The Sun.
London, England, 1826-04-14 00:00:00

DISTRESSING ACCIDENT.

We have this week the painful duty of re.
cording the death, by drowning, of six pilots be-
longing to this port. The circumstances of this
melancholy affair, as far as we have been able to
collect them, are briefly as follow :—On MondaY
last, in the forenoon, the men belonging to No. 8
pilot-boat crossed, by land, from Seacombe to
Iloylake. Upon their arrival, they found
heavy surf upon the beach, which baffled several
efforts which they made to launch their punt,
for the purpose of going on board the boat,
then lying in the lake. Soon after one o'clock)
the brave fellows, 12 in number, anxious to get
on board to do their duty, forced their way etre'.
the surf, and, notwithstanding the swell, succeed•
ed in reaching the side of the boat. John Hughes
had the command of the tiller, and being aware
of the critical state in which they would be placed
in nearing the boat, advised his companions to sit
still and be steady; this caution was also repeatet!
by Capt. Parry, the ed Master, who was then on
board the pilot-boat. Upon the approach of the
punt, a slight collision against the side of the pi.'
lot-boat took place, which was not to be avoided;
the punt heeled, and several of the men rising, lost
their equipoise,and the punt turned keel upwardsr.
and in an instant the whole crew were dashed
under water. At this trying and perilous mo-
ment, the commander of the pilot-boat and four
men, who were then on board, with admirable'
presence of mind threw the scuttle, roughtrees,
oars, and other things overboard, to enable
the poor fellows to keep above water : irt
addition to this, they also succeeded in righting
the punt, and saving one man who had seized'
the scuttle ; two others were saved from the deck•
of the pilot-boat, by means of ropes, one of whom
had clung to the cable. The unfortunate situation
of the boat's crew had also been observed from
the shore, and the Custom-house boat, com-
manded by William Owens, pushed off with the
greatest promptness to the relief of the sufferers.
By this means three more of the crew were hap-
pily picked up, after they had been struggling
for nearly half an hour, partially supporting
themselves by the oars, &c., which they got hold
of ; and, during that period, had bid each other
" good bye," judging that their final hour was
come. Five of the six men thus providentially
snatched from a premature grave, were imme•
diately taken on shore, and experienced the
most marked and humane attention from Mr.
Evans, at his hotel. The bodies of the six unfor-
tunate sufferers have not yet been found, al'
though every exertion has been made to find
them. Their names are William Jones, Thomas
Jones, Owen Thomas, Henry Priestnell, Thos.
Bennett, and Angus Clarke, four of them journey:
men, and two apprentices, all strong, active, and
efficient young men. If there be any cause for
blame in this melancholy affair, it will, we be-
lieve, be found in the ardent zeal manifested by
the entire boat's crew to get on board as earli'og
possible, and to accomplislyat one trip that "'bill,
they ought to hare done at two, and thus crow%
ing a small boat with a greater number of in:
than she ought, in such weather, to have bad OA
board.---(Liverpool Courier.)

noIIBERY EXTRAORDINARY. Mr. P.
Divine,
a gentleman well known in the annals or the
Police offices, met a poor countryman in Barrack.
street, on Saturday, and seein, that he "9 11
stranger, civilly invited him into a public house'
to treat him to a
pint of porter. The porter wag
brought fresh and frothing, but Jr. Divine
thought be might improve the flavour of it by the
addition of a little snuff, w$ hick he sapped into
the vessel on handing it to his friend. The tioY:i
was warm, the countryman was thirsty, 0"
down went the porter, snuff and all. An imale
diate fit of retching and coughing was the effect,
and Mr. Divine civilly took that opportunity I°
lighten his friend of 61. Unfortunately, ho'!:
ever, for Mr. Divine. he was too touch of a Publ;;
character to escape detection, and he has accoNi.
inely been apprehended and committed for 11"
(Dublin Morning Register.) •

On Tuesday night between 11 and 12
as a gentleman's carriage was driving by the Goo.
o.
den-cross, Charing-cross, owing to proper be
cons not being set up to guard against it, 0",
of the horses fell into a hole between four
and
five feet deep. It was not until between four nla
five yesterday morning that the poor animal (a
valuable carriage-horse) could be e%tricatecil ati
then h© was found so seriously injured that
was immediately killed. The %%ant, of Pr° h
P;
caution which occasioned the above accident, I
highly reprehensible. It is too much, that be'
sides the annoyance of these frequent relirh:
the lives and property of the public 9hOtlicl '—
thus wantonly endangered.
r

BIRTHS.
On Thursday, the 13th inst., in Wimpole-street, the lodY °f
Raikes Currie, Esq., or a son.
On the 12th inst., at Bistro, Herts, Mrs. Win. HOW,v of
a son.

MARR IE D. eldt
On the 11th inst., at 'Malvern, M. G. Benson in Ecq'' elf
son of Ralph Benson, Esq., of Lutywche.hall, le cotall,
of Salop, to Charlotte ItioA Browne, only child of the late
Lytle Bthrowne.
On e 13th init., at Camberwell. Church, shined Pri c
Esq., of John-street, America-square, to Lilies, relict
late James M'Andrew, jun., Esq., of Grove-lane, Cumber-i,
On Wednesday, the li!th inst., at St. George's, Bleousberrof
Mr. John Sanders, of Farleigh, to Margaret, fourth daniihte
the hue Richard Field, Esq. of London.

DID.
On Thursday, the 7th lust., in Uowcr.street, Bedford-sOuet
On the 13th .F
at Devon tort,
ag-1 89
.1. It. Benson, 'Esq., late of (iihraltar,.merchant.
Lt , . , Nor
her, a respectable sup:Tam:tuned gunner in his 31ajestY °.; /in
father of Curry NVilliani and l' ~ IL II '
the Royal Navy. ^o M3Tl'
On the 12th inst., at Kennington-green, age, ' Don-
relict of the late Mr. Al attLev.' Armstrong, hop-merchant,
don-bridge. Job"
On the 11th inst., at lis house at Hapenden, flees,
Edward Boys, Esq., in the 39th year of his age. Font-
On the 13th inst., at her house in Regent-street, Mriu• coos,
icort,,e e ter, Lominanuer
leroy, relict of the late William Fauntleroy, Esq., of "
street. an 114^
On Wednesday, the 12th inst., at Cheltenham, At
vanced age, Philip Godsal, Esq.
.............___,'
My William 11,i..1.

Printed and Published for the PitOPItIETOUS, at the Sv
°Met, No. 112, Strand by J. B. CAlirrAtiti.