceased, and it is
understood will be totally abandoned. Mr. Hindes,
the coroner of the district, will hold an inquest on the
deceased, who was much respected in the corps, and
the inquiry is looked forward to with some anxiety, -
as it is asserted that the pumps used for the purpose
of forcing air into the mines were defective ; but it iA,
proper to say, that judging from the great care with
which all the operations were Conducted, that asser-
tion will, no doubt, be found to be untrue.

EAST INDIA COMPANY'S MUSEUM.—(From a• Cor-
respondent.)—The above Institution has recently expe-
rienced several important alterations and improvements,
and has received some valuable additions from the Asiatic
Society of Calcutta. The horns pertaining to different
animals have been judiciously arranged, and may now
be seen to far better advantage than they were before,
when they were indiscriminately huddled together.
Two newly discovered specimens of cervi have been
lately introduced into the museum ; one of them was
presented to the Directors by Major Harris, which that
gentleman procured whilst ho was proceeding on
his mission to Shoa. It is a species of antelope, and is
boldly and elegantly striped with white annular zones, si-
milar to the zebra. The horns of this beautiful animal
are two feet in length, and spirally formed. It would ap-
pear to have heretofore escaped the notice of naturalists.
The other is a red deer (a male), shot in the valley of
Munnipore, in the Raj-Mal district. The antlers of this
latter animal are out of all proportion to the size of its
body, and present a very formidable front. It is stated to
be exceedingly fierce and untractable. To the ornitholo-
gical department some interesting additions have been
made. Several novel species of falcons, cranes, and divers
have been received peculiar to Northern India. The bat
(vespertilio) family has been considerably augmented.
The most extraordinary feature in the entomological
collection is the " animated leaf"—the very curious in-
tra connecting link between the animal and vegetable:
being—which has recently been received by Dr. Hors-
field, the curator of the museum, from a friend resident
in Bengal. This wonderful production of nature do
critically in every particular resembles a faded leaf, that
the most scrupulous observer would find a difficult task
to decide to which order of the creation it belongs. h
is said to be the only specimen of the kind in this coun-
try, and it certainly forms a most Interesting and
unique feature in natural history.
DARING BURGLARY.—CAUGHT IN THE PACT...•-• 011.
Sunday evening a daring burglary was committed in ',:ne
house of Miss Parry, of St. Paul's-street, North, 'which
ended in a most unpleasant denouenterd at the r'4ense of
the depredators. It teems that on Sunday arternoon, Miss
Parry and her partner left home about scree o'clock, to
take tea at the house of a relative; a ',edger in the house
also left about six o'clock to go
and no s..,oner
was the coast clear than f`Jur well-known characters
commenced operations in, hopes of gaining a rich booty.
One of the party first llnocked at the door, and finding
no answer, tluey concluded it was all right and separated,
two tilling their stand as watchmen at either KO of St.
Paul's-street, and the others, named Beard and Smith,
proceeding by the back way to effect an entrance to
the premises. It appears that the thieves well knew the
habits of the inmates, and that Miss Parry, attending St.
Paul's church, was seldom home much before nine. -
On
this occasion it So happened she did not go to church, but
coming hastily home about eight o'clock, saw a light, in
the front room, and applying her eye to the keyhole, saw
a fellow roaming about the passage in search of Plunder.
With great presence of mind, Miss Parry hastened
quietly over to an opposite neighbour, art the alarm
quickly spreading, before the thieves had any suspicion
of their danger, they were pounced upon by the back-
way, and the spoil found upon their persons.
Being had before the magistrates on Monday they
wero fully committed to the assizes. As they were
caught on the premises, there is little doubt of their con-
viction, and as they have each gone through a similar
ordeal once before, there are strong hopes that their res
turn to Cheltenham will be guarded against for one
seven years at least.—Cheltenham Examiner.
