The Sun. — 1859-03-08 (London, England)

THE ARMY.  The 2d battalion of the 22d Regiment, which has been wholly raised at Preston, Lancashire, left the Fulwood barracks for the camp at Aldershot last Friday afternoon. Yesterday afternoon the new breech-loading cannon, which has been invented by Mr. Warry, of the Royal Engineer barracks, Brompton, was again experimented with at Chatham, for the purpose of putting the gun to tests of a different character to those tried on the occasion of the former experiments. Since the description of this cannon appeared, the inventor has effected another great improvement in the method of firing it, by which nearly 20 rounds per minute—or nearly double those fired at former experiments—can now be discharged from the gun. This improvement consists of a lever, of an exceedingly simple contrivance, placed on the left side of the breech, which by a single movement cuts the cartridge, primes the nipple, closes the breech, and fires the gun, the whole of the operations enumerated being effected instantaneously. The first of the experiments tried yesterday with the gun was that of firing a shell at a portion of canvass suspended at the end of the range. For this purpose one of Captain Norton's leaden shells was inserted in the gun and fired at the canvas, against which it exploded on striking, the object being to show that metal shells, charged with Capt. Norton's " liquid fire," may be made to fracture on striking canvas. Another shell of lead was then fired from the same gun into a mass of soft clay, the shell exploding striking and entering. In this shell of Capt. Norton's the percussion appliance is placed below the mouth of the missile, so that the ramrod cannot press on it in the act of ramming it home. The result of this experiment proved that such shells are sure to explode on striking and entering claymounds or earthworks, where the Boxer fuze and the Moorsom percussion shell fail to be effective. Mr. Worry's breech-loading invention can be applied to any metal guns, of whatever size, which can be rifled and rendered fit for service at an estimated cost of one-fourth the expense of turning out one of Sir W. Armstrong's rifled cannon.  SUICIDE IN A FIT OF PASSION,—Yesterday an inquest was held at the Lord Wellington, University-street, on the body of Mr. Joseph Simmons, aged 38, who had committed suicide by hanging. The deceased was in business in the New Royal Arcade, Oxford-street, and after a violent quarrel with his wife he threatened to hang himself, and then went into the coal cellar, where his wife shortly afterwards saw him suspended by the neck. She gave an alarm, and the deceased was cut down before life was extinct, but he died the next day at the hospital. The jury returned a verdict of "suicide," leaving the state of deceased's mind an open question. ATTEMPTED SUlClDE.—Yesterday an attempt at suicide was committed by Mrs. Elizabeth Shaw, aged 35, who resided in Pitts-street, Camberwell. The unfortunate woman has lately been in a very low desponding state of mind, owing to her husband charging her with infidelity ; and on Saturday night, owing to a quarrel with her husband, sho left her home, and was found in the Borough by the police in a state of insensibility. She was conveyed to Guy's Hospital, where it was found she had taken nearly two ounces of laudanum. The stomach pump was applied and other antidotes were administered, but she remains in a precarious state.