The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-01-05 00:00:00

Sgriculture.

THE POISONOUS PROPERTY OP YEW. Two fine
/doers, the property of Mr. J. Taylor, Summer-hill,
Gainsborotigh, were seen to be unwell on Saturday
week, and one of them immediately fell and died before
any remedy could be obtained. To the second (which
also fell) a bottle of gin was given instanter by the
owner. The animal rallied, and with other remediee
applied by Mr. Chapman, veterinary surgeon, is now
fast recovering. The steers had been in the garden
cropping a yew fence, which was the cause of the
illness, as in the post mortem examination was clearly
defined.

SHANGHAI SHEEP WOOL.-At the last monthly
meeting of the Council of the Bradford Chamber of Com-
meroe, Alderman Wand reported on the quality of a
fleece of Shanghai sheep wool, which had been received
by the Chamber two or three month ago from the Zoolo-
gical-gardens, London, for the purpose of being ex-
amined. Mr. Wand said the wool produced from the fleece
weighed 21f., and he had produced from it 12ica. in
top, 1161oa. in noil, and 2hox in shorts, the waste being
box The wool had good lustre, something like alpaca,
and was very soft, with a great deal of keinp about it.
It might be used as • substitude for the bright-haired
wool of the Leicester sheep, and if the Shanghai sheep,
of which there are two flocks in this country, were as
prolific as reported—producing young three times a year,
one of them 13 oheep in that period—manufacturers
would derive great advantage from this new raw ma-
terial. At the present time the wool would be worth
104. per lb. The wool was examined by several gentle-
men present, and it was suggested that its capabilities
would be best ascertained by its being spun and woven
into cloth. Mr. Waud undertook to do this, and Mr.
Wiliam Foster engaged to examine the fleece of
Shanghai lamb recently received from London.

CHRIRTIIAB WEATHER IN TFIS NORTH—The weather
on the north-east want during the Christina' holidays
bee been the most remarkable ever remembered by the
oldest inhabitant". Old seaman and fishermen who have
spent their lives on the North flea have no reoolleotion
of such • long " spell " of open sunny weather at
Christmaa as we have experienced this year. Toe furze
bushes am out in bloom on the bente upon the
Northumberland oout, and daisies, primrose', and other
spring flowers may be seen peeping from the ground.
On Chrlstmos-day numerous parties were observed
bathing in the sea near Culleroosts and Tynemouth ;
and to find a person welkingwitha top coat on wu;
something remarkable on that day, The mild weather
and the general depression of trade are vary much
affecting the coal-trade. Above 200 vessels generally
employed in the London coal trade are laid up in the
Tyne. They are off risk, and are allowed 17s. 84. per
eent, by the mutual insurance club'. The wrecks, how.
ever, have been fewer on the north-east weal this year
than for some years past.

STRAY THRASHING biAoana ESPLOSION.—SiX Per.
sow Killed and Wounded.—An inquest wee held at
Thorne, in the West Riding, before Mt. lifaratt, coroner,
on the 21st ult., totichl9 cause of death of Thomas
Johnson, Christopher , and Frederick Maud, who
were killed by the expl on of • portable steam engine
on the preceding Saturday, upon the farm premiss, of
Mr. Maud, at Thorne Moors. Johnson was the pro.
prietor of the machine, and the two other deceased were
youths who were looking on. The engine was about to
start the machine, when from some cause not yet ewer-
taied it exploded with a tremendous noise, killed the
three persons above named, and wounded three others,
one of whom is not expected to aurvire. Johnson
was in the act of starting the engine to begin work
when the explosion took place, killed the three indenter
neously, hurled a fourth right across the road into a
dry dyke, another wee blown over • haystack into an
adjoining close, and • sixth was frightfully scalded.
The man who had charge of the machine escaped un-
hurt. The loss of life would have been much greater
but for the persons who attended being behind • hay.
stick. One haystack was nearly blown down, end a
part of the other wee disturbed. The accident is sap.
poled to have occurred through the incapacity of John.
son, the proprietor of the machine, who attended to it
himaelf. The water gauge had been allowed to fall into
disuse. The jury remotely examined the engine, and
after the deposition of one witness had been taken an
adjournment to Tuesday last was made, to enible
a scientific gentleman to report as to the clause of the
explosion. Since the last inquiry another of Mr. Rid.
Ors sons, Henry, aged 10 years, has died of the inju-
ries he received at the accident. A third son, named
Thomas, aged 8 years, was also much injured, but he is
recovering. All the bodies of the persons killed were
dreadfully mutilated, especially that of Henry RAP,
who was shockingly scalded from the head to the abdo-
men, he having stood facing the aide of the engine when
the explosion occurred. He was blown 24 yards from
the spot, and not 15 yards, as stated in the last report.
The jury having been formally resworn, so as to include
the case of Henry Ridgill in the present investigation,
the former evidence was read over, and the following
additional facts were elicted :—The witness Fox, who
at the last inquiry explained the state of the engine,
just before the explosion took place, now said that there
was very little water in theengine, and that the steam
was blowing off, but not mush could escape owing to the
safety valve being too tightly screwed down. George
Wright, farm labourer of Thorne, who had lived with
the deceased proprietor of the thrashing-machine
(Johnson) five years, but had left his service about three
weeks before the accident, said the latter always con-
sidered himself competent to manage the engine, but he
(witness) did not. Johnsen used to drive the engine at
random, and sometimes put more pressure on than the
index could indicate. Vanua had seen the deceased
tie • piece of stick to the valve, to act as a lever, so as
to obtain more preesure. Witness used to remonstrate
with him for doing thila but deceased always insisted
that be knew better bow km work the engine than witnees
did. There was a weteq gauge on the engine, but it
had got 'topped up did not act. The firebox
was repaired about, last hare** and nine new tubes
were put in the boiler' Mr. Isaac Dodds, engineer at
the Holmes Works, Ritherham, said lashed eganahled
the remains of the expioded boiler. The mous which
enclosed the firebox appeared to be the part torn off bY
the explosion. The *mho: itself was in good sound