THE LIVERPOOL PRESS AND THE BIRKENHEAD
FESTIVAL.—The past week has been a busy one with
the Liverpool press. Never, within our recollection, has
any great event in this part of the country set so many
editors, reporters, and compositors in motion, or caused
so many columns of matter to be piled upon each other,
as the Birkenhead Festival. Our Cheshire neigh-
boareAST unquestionably no cause to complain, as
correspondents often do, of want of notice, or as some
egotistical speakers are in the habit of saying, that all their
elegant specimens of rhetoric were either bucked or cur-
tailed. On the contrary, length—interminable length of
space was devoted to the festival, and the consequence was,
that for half-a-crown this week and last, a man might
purchase 72 columns of the Mercury, and a map; 72
columns of. the Mail, interspersed with plates ; 42
columns of Gore's Advertiser; about 51 columns of the
Standard, and a plan; 60 columns of the Chronicle; and
63 columns of the Courier, with a lithographic view—
making, in all, the enormous number of 360 columns!
enough, we should think, to gratify the greatest
newspaper gourmand that ever lived for any one
week of his mortal career. Then, look at the walls
of the town! walls literally covered with newspaper
placards, of all sizes and shapes, from the double double-
crown to foolscap quarto, and printed in types varying
from 50-line pica antique down to great primer.
Such a week for bill-stickers ! Never, in the hottest
period of a contested election, had the lords of the
brush and paste such a glorious harvest-time ! A.
stranger entering the town towards the end of last
week, and casting his eyes along the walls and the
gable-ends of the houses, might well be pardoned for
imagining that business was at a stand, and that all the
community had betaken themselves to their houses to
read about Birkenhead and its docks—its banquets, its
balls, its processions, and its fireworks, as the same were
set forth, in a " full, true, and particular " manner in
the newspapers ! And verily, he would not have been
far wrong, for, we believe, the newspapers never had
such immense sales, and, of course, if they had buyers
they must have had readers. In short, the press has
immortalised Birkenhead to such an extent that it must
now " go a. head " faster than even—Liverpool Courier.
CAPTURE OF THE DOVER MURDERERS IN STOCK..
BURY WOODS.—Our readers are aware that a reward of
701. has been offered by Government for the apprehen-
sion of the men charged with the murder of a police-
man at Dover. Much interest was excited in the neigh-
bourhood on Thursday, by a report that :two of them,
John and William Clarke, had been captured -in the
woods at Stockbury valfies, about four miles from Maid-
stone. The report, on inquiry, turned out to be true.
The following are the particulars :—On Tuesday last,
Mrs. Deacon, the eldest sister of the prisoners, went to
the shop of Mr. Worster, a wholesale toy-dealer in
London, and being asked by Dirs. Worster if she had
she repled " 0, yes, and I am
goingea rd
(naming the time and place) to
h to
of
m here et brothers,
give them some money and a change of clothes." ' Me%
Worster, on her husband's return, informed him of what
had passed, and he decided on following the woman Dea-
con to the place she had named; for which purpose, having
obtained the assistance of another dealer, named Sharp,
he proceeded on Thursday morning, in a fout--wheeled
carriage to Stockbury valley, en the road leading
from Maidstone to Sittingbourne. About a mile before
reaching the Squirrels public-house, they saw the
woman Deacon with two men behind a hedge. On this
they stopped their vehicle, and jumped over a stile.
lw'
ahrodys wtehree observedwe e d but being
the two tgw o
on:
eernt
a,
kNe%
nh, u
0 sran o r
n without any resistance, and were taken into rceusfrdteordteoya.
The men state that they have been living in the woods
since the occurrence, but strongly deny any participa-
tion in the murder. They further state, that being
quite tired of this mode of life they had determiued on
giving themselves up to the police at Dover next week.
John Clark was well disguised, being dressed in a. good
suit of black. William was in it labourer's dress, but
much altered from that worn when he left Dover.
; They deny having heard ant thing of their brother
Thomas since he left them on the 9th of September
and both of them appeared extremely harassed and
trembled violently. The prisoners were taken to Dover,
and after being examined before the magistrates on Fri-
' day morning, were fully committed to Maidstone gaol.--
Maidstone Journal.