The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1861-01-24 00:00:00

THE EXPLOSION AT CHATHAM.

The unfortunate occurre.pce which took place at the
Royal Engineer Barracks, Chatham, en Monday, has
caused the suspension of all work in the laboratory at
the north gun-shed, where the explosion took place, and
from the utter ruin in which the interior of the factory
was found after the accident, it will be some time before
work of any kind can be resumed in Mat building. The
north gun-shed, it ought to be stated, is a building by
-no means- suited for the description of the work
carried on within it, and, as the name implies,
was never intended to be used as a laboratory
for the manufacture of dangerous missiles. The
only protection that is afforded the inmates
.on one
side of the shed is a row of palings carried up to the
roof, communicating with the outside, to which the
public have access, and where the operations of the
persons employed can be witnessed by any person from

he exterior. Now that a fatal accident has occurred

the authorities seem to be aware of the highly improper
locality of the laboratory for a large establishment like
that of the Royal Engineers at Chatham, and on Tuesday
morning Colonel Harness, C. 8., after paying a visit to
the factory and inspecting the damage caused by the
accident, gave positive orders that no portion of the
north gun-shed was ever again to be a laboratory, and
at the same time directed that the works should be sus-
pended until a suitable building, in which the dangerous
occupations could be carried on, was provided. Two
large ranges of buildings are now in course of erection
at the Engineer establishment for the requirements of
the officers and men, and it is probable that a portion
of one of these will be ultimately used for the purpose.
The account of the accident on Wednesday conveys
but a very imperfect description of the terrible nature
of the explosion, and, considering the force with which
the heaps of hand-grenades and fuses exploded, it was
little short of a miracle that there was not a large loss
of life.

At the time of the explosion there were about fifty
shells of various sizes,.on the floor of the laboratory,
some of them being as large as p-inch ; these, fortu-
nately, were not charged, or the result of their explosion
would have been most appalling. There were also
several hundred hand-grenades and fuses, some charged,
and others waiting for that operation to be performed on
them. These were scattered about, and it is owing to
this fortunate circumstance that the violence of the ex-
plosion was much less than it otherwise would have been.
So great, however, was the force of the explosion, that
nearly every but in the ranges of buildings forming the
new barracks, a short distance from the Engineer establish-
ment, was shaken to its foundation, the inmates rushing
out to ascertain the cause. A number of troops of the
line were being exercised very near to the north gun-shed
at the moment of the accident, and these, observing the
side of the shed blown out, threw down their arms and
ran away, under the impression that the entire building
would blow up. The whole of one side of the laboratory
was blown clean away, and through this opening were
expelled a sergeant and two Sappers into a coal-yard
below. After the explosion the laboratory was discovered
to be on fire in two or three places, but, the engines
being soon on the spot, the flames were extinguished.
Daring the whole of Tuesday a body of Sappers
were engaged in clearing out the interior of the factory,
and removing the fragments of hand-grenades, fuses,
and also the shells there at the time.

The sufferers by the accident, of whom there are seven
still lying at the Royal Engineer Hospital, are all pro-
ceeding favourably, notwithstanding that some are suf-
fering very severely. Those most injured arc Sappers
Rogers and Smith, both of the Indian engineers, whose
cases were mentioned on Wednesday. Rogers is so
much burnt that scarcely a feature can be distinguished ;
he is also believed to have lost the sight of one, if not
both, his eyes. His is the only case likely to prove
fatal. Smith, through whose carelessness the accident
is known to have occurred, is much scorched and black-
ened about the face, head, and body, and is suffering
severely. The others arc all progressing towards reco-
very.

The board of officers, under the presidency of Major
Lovell, R.E:, ordered to investigate the cause of the
accident, concluded their inquiry. on Monday night, and
a report has since been forwarded to the Duke of
Cambridge. , .

THE ROBBERY ON BOARD THE
WELLESLEY.

