The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-01-29 00:00:00

F.tTAL Bonita Eltriaistorr.--On Tees,lay coining,
about 7 1.'60,k, a tea i !lie teeter esplosi tttt kepis: tied at
tlit Cockshint Co;limy, uear Wolvertie i.pten, laalie;itig I
I'. Ilis -ra. Aston and Si. ,w, awl two torn sr. re kaled.
This is the second fatal holler explosion a melt luta
occurred at the sins colliery within nine days. lu the
tiist explositin, wia eh oe:urrtsl on Monday week. one '
man Was killed. In that cue it was shown that the
holler was exceedingly obi and worn out, and the jury,
findirg they were tumble to make die proprietors
criminally responsible, censured them for whir.; such a
hoder, and recommended that Government impcctore of
boil. rs elimild be appoilited. In this last VW, situ the
previous one, the boiler wad seed to work a pumping
engine. Its ilinieneions were about 7j feet by 25 feet,
with es,. ellepett ends, and the engine was a con-lensing
OUNCES C. GruNitr AND TAYIAM.
one. The boiler hail been cleaned out during the day
This was a petition by John Henry Gurney for a die- loader the direction of the inaeing4ig engineer (Joseph
solution of his soil rage with. Mary dart- 0 uritey on the Fiweli); it hail either leen again het to work, or
ground of her adultery with William Taylor. The co- prenanition it itzl le•ing ine•lc to :4:tat to work, when it
respondent VMS not represented by counsel. The Solid- exploded. Elwell was thou in a boast which was built
tur•Oenerel, in opening the case, stated that the pill- up against the Loiter, and there was with him John
tiener was •g. n•lemen of weelth and positi to, the Legge, the eiminenian' who an hour before had taken
tueinlwr of • well-knoa I. firm of haekete in Norfolk, charge of tile engine and boilers from Jobe Evans. the
anti M.P. for King's Lyeti. 'Elie reapondeist, Mary Jary day engineman, and Evans was just leaving the hovel,
Gurney, was the daughter of Richard Danbury Gurney, where they had al: been partsking of the ale usually
who was the cousin of Joseph. John Gorney, the father Ohioan.' he proprietors alter boilers, have been cleaned.
of the petitioner. Their learn :ge took place in June, The force e ith which the boiler expiated W" very great,
1844% at All Souls, blarylebone, with the foil know- it shook open the doors of some house* situated at 11.
ledge mid approbation of the respective families. Mr. considerable distance, and the noise reaeinhleil that of •
Gurney W.IS then between 26 and 27 yea's of age, and kind clap of thunder. The toiler, which is supposed to
Mrs. Gummy between 16 awl 17. Two children of the hive Weighed lattillt fist: tints, WWI reot into two portioa,
inerriage were living, both of them SOW, 0111 aged Asset
13 and the other about 5. At the time of the marriage one of which was ;timid 3j tons. Thin-cc piece*, after
to. Gainey's parents were his ing, hit they lisil since 1 hying carried rilsatt 25 or 30 feet in the air, fell in
mitosite ..lirec•ions, each shout 200 yards Iron, it.
, died. tier surviving parent died in 1857, and she then I : : . . is , .
woe into tossession iii very ameidereble ("Sure in her - illrigttllti Felts. •• is the CoSroln St Ulla colliery to Coco
I the b.•ilore with brickwork, an I this custom increased
own right for tier life. For the lest six or seven years I the deetststion. The hued was taw in ruins. mot
Mr. Gurney had had a country reehlenee at Catlett-hall Elwell and Legge, in addition le being fearfully
near Norwich, and 6 bad a taws residence in Kensing. crushed in the rums, were for some thine subjected to
ton Palace gardens, where Its stayed when his streams of hot water aud 5t43.4111. which Bowed un them
Parliamentary duties required his presence in Irani the boiler which stood by the side of the exploded
London. During the session •of 1859, Mr. nue, and which, with it, supplied the engine with the
Gurney had been in somewhat *lose attendance necessary power. Elwell was found quit e deed,
upon his Parliamentary duties. William Ts].