,
water in the beiler'et_khe lime of the sodded!. It AR
impossible to say what amount a pressure there WWI OR
at the time of the accident, became the safety-valve was
sorewed down to such an extant that it no longer
dunned the name it bore. This Maar of engine gene-
rally explodnd Abair at starting or the first letting) off
of steam, for when the engine was not working the
water was more at mat than when there was an escape
of steam, a.nd consequently the instant the deem was
turned on. the -walPer became mese agitatcd, *pastor
generation of Mani *is produced, and a sort- of -recoil
warred at the place where the littera was impeded in
its eseapia The present style of empnweres SCOW as
could be produced. This, particular engcii wail, well
made but it had been serfccilY sat et
engine could be produced if-the mekee,llrea noVimtted
to weight. The accident was oecarrioned by nil&iiiiage.
meat The miumgement et 111816-preeenrkatigirleei now
le simple that it can be understood bt ahriost anybody,
and no doubt Johnson thought he knew =Silently Well
. how to work his, but unfortunately he did not, and
zioe this accident. The best way to avoid such cidami-
WY SO employ competent persons periodically to
inspect' the ballade an& midi to treble OR MMtoee to
Incompetent hands. In answer, to questions from the
Jury, Mr. Dodde Ml 4 be did not thinkltt wipe Mt move
an engine when the 'steam *ssup, is was dope In this
caee, although it there was lee eXanai Ot prow" it
might not do much harm. la would be,well to let the
persons who examined these/ engines also iiicimiine the
persons who had the management of tbsß,'„nud ha
would recommend that these engines should hail their
full complement of fittinp---strob as watan
It being Unsallt to trust to gauge-tips
could not le dehmded aPose Fiwskisresecisr4adid
nee of anxillary safety-valves which , could net be
tampered with ordinary vast@ • being provided for the
use of the driver, and a teed one winch should be
beyond his control. The coroner (Mr. W. Merritt), in
summing up the *cilium_ it Wu a Oath:in *bather
the attention of the Legislatiun ought not to be directed
to these arotdente with itema.eerines, liltsFr view lo thu
sdoPtiow Sou* muse el parenting their restrierece—
seoh ma the inermition of bogus,. the imisteueolthefidi
complement oeforal, sad ay of *a persons
intruted • with es. TV* this retired, end
after • short Sou seintsen Vi. fellewing eMlsts
—" We and that the. eieseue4taiTkonme ,hoson
Frederisk Mud, Chrieterbor god alutoil;1111
were amidestly killed or the • en of the of
• steam throAlasonenhlne, toned by midis promote
resulting from the lannapetney and misraiempraent of
the said Thome Johnsen, dammed. And .111 a buy
mufti to the coroner WA beitielt4nl,lllllllll% the
Secretary of ante end other elt the
Government or othei liotspio4oore Ulu alistrto
institute lisal agl„ steam
thrashintm nes the fir et.
tendante." coroner prom to comply with this
request al moon as possible, and the proceedlnu then
terminated.