Thomas Bate, the steerage passenger of the Wellesley,
who is charged with robbing Mr. Glover, one of the
cabin passengers, was brought before the magistrates
at Plymouth, on Tuesday morning, and remanded till
Monday. From the evidence it appears that Mr. Glover
occupied a cabin with his wife on board the Wellesley.
Outside his cabin door he had stowed a large chest
which he could not take into his cabin. The chest
contained a large quantity of wearing apparel, about
Boz. of gold, two valuable brooches, two gold pins, three
cheques, respectively for £4OO, £3OO, and £250. During
the passage some ill-feeling arose between Mr.
Glover and the prisoner, and the latter was heard to
threaten that he would be revenged. On the evening
of the 24th of December Mr. Glover's chest was safe,
but on following (Christmas) morning it could not be
found. On inquiry being made, it was found that there
were strong roasons to suspect that the prisoner, in con-
cert with another passenger, named Day, had removed
the chest, and thrown it and its contents overboard.
When the Wellesley arrived off the Start, the prisoner
and Mr. Glover were landed, with other passengers, at
this port, and the prisoner was then given into custody.
Day is gone on to London, where, on the arrival of the
vessel, he will be given into custody by Mrs. Glover,
who is gone on in the vessel.

Mr. Brian, solicitor, on behalf of Mr. Glover, applied
to have the poisoner remanded in order to give time for
the procuring of further evidence on the arrival of the
ship at London. On the person of the prisoner were
found a cheque for £250, several sovereigns, and articles
of jewellery, and a valuable watch, but none of the
missing property. He had landed here on his way to
Bodmin, to which place he belonged. The bench
admitted him to bail, himself in £lOO, and two sureties
in £5O each ; the latter he has written to Bodmin to
procure. He seemed to treat the latter lightly, saying
that there would be found a very different version of
the story on the ship's arrival.

JOKES UNDER THE GALLOWS TREE.—Any story of
a joke within sight of the gallows is, nowadays, referred
to some long-gone-by time ; but storytellers need not
give to their narrative such a remote date, as the spirit
is still extant, and manifested itself at the very latest
performance which took place in these islands. After
the execution of Lunnay, the murderer, at Dumbarton,
on Friday last, the assistant hangman went below to
receive the culprit's body on being lowered by Calcraft ;
but Mr. Ketch in chief, being in a somewhat humorous
mood, endeavoured to coil the slack of the rope round
his assistant's neck. This he did not succeed in doing,
but evidently amused with the idea, he walked off the
scaffold laughing heartily. The convict himself too
seems to have exhibited a little bit of jocularity on the
eve of his hanging. During the night before his execu-
tion, while in a slumbering state, the warder, in order
not to disturb the dying wretch, slipped on his carpet
shoes. Lunnay observing this asked the warder whether
they fitted him, and on being answered in the affirma-
tive, remarked that he would sell them to him cheap
as he could afford to do so now.

'TIE.-ACCIDENT. ON THE SHREWSBURY

AND HEREFORD RAILWAY.

Peter 'Warburton, Esq., the city coroner, and the jury
previously impanuelled, re-assembled in the board-room
at the railway station at Hereford, ,on Tuesday after-
noon, for the purpose of resuming the inquiry into the
circumstances attending the death of Sophia 'Lowe, the
daughter of a gentleman of property, residing at Curzon
neat Chester. and Mary Jones, daughter of Mr.
Penes; Of Vp'pet 13reriton, a few mites from Hereford,
who lost their lives through the disaster which occurred
near the Moreton Fitatititr, on the above line of railway.
It will be remembered that the accident took place on
the afternoon of Friday, the 4th /NA', when, through
the breaking of a tire of one of the wheels, several of
the carriages left the rails, and were hurled off the' line
into a dyke, containing several feet of water, and that
the two deceased were drowned in a second-class carriage,
in which they had been riding.
Mr. Peel, solicitor, of Shrewsbury, again attended on
behalf of the railway company, and Mr. Gwillim,
Hereford, represented the relatives of Miss Lowe,
as on the pre-riot:is Occasion.
Mr. Lowe, father Of One of the deceased, and several
and several of Miss Jones's retatites, dressed in deep
mourning, were also present, and ap'pettred considerably
affected during the proceedings.
The first witness called was

