The Sun.
London, England, 1842-11-08 00:00:00

The operations for the season are now closed, and
though Alajor-General Pasley's sanguine expectations
of finishing the entire removal of the wreck this
year have been disappointed, yet so"much has been
done that no reasonable person can now entertain a
doubt of the practicability of the attainment of this
important national object, provided that the same
means are placed at his disposal next year. The
quantity of pig-iron ballast got up this season amounts
to more than 1031 tons, and as it is known that hut
126 k tons were put on board the Royal George before
she sailed from Plymouth to Spithead, it follows that
the quantity now remaining at the bottom is only 23
tons. Rather more than 111 tons of shot have like-
wise been got up, and the quantity of timber re-
covered this season amounted to about 18,100 cubic
feet, or 362 loads, including not only that from the
Royal George, but also from the wreck of Tracy's
lighter, leaving very, little of the former, and none of
the latter, remaining. During the first two sum-
mers of these operations, the wreck was in such
quantities, that a diver could not go down without
finding large pieces in abundance ; but in 1841, when
th( se masses were removed, and the divers had to
search for timbers under a shoal of mud, firmly held
together by the contents of the hold, many Krsons
believed that it would be impossible for them ever to
work their way down through these obstacles till they
reached the keel, which was first done by Lance-
Corporal Jones. At the close of the operations this
season only 62 feet of the keel remain, all the rest of
it having been removed by the indefatigable exertions
of the military divers, excepting a small piece near
the stern, and consequently much more accessible,
measuring only three feet in length, which was,got
up by Mr. G. Hall, of Whitstable, in 1840. The
pieces of the keel that have since been removed, all
measuring 16 inches thick by 18 inches square, and
98 feet in length—so that 101 feet have now been got
up—are as follow, viz. :
On the 13th of October 1841, one piece of 7 feet,
and another of 6 feet were sent up by Lance. Corporal
Jones ; on the 27th of August of the present year,
one piece of 6:1 feet by private, now Lance-Corporal,
James .Hewitt, and another of 4 feet by private Rode-
rick Cameron; on the 14th of September, 12 feet by
private James Jago ; on the 15th, 5 feet by the same
diver, and 91 feet by Corporal Harris; on the 17th,
7 feet also by Corporal Harris ; on the 26th, 61feet by
private Jago ; on the 28th, 16 feet by Corporal Jones;
and on the 11th of October, 18i feet by the same
diver—all belonging to the Royal Sappers and Miners,
except Hewitt, who was one of the Hon. East Tndia
Company's volunteer divers.
In the afterpart of the wreck, where the keel still
remains, but measuring only 62 feet of its original
length, besides the small quantity of iron ballast be-
fore-mentioned, part of the floor timbers also remain,_
together with the coppered outside planking on each
side ' • but in the forepart of the wreck, where the keel
has been entirely removed, nothing but the above-
mentioned planking remains, and in a portion of this
space even that has been cleared away ; for the half-
anchor creeper, which enters three or four feet into
the mud, was repeatedly drawn across the centre of
the wreck without meeting any obstacle. In propor-
tion as the timbers of the wreck have been removed
the shoal of mud has been diminished in height, and
the original depth of the anchorage has been restored
in those parts whence the keel was got up, us has
been ascertained by accurate soundings taken at the
commencement and at the close of this season by
Lieutenant Hutchinson. The approach to the keel
was much expedited this year by using large crates
with pigs of ballast to sink them, which the divers
filled with the loose staves of casks and pieces of fire-
wood, imbedded in stiff mud, in what had been the
hold, which gave them the greatest trouble, as they
used to sling them before this simple expedient was
adopted. In one day of the present season 452 such
pieces were sent up. In respect to the shingle bal-
last, they made holes in it by small charges, or under-
mined it, and dragged the floor timbers and keel out
from under it, as it will do no harm to the anchorage,
and the process of removing tried by Jones, who
once dug into it, and sent up several cubic feet in an
iron box, proved too laborious.
The quantity of gunpowdersfired this year, all by
the voltaic battery, in charges which were less than
18, and none greater than about 170 lb., amounted to
9,412 lb., or 4 tons 4 cwt 4 lb.; of which 754 lb. were
expended in the demolition of Tracy's lighter. The
small charges were contained in cans or oil bottles, of
the description usually supplied to the navy and ord-
nance by contract, which latterly were altered by
taking off the flat bottom, and putting on a conical
end, in order to force them into the soft mud. The
largest of the above charges were always contained in
small barrels made in Clarence Victualling-yard, with
he-ads of a peculiar and much stronger construction
than usual, because the great pressure of water at
Spithead cracks the strongest casks used in commerce
like an egg-shell. The tin cans only resisted the same
violent pressure by being filled with powder well
rammed, without which precaution they always burst
when let down to the bottom. The larger charges in
barrels were invariably placed in the craters produced
by some of the smaller explosions, in order to render
them more effectual. All the charges used were de-
manded and placed by the divers, who generally
evinced great sagacity in their proceedings, for large
pieces were always recovered in consequence of such
explosions.
The diving apparatuses used this year were all made
by Mr. Sicbe, of Denmark-street, Soho, which the
military divers prefer to all others, and which are far
the safest for beginners, though the common diving
dress is from early habit preferred by some of the best
civil divers, and is safe enough for men possessed of
experience, and of that courage and presence of mind
with which every submarine diver ought to be endowed.
On breaking up his force for the winter, Major-
General Pasley issued an order expressing his high
satisfaction with the skill and zeal and indefatigable
exertions of Lieutenant Hutchinson, the executi4
engineer, and with Corporal Black, the senior non-
commissioned officer, and the other non-commissioned
officers and privates of the Royal and East India Com-
pany's Sappers and Miners ; of the former of whom
22, and of the latter 9, were employed, and they not
only furnished all the divers, of whom seven were
rated on the first class, five on the second, and seven
on the third, and bad the charge of the gunpowder
and the management of all the explosions of the vol-
taic battery, but assisted also, when not employed in
those important duties, or as artificers, in every part
of the work, whether on board the lighters, &c., or in
the boats. The Major-General also requested Lieut.
Hutchinson to make known to the dockyard riggers
and lighter-keepers, and to the gallant pensioner sea-
men employed, his approbation of their valuable ser-
vices, especially of Mr. John Clewitt and John Tay-
lor, leading men of the riggers ; and he thought it
his duty to recommend to Admiral Hyde Parker, the
superintendent of her Majesty's dockyard at Ports-
mouth, the warrant-officers and seamen detached by
his order from the Victory to take charge of the Suc-
cess frigate hulk, in which the Sappers and Miners and
seamen were quartered, for their attention to duty, and
their kind and cordial deportment tothelatter ; as well
as Mr. Blackey, second master of the Drake sailing
lighter, and his crew, who were actively and usefully
employed either in the operations at Spithead, or in
taking on board successive cargoes of timber frornt he
wreck, and landing them in the dockyard.