etandiug up against the fireplace, roal Legge sitting
tar WAS a footman, who, after being in the
down at the °pia:mite end of the building, Legge was
:service of Mr. Gurney for two or three years, was dis-• taken to the South Staffurilthire Hospital, but he died
missed ou the 21s1 No, °tub. r, 1859. Although he coo- within an hour after his admission. Evans was severely
cupied a menial position, be was the SOO of respectable Scalded, but he will recover. That lie escaped with his
parente, small fermiers it, Norfolk, who lied given him life is a matter of groat surprise. Examination of the
a "rrY fair '''ill'ati°n• F the "'"' of il'''. M^"i"s boiler leads to the luference that the pietas, bad become
until their retuni to Catten, in November, 18iW, Mr. red hot, or nearly so, from a detiaiency Of water, awl a
end Mrs. Gurney bad always lived together happily, close observation reveals a hidden danger to which Mr.
but certain matters this came to Mr. Gurecy's ears. E .T. Wright, CE., of Wolverhampton, drew, as the
which led to his dismio.ing Taylor. On the 12th of ny our readers will remember, prominent attention souse
December, 1868, Mr. and Mrs. Gurney removed to their time ago—vix. that for some time there had heels a
town house. On the following morning. the Ea De-
cember, it was found that Mrs. Gurney had quitted her hidden seats rend. Mr. Baker, the Government
haleind's house, and she never afterwards returned to Inspector of Mines, was ot the colliery on Wedueselay
examining all the boilers and engines there, assisted by
it. She had abandoned her home, as was subm.itiently Mr. Wright, whom he hail instructed to prepare •
sscerteine.l, for the purview of consorting with Taylor, report upon all the boilers and engine in this concern.
and alio took lotlgiegs with lion at 216, in the Msryle- The inspection showed that some of the appliance.; were
bone-rued. On the evening of the day on which she of smnoet primitive and dangerous eliarecter, and the
eloped Mr. Gurney received the following letter front men who hail the engines in charge lamentably ignorant
her : of th.o duties they hied undertaken to perform.
"My poor Husband.—l have, indeed, left you and ISMS or Two Lives.— The continuance of the thaw
our poor children, but you know my heart has been rendered the ice of the Itegent'e sail Orana Junction
long another's, aeil therefore I could not he heppy with t.,,,mele daugereusly tmeher,„, ant at the psddiont,m
you any more. Please send my luggage and Diak to 216, end numerous immersions of children have taken place,
Meryleboue-road ; also the small books 1 brought from and in two instances have resulted fatally. The first
Cattoo, and my work, case was that of the son of a gentleman, named
"Your miserable wife, Emanuel Ford Inman. aged 7 years, residing with his
"MARY JARY GURNEY, parents at 8, Carlton terrace, Ortsie's-green, who, it
" I pray God to forgive me, and to preserve you and appeats was enticed upon the ice by other children
the children." ' mid immediately afterwards ft-11 through. Two men
The Dick alluded to to this letter was • favourite . tamed Rail and Cooper went to the reecue, but when
dog. the 1..1y was recovered life was totally extinct. The
Evidence was given to show Sat the parties bed ' other case was id an alainailog character. A little girl
lodged together, and the Judge Ordinary said the peti- nettled Mary Autie Cox, 10 years of age, in company
tioner is entitled to a decree viii, but the decree was ' with two other little guts, ventured upon the ice near
sus;ended to give en opportunity for a future application • Dark's wharf, Paddington. They had not beim on lung
as to the respondent's property. j before the ice on which they were beesine detached.
I and, utter cam log them along a short distan, e, it
tripped, on 1 they were latently iminereed together.
Amide:rice wai promptly rendered, and two were saved,
but the body of the girl Cox was not rescued for about
sea-cu minutes. She wao removed to thin mint., ry of 1) r

Further evidence having been widucod in upport of
defendant's
The learned counsel on both sides mililtessed the
jury, win ii I.i lordship summed up.
Tbe jury then retired, and after an absence of three
bouts eailie into court and stated there was no possi-
bility of their Nu., ing.
They wero accordingly discharged without cowing to
verdict.