The Sun.
London, England, 1816-08-28 00:00:00

5111P-BUILDIN6.

11, ,

-TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
'Stet, perused your Paper of the 12th
inst. I observed a letter addressed to yon on the
subject of ship-building, signed 3. G. ; as it is
evident the writer. is unacquainted ,with NAv tl
. .
Architecture, consider myself being a profes-
sional man called upon' to make a reply thereto.
The observations of that Gentleman as respects
Admiral Shank's method of building ships on
the Lakes might be perfectly correct ; but it re-
mains a doubt in many persons minds,. whether
the Admiral at 'that time aimed .at improvement
or dispatch in nlit building in the then customary
way of not working knees, ike.; whatever might
have been the object of the Admiral in building
small vessels I will not here contend, but simply
point out the principle pursued by Mr. Seppings.
His ships are built with .a regular frame through-

out, ns other ships, with frame bends, and filling
'timbers, the filling..timbers not of old wood as
seribetl by J. G.'s letter, but• of the same quality

as the fr•attiec, and the openings between the
whole (►►veraging about two inches) filled up with
old wood or inferior new, as high as the orlop
clamps; the whole frame is then consolidated by

bolting the frame bends to the filling timber, and
the 'filling timber to the next frame ; by this
means the frame becomes from stem to stern one
compact body ; this certainly to all mechrmical
men :must appear•far superior to merely filling
the ship in.

The Tremendous, a ship of 74 guns, may be
considered the first that was ever built on Mr.
Seppings's principle; and how far,Sir, does my pen
'fall short of being able to describe the good qua-
lities sire, possessed, after .she was fitted nut and
kept at .sea almost constantly for four or five
yeari 1 what was her condition on returning to
'the port sbe was built at ? -allow me to assure you
Sir, that went on board and took not a super-
...
. tidal glance at her, but inspected every part
where I expected (or was generally expected even
by nautical men) she ivould yeah!, ,and I am
bappy to say, she far exceeded my most san-
guine expectations ; not even the whitewash•
cracked between the shelf piece and, &de, not a
head of a bolt olf, nilr was there the least appear-
stince,that any part of her had moved ; her decks
)nay be considered a true specimen of her superior
qualities, not as is. the ease with almost every
,other ship after experiencing such service, full of
rises and tails, and each end drooping, but a com-
plete fair tine from end to end, as near as poasible,
as when she went out ofdock.

tl►e vessel of (0 tons that .1.; G *peaks of
lietvr any comparison with a ship of 74 guns ? No
viorein my opinion than. a s►ngle boric chaise can,
be tipmparea to a sta►ga coach, or waggon ; con-
sidering also the immense weight of metal hang-
ing'to the weather side with a strong yak, and
the lee goo deck ports under water, 1 think,LO.
Intht allow the itl9t;re of my remark. I must also
-.quote the. Noble Captain's opinion who .cotumn»d-
.
ed her, that she was every thing be conic! Wish
for, and too much be could not say in her be•

If J. G. or any other Genlleman conceives that
have advanced too far, I will appeal to the 110.
pourable Captain that commanded liar, or any 01
Officers.

I could enter more largely into other parts of
Mr. Seppings's Principle, particularly ihe'Diago.
vat Riders, Trusses,. &c. but I fear I have already
trespassed too Much on your time ; suffice it to
say, I have never yet. met with a.good practical
and theoretical merchant ship.huilder but.would
readily adopt that part of his plan, only they fear
it would be attended with some little inconvenience
in. tfiliing and delivering carr,oes in bulk ; but
po doubt this trifling objection will shortly be
swinotttifuti, lrui in the tolittie of a tew years Mr.
tleptnno`i pr;nciple be universally adoptrtl.
do consider, and I speak impartially when I
rlt:elare, that I would rather give 25 per CC,It
itlor,e tar a ship built on Mr. S.lti principle, than
on any ()their Vet invented.

No doubt, Sir, ,Admiral Shank deviated from the
then way Of ship-building, from what mo.-
tive l gill not day, and may be entitled to great
; hut how much ninre is the country in-
nchted to Mr, Seppings for the perfection he has
'brought ship-building to,. and the prejudice and
difficulties he has hail to surmount, all of which
be has overcome ; and the present enlightened
Admiralty Board are entitled to the thanks of
their country; in allowing him to pursue and put
in force the dictates of his superior abilities, and the
improventents t,f Admiral' Shank, Mr. ,Blackmore,
and others. I titian conclude these few remarka'
with humbly requesting you will 'be pleased, to
insert the above in , your .valuable Paper, well-.
kno.tring it Will be highly satisfactory to many of
out worthy Naval Officers; as well'as Naval Ar-
chitects, assuring you, Sir, and your readers, that
the foregoing proceeds trout the impulse of an un-
prdudiced and impartial mind..
I have the Ilonour to remain,
Sir, your very hutnble Servant,
D.
August 9.4, 1816.

