The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-14 00:00:00

BLOWING-UP OF THE VESTA.

During the past week much interest has been manifested in
the operations being pursued under the superintence of Cap-
tain Fisher, chief harbour-master of the port of London, in
order to entirely destroy and remove the wreck of the bark
Vesta, of 400 tons, which has fur the last two years so ma-
terially impeded the navigation of the Thames off Gravesend,
and which was finally completed on Tuesday last. From the
statement of Captain Fisher, which is most interesting, it ap-
pears that the owners, crew, and those engaged-in endeavour-
ing to raise the Vesta, having entirely abandoned her, he re-
ceived instructions from the Corporation of London to use some
means for clearing away the wreck. Believing the only ef-
fectual means of doing so was to blow her up with gunpowder,
he caused two lighters to be moored near the place, and
having obtained the valuable a'sist.ance of Mr. W. Downes,
the celebrated diver, he succeeded in ascertaining the
exacted position of the wreck, which was found to lie with her
head towards the shore, fixed on a very hard bed of chalk, on
to which she 'gad run. His first attempt was with a tin canis-
ter containing 401 b. of gunpowder, with a fusee attached, and
which was placed by Downes immediately underneath the main
hatchway. On being fired, its effect was such that it not
only blew the deck completely out, but also removed the vessel
bodily from the spot where it had previous lain. He repeated
this experiment with eight other canisters, containing the
same weight of powder, in all 3601 b., but discharged them by
means of galvanic batteries, which he found more efficacious
than the fusee. The effects of the discharges were not so
great as might have been expected from the havoc com-
mitted by the first ; and he (Captain Fisher) was fearful
of increasing them, lest injury should result to the
houses on shore. The firing took place from the lighters,
which were moored 230 feet from the spot whe:e the wreck
lay, in seven fathoms water at low-water mark. Finding
the small charges were insufficient to blow the hull to pieces,
Captain Fisher directed two canisters, containing each 1161bs.
of gunpowder, and another containing 1651b5., to be placed
inside the vessel. It was found that the two former were
effective in loosening the timbers, and the cylinder having been
placed in the body of the wreck, it was fired. In an instant a
feud rumbling noise was heard, accompanied by a violent com-
motion of the water, and immediately after the air became
blackened by immense masses of the wreck shooting above its
surface, surrounded by a dense volume of smoke, to the extent
of twenty feet. The larger portions were secured and
dragged ashore, bat a great mass was floated away down the
river. On examination, the whole of the Vesta's larboard
quarter was ti►und to be completely carried away from her
keel to her bulwarks, as were also her bows. The starboard
quarter and stern were much shattered. On Downes again
descending, he found that all which remained of the vessel
was the bottom, which was shivered to pieces, and may he
easily got up. In consequence of the success of the experi-
ment, it is expected that the Corporation will direct the
steamer Apollo, run down off Northfleet some years since, also
to be blown up.

YouTnruL INTREPIDITY.—It will be remembered
that in the columns of this Journal some days since was re-
corded the extraordinary instance of intrepidity and persever-
ance of a little boy named Joseph Lague, residing with his
widowed mother in King's-road, Camden-town, who after
diving three times succeeded in saving another boy, 15 years
of age, mined Richard Leggett, from drowning in the Re-
gent's-canal. The publication of the paragraph in question
did not only call the attention of the Royal Humane
Society to the case, who awarded at their meeting on
Tuesday the silver medal and the sum of 10'. to the poor
boy, but also that of the public generally. For some days
past a Committee, composed of the licensed victuallers and
most respectable tradesmen of the parish of St. Pancras, 'has
been organising for the purpose of raising' a fund to p ace
the poor little fellow Lague. in one of the public schools, and
then to apprentice him to some good trade. This case of true
heroism, scarcely credible in one so young, and equalled only
by the spirited and noble-minded conduct of Grace Darling,
has also in no small degree attracted the attention of the aris-
tocracy, many of whom have liberally contributed to the ne-
ce-sities of the poor boy and. his distressed mother. Amongst
them may be mentioned the following :—A few days since the
servant of a Noble Earl waited upon the boy's mother, and pre-
sented her with the sum of W., with a promise from his Lord-
ship that she should receive further assistance. The Countess
of L— sent a sovereign. A sovereign was also received in
a note from Major-General Lygon, M.P., and other sums have
also been received and duly acknowledged by the mother, whole
dependent entirely on washing for the support of herself and
seven orphans.
THE SWELL MOB AT THE CAMBRIDGE INSTAL-
LATION.—This busy, though not honest fraternity, thinking to
reap a golden harvest at the recent installation of the Duke of
Northumberland as Chancellor of Cambridge University, as-
sembled in vast numbers in that town in the early part of last
week, and but for the wise precautions taken by the Committee,
much valuable property would doubtless have been stolen. On
Monday evening, whilst the grand festival at the Senate House
was proceeding, twonotorious swell mebsmen drove into the town
and put up at a first-rate hotel, where they stated that they in.
tended to remain three days. It appears that they commenced
work immediately, and in less than half an hour were discovered
attempting to force their way into the Senate House by In-
spector Pearce and Sergeant Langley of the A division. Two
other sergeants, Thornton and Brennan, were immediately
directed by the inspector to take them into custody. The
soi disant gentlemen affected outraged feelings at being taken
for thieves, but upon a few gentle hints being thrown out,
they said, " Let's go for God's sake ; don't take us ;
didn't intend to work here, and we'll leave the town in-
stantly." The officers locked them up, and upon search-
ing them found upon each nearly 201. in money, and at the
hotel a valuable assortment of clothes, linen, and jewellery, all
of which had been brought down by them to wear, and
if possible disguise their real occupation. When taken
before the Mayor the next morning, the prisoners gave
the- name of John Campbell and John Rice, both
were sworn to as first-rate swell mobsmen, and their
silence gave credence to the assertion, but they said
that although they 'night have been in trouble they did
not come to Cambridge to do anything dishonest, but merely
to see the fight. The Mayor replied " The fight is not. this
road, that you know well; but it will be my duty to send you
another road, and that is to the House of Correction, where
you, will be imprisoned seven days." Four other provincial
profie:ents in the light fingeted art were committed for like
terms of imprisonment. On Tuesday morning Inspector
Pearce with his officers scoured the town, and succeeded in
finding between thirty and forty well known thieves, all. well
dressed, and among t them were some young and handsome
women, who had been provided with superb costumes, the
better to conceal their calling. Having been recognised they
at once promised to leave the town, and did so evidently dis-
comfited at the signal defeat they had met with.

The Directors of the Great Western Railway, in
deference to the wishes of the public, have just ordered a new
regulation to be carried into effect at every station upon the
line between Paddington and the termini at Bristol, and
Taunton. Since one of the doors of the passengers' carriages
had been le.t unlocked no persons were permitted to go upon
the platforms of the respective stotiuns, to accompany their
friends up to the time of the departure of the trains unless pro-
vided with a passenger's ticket. As this plan was considered
extremely annoying to a large portion of the public, the Di-
rectors hate just issued instructions to their imperiniendents at
the stvetal stations to permit passengers to be accompanied on
the platforms by their respective friends, a discretionary power
being. of course, left with the superintendents, who will not
permit mre idlers and those who have no ft lends to accompany
to entei upon the platforms.

A few days ago, :Is a sroall sail:TT-boat was
up the Seine, with SS.Vt n young men, near the Pont d'Auiler-
z, toe Mad .sultenly ruse, and overturnt,d it. The workmen
in the neighbourhood hastened to their a,si3t ante, and succeeded
in reieuing four of the number, but the three others unfortu-
nately perished.