The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-01-06 00:00:00

SIR CHARLES DILKE ON PARLIA-
MENTARY REFORM.

Sir C. Dilke, addressing a meeting of the electors at
Shepherd's•bash, on Tuesday night, said that whilst
the Government were determined that the present
Parliament should not come to an end till the question
of Parliamentary Reform had been fully dealt with,
he had no reason to believe that the subject could be
taken up next Ses4on, which would be engrossed with
the Corrupt Practices, the Government of London,
and the County Boards Bills, and besides these the
Patents, Bankruptcy, and Criminal Code measures
remained to be considered. The right hon. Baronet,
however, went on to urge the necessity for establishing
a uniform suffrage, and for equalising political power
throughout the country.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR.—The London Gazette of
Dec. 29 contains the following :—"The Queen has
been pleased to direct letters patent to be passed under
the Great Seal granting the dignities of &Viscount and
an Earl of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland unto the Right Hon. Roundel', Lord Selborne,
Lord High Chancellor of that part of the said United
Kingdom called Great Britain, and the heirs male of
his,body lawfully begotten, by the names, styles, and
titles of Viscount Wolmer, of Blackmoor, in the
county of Southampton, and Earl of Selborne, in the

alti4 sowity,

THE FALL OF A CHIMNEY AT
BRADFORD.

It is now known that fifty-one persons are dead as
the result of the accident at Bradford on Thursday in
last week, having either been killed by the falling
structure, died from suffocation afterwards, or expired
after being rescued alive. Eight bodies have been
recovered from the dthris since Friday night, eleven
young persons are missing, and previously to Friday
night there were thirty.three dead bodies at the tem-
porary mortuary. The work of clearing away the
ruins was carried on all Saturday and Sunday, not-
withstanding heavy showers of snow and rain. Several
of the eight bodies recovered on Saturday were very
much mutilated.
A fund has been opened for the relief of the suf.
ferers, and was largely contributed to by the crowds
who visited the scene from all parts of the West Rid-
ing. Reference was also made to the terrible calamity
in many pulpits.

An inquest was opened on Friday at the Town Hall,
before Mr. J. G. Hutchinson, borcugh coroner. Thirty
bodies having been viewed and identified, the inquiry
was adjourned.
The inquest was resumed on Saturday afternoon.
The town clerk, Mr. M`Gowen, at the commencement
of the proceedings said that he had observed from the
newspapers that several people living in the neigh-
bourhood of the works or engaged in some portion of
them had stated that they had reason to apprehend
mischief from the chimney some time Ago. It was very
unfortunate indeed, if any person had seen anything
which would cause alarm before the accident occurred,
he did not make complaint to the authorities. The
Corporation had ery large powers of interference
with buildings supposed to be dangerous, and if any
intimation had been conveyed to them by any one
connected with the premises to which the chimney was
attached they would have been able to do something
for they could close premises entirely where the build.
ings were in such a condition as to endanger the lives
of the workmen. It was exceedingly unfortunate
that no intimation was given, and he was sure that
the jury and the Coroner would agree with him that
it would be well that publicity should be given to the
powers which the Corporation possessed in such
matters, so that people who saw dangerous structures,
whether mill buildings or otherwise, should give
timely notice.
The Coroner stated that he had communicated with
, the Home Secretary, and an Engineer officer was to
' be sent down to examine the chimney and give evi-
donee..

The Chief Constable said it was believed there were
nine bodies still in the ruins.

The jury then retired to view the other bodies re-
covered Eine° the in9uest was opened on Friday, and
on their return, the inquiry proceeded, solely with the
object of formally identifying the bodies.

Th 9 following letter has been received from Sir
Edward Ripley, owner of Newland Mills, who only
came into the property of his father a few weeks
ago :

"I should like to say, though you know it before I say it,
how sad I am at this terrible disaster. I really do sym-
pathize from my heart with all the mourners, and I hope
you will tell this to any of the bereft ones you come across.
I need not say how I grieve, too, for all the lives lost and all
the men and women and children injured. My sorrow is
most deep for the poor sufferers."

A personal narrative of the disaster is given by Mr.
Lord, wool buyer of Messrs. Greenwood, who states
that about ten minutes past eight he was in the office
on the second story with Arthnr Wsbe-ta, triabeg.ll.
law to Mr. W: IL Ciranwosid. Arthur Webster was
about 19 years old, and was the son of Mr. Samuel
Webster, stuff merchant. Be was learning the bud-
nese, and had been two years in the office. The
room he was speaking of was about 15ft. by 10ft.
He had set down his umbrella and taken his hat
and coat off and had taken a seat at the desk.
They were reading the Bradford morning paper.
Arthur Webster said, " Let us read the
London correspondence," and they had just com-
menced to read it when they heard a fearful crash.
He had no time for sensations. He was brought
gently and swiftly to the ground, and when he looked
up he found himself lying close alongside a big iron
beam. .The beam supported a mass of timber, just
keeping it off him, so that he was safe. He saw
Arthur Webster lying with his faccewithin six or eight
inches of his. He was heavily pressed down. He
said to him, "Help me, Lord." He said, "I can't,
Arthur." Webster then prayed. Then he grew
black in the face, and in about four minutes' time he
was dead. He (Mr. Lord) had no room to move his
own body, and was nearly suffocated with gas.
A large pipe was broken near ad the gas was
escaping. He tried to get round to Arthur
Webster, but could not. He made a noise and
halloed. Presently the wreck was so far cleared that
he could just manage to crawl through and get safely
into Upper Castle-street. He was buried about 20
minutes. He had only a slight scratch on his fore-
head, and one of his ankles was a little wrung. The
lad, who always brought the newspaper, had only just
got into the street after leaving the paper when the
chimney fell.
An engineer employed on the premises, named
Baxter, also had a miraculous escape. He was at-
tending to his fire when the fabric fell, and though
one of the boilers was carried away with the wreckage,
he escaped with a dislocation of the wrist.