MELAIs:CHOLY
C NTASTRO VII E.

conosEl:s.

Yesterday an inquest was held at the

pliant Chariot public-house, Milken-street, tiros
venor-place, before IL GALL, Esq. upon the by-
(hes of Mrs. Mary Eitby, agetl 34, and George
Kirby, her infant, 'only 15 months old, who died
in consequence or beAns upset by a cptiChtliart, on
Sunday night, near., Hyde Park-corner. 'rite
.Miry, being inipaneJled" Jot: swor.i, proceeded to
St George's Hospital', and took a view of the
bodies, Ater sieht.-li they. returned •to.the Triunf-
pliant Chariot, where-the following evidence Was
adduced
-INlr. Wm. Pittman, bouse-surzeon at the hos-
pital, deposed, that —George
.K;rhy and Mary
Kirby, his moth(T, wire
.brought to the hospital
on Sunday last about 9 otelork. Deponent cx-.
amine(' Mary Kirby, and found several fractures
of the ribs on each side, also N fracture of the left
thigh, Lie perceived sonnltHng wrong about the
chest of the infant, which he could not at that
time specifically determindon. Witness attended
them both till they died. The child died on Mon-
day morning at live o'clock, and the mother a little
after eight o'clock on Monday evening. lie had
since opened their bodies, and discovered in that
of the child two of the hones of the back sepa-
rated, and a rupture in the liver, which Produced
profuse bleeding, and which 4 in his opinion, was
the cause of his death. Deponent (spelled the body
of Mts. Kirby, and found five ribs fractured on
the .right side, and four on the left ; the broken
pot t of sonic of the ribs on the left side. had lacerat-
d the lungs ; the womided lobe bled eery much,

so lintel: 'Weed as td fill np the cavity of the left
,side of the,ehest, preventing respiration. These
Tsjuriess,in deponent's opinion, were the cause of
Mary Kirby's death.
Thomas Henry, belonging to Mr. lliown's
patei,t-eask manufactory, King's-road, deposed,
that, on Sunday evening last, about ten minutes
past nine o'clock, he %VT: ern the,top of Me; 30114
Smith's. Chelsea coach, which was drawn by, two
horses, going-from town. The evening will yery
Murk : the coach passed through Hyde-park-corner
toropike at a good trotting rate, 'and, perhaps IA
little taster than usual : it continued !it that pace :
•t here was another coach a-head of them with
lights, which to first.was near theM, but at last
ten or twelve yards front them : Witness supposed:
that at that time they were an hundred yards:from
the turunike-gate ; the coach with the lights kept
on the lsft side' of the road : hut Smith's Coach-
man, onpassing throng): the gate (arid here the
av tness beggetl to observe, that both cnaches
passed through no the left side of the.gate), pro-
ceeded rather to the right, but he certainly did
not go so tar to the right as he might hake done,
till he ran against something ;. but it was so dark
that witness could not see what ii wad: Deponent
was certain that no person spoke to the coachman.
to make way, at least he heard nothing p.f the
kind said. He eltdd not say whether the thing
which was ran against was upset or not, the cir-
ennistan,ce was so momentary. The coach conti:..
to,ied its. pace ; the coachman did not stop ; he
appearett: Merry till the accident happened ; hilt
scarcely spoke a :wcted, udt.sr it,h4poOett; so Out
the witness thought he was tearful that sonic nits-
chief had been done. The emit:km:in was not de-
sired to stop,. • lie (the coachman). was about
19 years of age ; he MS more to the right than
,to.the middle of the :oath, and the witness itanotcd
no fault, to him, except his, not beiug on the proper
aide of the„ road.. The .cortehman was certainly
*atm-rueful the coach he drove hail leo lights. Wit-,
tics was perfectly sober himself.
A Cientleman who vesicles in Charles-street, St.
James's-square, stated; that on Sunday last, about
a quarter of 10 o'clock,. he was walking on the
Hospital side of the way, about an hundred yards'
trent the turnpike ; it was not .so dark but he
could see carriages on the other side of the way.•
Vitness heard a loud cry, which attracted'his at-
: it cause from the opposite side of the.
way, in ationt two or three seconds be heard
crash and ,sereaming; on hearing which he ran
inatantly across the way, -and there lie saw a
horse in the shafts of a gig, and the gig on one
side. Witness saw „something white banging
down from it. This was all he saw,, except, that
he observed the coach just before he heard the
voice. ' lie saw both the coach and gig 'before. tbe
accident occurred ; the coach was on.the wrong
side of the road'; it. was going at a good trot,.
faster than be thought a coach ought to go at that
timeof night.
This Avast alt the evidence adduced ; and the
Coroner asked Mr. Kirby, elio was in tears at the
loss. he had sostained, if he would Wish to say
any thing to the Jury upon the melancholy tran-
saction.. •