Thomas Newman Child (who appeared with his fore-
head bound up), who said—l am a guard on the Shrews-
bury and Hereford Railway, and have been so for
about sixteen months. Previously I was for seven
years a guard on the London and North-Western Rail-
way. I fag also two years a porter on the same line. I
had charge of the /2.40 train from Shrewsbury on the
4th inst. At the time of the accident it consisted of
one first-class, one second, one Tall, and oae composite.
We arrived at Leominster fifteen minutes late. We
ought to have been there at 2.10, but did not reach the
station till 2.25. The carriages were all examined at
Leominster by Stowmouth, who is appointed by the
company specially for the purpose. After his examina-
tion, he directed that one of the carriages should be
taken out of the train. There were several passengers
in it; and they were transferred to another. The car-
riages were tested in the usual manner. We left Leo-
minster et 2.23, and we left Dunmore at 2.40. Shortly
after we left Dunmore the guard, Brown, who was sit-
ting at the break, remarked that there was something
wrong with the train, and he immediately applied his
break. I looked out of the window and saw the ballast
flying and the carriages oscillating, and in a very short
period afterwards the van jumped off the line and I
blew nothing further until I was got out of the water.
Coroner—Are you not bound to make up lost time ?
Witness—No.

Do you think if you had means to communicate with
the driver, the train could hare been stopped before the
accident?—l do not know. We might, perhaps, have
applied the break sooner. I did not hear any of the
passengers screaming out. It is almost impossible to
hear when lam in the van. The carriage doors are
always unlocked. I have not resumed my duties since
the accident.

James Herbert (whose right leg appeared to be much
injured) deposed—l reside at Desmenes, Garway, Here-
fordshire. I was a passenger in the train, and occupied
a second-class carriage, with about eight other persons,
three of whom were females. Miss Jones and Miss
Lowe were two of those females. I got in at Leomin-
ster, and the first thing that attracted my attention was
a kind of thumping under my feet. That commenced
about half a mile from the accident, and continued to
increase until the carriages went over. When the train
was upset I found myself under water, and I believe
the water in the carriage was about six feet deep.
By the Jury—A young man who was in the carriage
put his head out of the window, and called out at the
top of his voice before we went over, but was not heard.
The carriage doors were all fastened, and they were
broken open with a hammer. I did not know the
females were left in the carriage when I got out. We
were all struggling to escape. We afterwards tried the
water in the carriage, but did not know any one was
left.

Childs (the guard) was recalled, and asked by the
coroner if he could state in what distance, at the rate
he was going, the train could have been stopped.
Witness—Generally in about 600 yards upon that part
of the road, but with such a train, and if the rails were
,dry, in a shorter distance—perhaps in 450 or 500 yards.
I consider the break power on the train was quite
sufficient.

