Star.
London, England, 1825-09-19 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUISITIONS.

Friday and Saturday, four several Inquisitions were
taken before F. HOWARD. Esq. Coroner for the Borough
of Nrtsmouth, at the Navy 'rave''', in the parish of
Portsn, on the bodies of fifteen persons drowned in
Call Place Dock, by the melancholy occurrence of
Wednesday last. Althouid: four Inquisitions were
taken, in cnnseque,ce of the removal of the bodies nf,
the deceased by their fiiends, the same evidence was'
given in e Ich, with the exception of that of identifica-
tion by their !ever.) surviving friends. The following
is the deposition of the only witness to the facts ad-
, duce.' as the cause of death

6eArge Harvey, of Church•road, near Kingston
Chureh, in the Borough of Portsniouth, deposed, that
he i\ a messen.:er to the surgery in the Dock-yard; on
IVedhs.sday, the 14th inst. the launch of the Princess
Chrrlotie, a large ship of war, heel been appointed to
take place ; an immense concourse of people had assem-
bled to witness the sight : in passing through the Dock-
yard, they had to pass along several bridges of the dock
locks, in order to get near the ship about to be
launched: these bridges, which are of a temporary con-
struction, were formed of four planks, supported by iron
staunchions, fixed on the top of the flood-gates, which
are kept closed by the force of the body of water on
the convex ►ides. At about five minutes before noon
on that day, the bridge constructed as before described,
over the entrance to the Call Place Dock, was those
hurrying over towards the launch ; the water in the
bash: was very high, in consequence of the spring tides,
and witness conceived that the immense pressure of
water upon the gates without the suppor t of a counter-
balance on the o:her side (the dock having been
pumped dry for the purpose of receiving the launch),
the lock gates were suddenly burst, and the bridge,
with those on it, at the same instant, carried into the
abyss below. The bridge gave way first in the centre,
which he thought had allowed those on either end to
get away. He thought that altogether there might
have been thirty persons on the bridge ; he was stand
ing at the distance of one hundred yards at the period
to which he had been alluding. Every assistance was

immediately procuted, and twenty-three were got out
of the dock; of these seven had r. covered, but tne de-
ceased were not Pound till life had been some time extinct.

The CORONER observed, that the unhappy notoriety
of the circumstances connected with the death of these
unfortunate beings rendered it unnecessary for him to
occupy their time beyond the remark that no blame
appeared to a'tach to any individual, and from the
evidence they had heard he could not doubt their speOy
return of a unanimous verdict.

The Jury, which was highly respectable, then returned a verdict
of Accklentai Death."
There re ;tins one body (that of Jentima Froggett) for the
Inquisition orthe County Coroner, by reason of the removal of
her remains beyond the limbs of the Borough.
The gates of the Call Place Dock were constructed
twenty-tour years since, upon a plan devised by General
Bentham, but strongly opposed at that time by all the
mechanics of the Dxk-yard.
Four docks open into the basin. The gates of another
(Barfleur Dock), is of the Bentham construction, and
by a strange coincidence, in point of time, gave six
inches from the acuteness of its angular centre. It was
immediately shored up on the dock sides and is now
considered secure.
The Bellerophon, Fly brig, and two cutters, have been removed
at flood from the basin.
Many are still the applications made at the dock-yard gates for
lost friends. Upwards of one hundred grapplers have been unre-
mittingly used, but their utility has been impeded by the blocks (for
keels of vessels) at the bottom of the dock.

The following persons of distinction have arrived at
Brussels:—the Duke of CUMBERLAND and suite, from
Coblenta; the Prince of HESSII HOMSURG, Governor
of Luxemburg; Admiral Pencv FRASER, from Lon-
don ; the Duke Da VINFANTADO, from Amsterdam ;
Chevalier BRUNET, Russian Consul• General in the
Netherlands ; and General NIXITSCH, in the service
of Russia.

It appears by the letters received from Paris, on Sa•J
turday, that the amount of conversions of 5 per cent.
into a 4 per cent. stock does not exceed 1,000,000
francs de rente. The books for receiving assents to
this form of conversion, close on the 22d instant.

Tuesday night, a young Lady of Loughborough,
respectably connected, eloped from home, and was mar-
ried to a young man of Barton on the %Voids, 'who had
formerly been her father's footman.
Professor HARDING, of Gottingen, on the 23d ult.
discovered a new Comet in Orion, without i tail, which
travels rapidly to the south. Three new Comets were
visible at once on the 24th of August;
Loa d COCHRANE is expected at Portsmouth. It is now
said that his Lordship will certainly return to the Bra-
ails in the Piranga. Thethip is lying at Spithead, quite
ready for sea.—Hconpshire Telegraph.
The grain throughout she South of Scotland is for
the most part secured. The oat crops have been more
than usually productive, and few people can remem-
ber so fine or so early an harvest.
It having been discovered that the defence of persons
accused of nameless crimes is provided for by a public
put se, and the same means having been used to buy off
witnesses, Goveinment, it is said, have resolved to take
up the prosecutions, that public justice, in cases so loudly
calling for it, may net be evaded.
Last meek a Court-Martial was held, on board the
BRITANNIA, in Hamoaze, for the trial of Mr. HENRY
HARMSWORTII, acting Second Master of his Majesty's
ship AURORA, on charges of •misappropriation of ad-
rious articles of provisions, which being partially
proved, he was sentenced to be dismissed from his ship,
and rendered incapable of serving as as Officer fir
the space of two years.
The Greek Committee of Pali' has published at
great length a note relative to its operations. It ap-
peals that the receipts up to this time amount to
tgo,ooor. (4,8001.)
96,200 E (3.8480

*The expenses to

kiabilze

,9j2i.)