Kil by observed, he had nothing to 'siy
itpon the evidence that iFtd !wen givrn► ; it wag
Aterefure unneee,,saryfor hiin to trouble the Jury.
Inc fact, howeVer, 'was. that he did call out to

he coetchnoto ;..;trod had We stopped at that time,

•
he was sensible that nothing fatal ,would have oc-
curred.: notwithstanding this, however, nitwit
danger etas to have been apprehended from the
concussion between the Nelticles, they being ut
that time so neat ,to each other.' ,
The CottoNertthen briefly recapitulated the evi-
dence, and the Jury brought icy is verdict of Man-
slaughter 'Adam Wright., the coachman ;
and a warmt 'wa'3 issued for his detention, he
having been: committed by the Magistrates of
Marlborough-street Office.
The cOttONg,tt then ()Nerved to the Jury, that,
by thefr 'Vertlict, the coach and horsei, as the
cause of'the deaths, were torleited4o the King;
It would be for them to say, whether, in lieu
thereat, they would its t certain fine •us deo-
(land. Six of the jurymen were of Opinion, tbai
a hue of 501. ought to be liar upon: Smith, the,
owner of the crutch
.; the other six were of opinion
that 10/. woald be a Itufficient tine.

Mr.'Citt..l„ one of the Jurors who round for the
501, titre, satitl thxie be mini(' give it his opi.
Ilion Ind. s> some reason better titan he had heard
were ttiltiweed. Ile felt it it duty he tiwed to the
public; hit' tig t.eetitly hi:aid ill notify iii.)lurtsble
instatiCet tart siiliihn.ninittire occurring'.
No eeeision was iihrly to take place, they aft
appeal it.g. mid the Comber suggested
en adjila..Knel.t, which NaB atiinplied with ; and

at four they met ptimant to the adjourn-
qnent, 'tyke!), after sonic consideration, they came
to a determination that a fine as a deodand of 30/..
was sufficient, which fine was recorded, and the
inquest adjourned.

Monday evening an Inquest was held at the
Board Room, at the London Hospital, before J.
thowyN, Esq. Coroner for Middlesex, on the
body of Deborah Collett, a child only seven years
o' age, who met her death in consequence of her
clothes having caught fire. It appeared from the
evidence adduced, that the child's parents resided
in Kist Smithfield ; ins the 2'2d instant her mo-
ther %rent out on business, leaving her alone in
the• room ; in a few ,Minutes afterwards the ,rest
of the inmates of the house were alarmed by the
child's screams. Several persons hastened to the
spot, and found her io the middle of the room,
with her dress all in names. .The fire was in-
stantly exthignislied, and the child inmteuti►ttely
taken to the Hospital, where she lingered in the
greatest ugony limit Friday, when. she expired.
Verdict-4kciciental Death. ,

i‘ionday eveniug an Inquest \vas held in the
Vestry Room of St. Michael's Church, Wood-
street, Cheapside, before TnostAs SHELTON; Esq.
Coroner for. London, on the body of Thomas
Breham, whose death was occasioned by his own
act in cutting his throat. It appeared on exami-
nation, that the deceased was About 65 years of
age, be bad been a respectable master tailor, iu
good business, but being married to a prrofligute
woman, by whom he bad thirteen children, who
after robbing a. ins, eloped from him with another
than,' he was,reducgd, and was' necessitated in his
old age to torn to journey work, And lodged at
the 'those of Mr. John Giles, the sign of the
rewte.r, Platter, in Wood-street, Cheapside.—
Hester Hill, servant to Nr, Giles, deposed that
she. got up about seven o'clock on Saturday
morning, and on goiag into 'the back_ place, she'
found all the 'knives thrown about the floor,- that
tine deceased came in with the neck 'of his shirt
Open,. anti stropplaig if razor on the palm of his
11,,0‘1,, that lie had a very' appearance„ and
walked past her into the tap-roots, which" ve46
then dark, the windo,ss. ilot being open„ wltre
;)c .at dowo aud emit ttis throat ; he died its 4buut,
a (outer of air, hour, Verdict---Lunacy,