At Plymouth, the roundhouse of the Kent man of war suddenly blew up, and in its consequences exhibited a picture perhaps the most dreadful and shocking that it is possible for human nature to conceive. By the splinters of the deck in bursting, between forty and fifty brave fellows were (some of them) either so terribly maimed as to have had their limbs taken off, or scorched so as to be deprived of their sight, whilst others again are flayed all over. There are now 35 of them patients in the hospital at Plymouth, one having been since dead of two fractures, his arm and leg, he not surviving long after an amputation of the latter.
It is remarkable no officer received any hurt, except Lieut. Shea, of the marines, who is slightly wounded.
The accident happened in saluting the admiral, by some sparks falling into an arm-chest which stood on the after-part of the poop and great cabin. A drummer, who happened to be sitting on the lid of the chest, was blown into the air, fell overboard, and was picked up by the Albion's boat, without receiving the least hurt.
It is remarkable, that out of the small squadron that sailed with Sir James Douglas, the Egmont sprung her foremast, the Kent blew up, the Lenox sprung her foremast, the Dublin carried away her main and fore-top-mast yards and main-top-mast, the Albion a main-top-sail-yard, the Raisonable a fore-top-mast, and the Cerberus ran on shore on Penlee-Point.
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