By Mr. Peel—The usual plan to attract the attention
of the engine-driver is to apply the break sharply, and
to continue to do so and take it off again. That was
done in this instance by Brown, and everything was
done to prevent an accident. I am quite certain of this.
Thomas Weaver, a carpenter, deposed that he re-
membered the accident. He was sitting on a fence,
waiting for the train to pass to cross the line, when he
saw the carriages topple over. He afterwards assisted
to rescue the passengers.
Mr. Edward Jeffries, the locomotive superintendent of
the line, called and examined l• Mr. Peel—l saw the
condition of the guards' break after the accident.
It was hard on, showing that it had been applied
sharply. The carriage where the deaths took
place, measured from corner to corner, is about eight
feet. The depth of water in it was four feet four
inches at the deepest part. I have travelled many
thousands of miles upon engines, and have driven them
also. The driver of the train in question must have
had immediate notice when the break was put on. It
would affect the engine by causing a jerk at the coup-
ling. The engine-driver stated that he first knew of
the accident by a sudden jerk, and I believe that was in
consequence of the break being applied, and decidedly
not by the breaking of the coupling chains. Nothing
could possibly have been done by the guard or driver,
beyond what they did do, that would in any degree have
prevented the accident. I never had a tire of a carriage
wheel broken before in my experience, but since the
accident we have had two others broken through the frost.
I have, however, known tires to break on other lines. I
produced at the last meeting of the jury the particular
tire in question. A portion exhibited to the jury
appeared to be in a crystalised state, broken off short,
and not fibrous. The best iron will break off short
during frost. It was a fracture caused by excessive
tension. I have since made certain experiments with
portions of the tire to prove the action of the frost. I
have caused two fractures to he made in a portion of
the tire, one with the frost in it, and the other by
extracting the frost by passing it through the fire. The
piece with frost in it presents a crystalised appearance;
the other has no crystalised appearance, but is tough
and fibrous.

Coroner—Why have you not adopted means of com-
munication with the drivers on your line ?
Witness—We have a very small rolling stock. The
majority of our traffic is front the London and North-
Western and Great Western Railways ; we use most of
their stock, and we are waiting to follow what steps
they take.
Then no such plan is in use on either of those two
great lines ?--No.
If you had had such a plan—and the most perfect in
use—do von think it would have prevented the accident?
—I do not believe any means of communication would
have prevented the accident. We have taken every
precaution in our power to prevents accidents. We had
employed 300 extra hands during the frost, before the
accident, and since the accident we have doubled them.
We have also reduced the rate of speed. '
By Mr. Gwillim—We have had two other tires broken
since the accident. None before, in my experience. I
think the train to which the accident happened could
have been pulled up at that particular spot in about 250
yards. I think the train was nearly at a stand when
the carriages went over, and it was unfortunate the ditch
was full of water.

By a Juror—Do you not think a plan for communi-
cating with the drivers of engines would be of service in
preventing accidents ?
Witness—We are waiting for some good plan to be
taken up, for if we rush on with some uncertain scheme,
it will, in all prdbability, have the effect rather of causing
more accidents than preventing any. We are waiting
for one of the large companies to take the matter up,
and then we shall be very ready to adopt the best plan.
Mr. Lowe complained of the irregularities in starting
trains from Shrewsbury, and remarked that if on the
day of the accident the trains had been despatched at
their proper time, his (laughter would not have been in
the train that met with the accident. He knew nothing
could now bring him back his child, and he only made
reference to the matter in order to protect the public
for the future.

The room was then cleared, and after about half an
hour's deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of
"Accidental death," accompanied by recommendations
that the Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway Company
should use a better quality of iron for tires of the wheels
of their rollinz stock, and that there should be a com-
munication with the guard and driver.
The inquiry then terminated.

Loss or Two irves.—The continuance of the thaw
in London, during Tuesday and two preceding days has
rendered the ice of the Regent's and Grand Junction
Canals dangerously treacherous, and at the Paddington
end numerous immersions of children have taken place,
and in two instances have resulted fatally. The first
case was that of the son of a gentleman, named Em-
manuel Ford Inman, aged 7 years; residing with his
parents at 8, Carlton-terrace. Orme's-green, who, it
appears was enticed upon the ice by other children and
immediately afterwards fell through. Two men named
Bail and Cooper went to the rescue, hut when the body
was recovered life was totally extinct. The other case
was of an alarming character. It seems that on Tues-
day afternoon a little girl named Mary Anne Cox, 10
years of age, in company. with two other little girls,
ventured upon the ice near Dark's wharf, Paddington.
They had not been on long before the ice on which they
were became detached, and, after carrying them along a
short distance, it tipped and they were instantly im-
mersed together. Assistance was promptly rendered
and two were saved, but the body N the girl Cox was
not rescued for about seven minutes. She was removed
to the surgery of Dr. G. S. Beale, l'sddington-green,
and the usual remedies for resuscitation proved unsuc-
cessful, life being extinct.