CORONER'S IN QUESTS.
Yesterday evening. Mr. Higgs held an inquest in
the Prince's Head, Princes-street, Westminster, upon
the body of Edward Foley, a child two years of age.
It appeared that the father is employed in a gas-
work, and that he is unable to come home to dinner
upon the Sundays. His wife went out upon Sunday
morning to buy the husband's dinner, foolishly lock-
ing the door upon her three children, the eldest not
six years old, and leaving a fire burning in the room.
A working man who lives above was alarmed by:the
screams of the children, and hurrying down stairs saw
that the room was on fire. He burst open the door,
in
when he saw the deceased completely enveloped •
flames, and the two others also partially on fire. With
i
a most praiseworthy promptitude he extinguished.the
flames, and the child was immediately cured- i 4-3
IVestminster Hospital,. where, although every assist.
ante was rendered, it died in a few hours- after. The
other two were comparatively unhurt. Verdict,
" Accidental Death." ._
_

Another inquest, arising from the same cause, was
held before the same Coroner, at the Pine Apple,
William-street. The child in this case (John Hird,
was standing at the fire and his shirt
i he mother, who was in the room, enveloped
aced seven) verrn
him in a blanket, and called in m'dical aid, but irri-
tation of the breast and mortification ensued,
poor boy, after suffering excruciating agony, expired.
The verdict in this case was the same as the former.
Mr. Higgs remarked that this was the fifth case of
burning before him within as many days. and the

ZST. T11011.4.eS HosriTAL.—Yesterday afternoon,
a Special General Court of the Governors of theabove
Hospital was held in the Board-room, for the pur-
pose of electing a President of this valuable charity,
in the room of the late Sir John Cowan, Bart., de-
ceased. The Court was most numerously attended.
The Chair was taken by S. Chapman, Esq., the vene-
rable treasurer, who has attained his 94th year, and
is in the enjoyment of excellent health. It was pro.
posed, and carried unanimously, that the Right Hon.
Sir John Pirie, Bart., be elected in the place of the
deceased President. Thanks were voted to the Chair-
man, and the Court adjourned.
Two companies (the Ist and 10th) of the Ist bat:
talion Grenadier Guards, are under orders to proceed,
from Windsor to Wahner, to remain as a guard of
honour in attendance upon her Majesty during the
visit of the Court. The splendid band of the Grenadier
Guards has also been commanded to be in attendance
at Weimer. There is very little doubt the Queen has
abandoned the intention of visiting Brighton until the
spring.