- -

LATEST--SEWS:

(IVY BRITISII AND IRISH MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.)

NAPLES.
THE INSURRECTIONARY MOVEMENT.
ROME (via Marseilles), Jan. 19.

The reactionary movement in the district sur-
rounding Ascoli has been suppressed by the
Piedmontese. Several prisoners were shot.
A column of 2,000 Sardinians has been disem-
barked at Civita Nova, and are marching on the
province of Terrano.
It is asserted that the reactionary bands, after
having taken Taglicozzo, were defeated.
Numbers of royal officers and Roman peasants
continue to enter the Abruzzi.

NA LEs (via Marseilles), Jan. 19.
Numerous arrests have taken place. Many
Royalist officers have been dismissed.

GAETA (vie Marseilles), Jon. 19.
It is asserted that Spanish frigates arc about to
be stationed off Civita Vecchia.

GAETA.
THE BOMBARDMENT.
NAPLES, Jan. 22, Morning.
The batteries of Gaeta opened fire against the
Sardinians this morning ; the latter are actively
working at the new batteries ; the blockade of
the bay is being rapidly carried out.

[OFFICIAL DESPATCH.]
MOLA DI GAETA, Jan. 22, Evening.
At eight o'clock this morning the batteries o
Gaeta unexpectedly commenced a very heavy fire.
Our batteries promptly replied, and compelled
the place to remain silent. The fleet placed itself
in line at twelve o'clock. The fire of the besiegers
continues.

PREPARATIONS IN FRANCE FOR WAR.

The Paris correspondent of the Daily News
says there is no doubt whatever that extraordi-
nary naval and military preparations are now
going on in France, the excuse for which is the
menacing attitude of Germany towards Denmark
and the speeches of the King of Prussia. There
is a talk of a creation of sixty or eighty general
officers of the navy.

GARIBALDI AND THE SPRING CAMPAIGN.
Garibaldi has addressed a letter to the Vigi-
lance Committee in Italy ; it is dated the 13th
instant. He calls for fresh donations, to procure
the necessary means of facilitating to Victor Em-
manuel the enfranchisement of the rest of Italy.
The committees are invited to penetrate every
Italian with the idea that in the spring of this
year Italy must have a million of patriots under
arms. A journal should be established to incul-
cate upon electors the choice of deputies, who,
having as their first thought the enfranchisement
and integrity of Italy, shall obtain from the
government the arming of the nation.

THE EAST.

CONSTANTINOPLE, Jan. 16.

The new commercial treaties are advancing to
a conclusion on the expected basis of uniform
duties of S per cent. on imports and exports.

PRUSSIA, SARDINIA, AND ITALY.

A despatch from Count Cavour to the Prussian
Minister for Foreign Affairs disavows the lan-
guage used by M. Valerio, the Sardinian Com-
missars- at Ancona, which seemed to signify that
Sardinia was inclined to regard Trieste as a part
of Italy.

The Piedmontese Government declares their
wish to conscientiously respect the territory of
the germanic Confederation.

HUNGARY.

PESTH, Jan. 23.

The General Assembly of the Comitat of Grau
has voted a reply to the-last Imperial resolutions,
communicated by the Chancellor of Hungary to
the Government at Buda. The following is a
summary of his reply :—The permanent conflicts
with the Government have rendered Hungary
distractful. The Imperial diploma of October 20
is in contradiction with the Pragmatic Sanction
which is binding on the King as well as on the
nations. The oath taken by Charles 111. is bind-
ing on his successors. Taxes not sanctioned by
the Hungarian Diet are illegal. The Comitat
demands guarantees for the right of the Diet to
sanction or reject taxes, and wishes that the
" King-Emperor of Austria" should reside in
Hungary.

AMERICA.

LONDONDERRY, Jan. 23.

The Montreal Ocean Company's screw-steamer
North American, with Portland dates to the 12th,
and dates from New York, ria Cape Race, to the
15th instant, arrived in Lough Foyle this fore-
noon, and proceeded, having landed all mails.
The steamers Nova Scotian, Glasgow, and Ame-
rican have arrived out.

On the 11th instant the State Conventions of
Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida passed the
ordinance of secession from the United States.
The ordinance of Alabama is similar to that
passed by South Carolina, with an addition invit-
ing all the Southern States to meet her Conven-
tion, for the purpose of forming a new govern-
ment at Alabama, on the •lth of February. The
ordinance was adopted by a vote of 61 to
37. That of Florida passed by a vote of
of 62 to 7. The Charleston batteries, occupied by
the South Carolinians, fired into the Star of the
West, with reinforcements for Fort Sumter,
which retired to the lower harbour to await the
arrival of the steam-ship Brooklyn. A great
battle was threatened if the latter entered, but on
the receipt of pacific news from Washington on
the 11th, the excitement at Charleston had consi-
derably abated. The Federal troops had aban-
doned all the forts in Pensacola harbour, with the
exception of Fort Pickens, where they are con-
centrated, and 300 men had started from Mobile
to seize on that.

The Washington correspondent of the Com-
mercial telegraphs that an effort will be made in
the Senate to order an investigation into the
charge of a treasonable plot to establish a
Southern confederation with its capital at Wash-
ington ; also, that Mr. Trescot, of South Carolina,
has come to Washington with pacific overtures
from Governor Pickens.
The state troops of Louisiana have taken pos-
session of the Barters Lodge Arsenal, with Forts
Jackson, Saint Phillip, and Picka. Resistance
was offered. Returns from this State (Louisiana)
indicate that the secessionists will have a majority
in the convention.
Indian depredations in Texas continues.
New York has tendered her whole force to the
general government.
A quarrel which took piece between General
Scott and Senator Toorms at a dinner party was
likely to lead to a duel.
Senator Seward's speech on the present crisis,
which he was to deliver on the 20th, was anxiously
looked for.
SAN FRANCISCO.

Advices to the 29th December had been received.
Weather had improved; but, business was dull;
transactions very light, and sales forced low rates.
Operations in produce had been entirely sus-
pended. Money easy in good demand. The
•
steamer of the Ist January, for Panama, will
take 51,000,000 in treasure.
COMMERCIAL.

NEW YORN, 11th Jan., 0 p.m.—Stocks dull
and lower. Illinois Central Scrip 73, New York
Central 77, Erie 371. Cotton firm, sales 2,500
bales at 13L-c. Flour firm for State and Western,
sales 23,000 brls. Wheat, sales 83,000 bushels.
Corn firm. Whiskey steady. Rice steady. Sugars
steady. Freights to Liverpool quiet. Exchange
yesterday, bills at sixty days on London 101 to
; for commercial 105 to 1051 for bankers.

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 10.—Sales of cotton
to-day, 27,000 bales,„ The steamer's news caused
an advance from 111 c terl2.le for middling.
HAVANNAII, Jan. 7.—Sugar and freights dull.
Exchange on Northern ports is 5 to 9?-, prem.
Mr. Cobden has arrived in Paris from Algiers ;
and, after seeing the Emperor, on Tuesday, was
to proceed at once to London.

The following appeared in our later editions of
yesterday :
FRANCE.

- -
THE REPORTS OF TIIE LEGISLATIVE
CFIAMBERS.
• PARIS, Jan. 23.

The Moniteur announces that a "Sentitus Con-
sultum " has been presented to the Senate order-
ing that accounts of the sittings of the. Senate
and of the Corps Legislatif shall be placed at the
disposal of each journal every evening. A tom_

~ , -,_~,
"'~-