The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-01-04 00:00:00

ttrE STOMITIRIDGE OBSERVER.

...ft.
•e 1

Tmitore

rabbits and pheasants were found In the plantation But
where were the human remains? At first not a trace was to
he found: then somebody Pow something black ,mongat the
leafless branches of a high tree, which turned out to he the
leg of a man, and by degrers fragmenta of hone and flesh and
'breada of clothe. were picked up in the debris that covered
the marshes Those who conducted the march bait a hor-
rible as well as an extrrniely ,11,gernus duty to perfenn It
was doubtful for a lone rime whether the scattered powder
from the glazing house nOeht not take fire The walls,
whleh still stooJ, were exeeedingly hot, and though there
was no pereuptible flame there were lots of charred and
smoldiering timber scattered everywhere. The greater part
of the awe struek crowd kept at a safe distance; and though
watchmen were posted immediately there was little need
of their services lie must have hem, a hold man who first
ventured near the ..glastng house.' A small party of police
did their duty manfully, and were assisted by a number of
the labourers in the place; but several times It was thought
prudent to order them to fall back for fear of some greater
fatality.
. . . .

It ppened strangely enntigh that at the time of the ex-
plosion both Mr. Gall awl his EOlll were present at the meet
of the hounds on a neichbourieg (ann. Thy rode up to the
place immediately aml exerted themselves to the utmost in
allaying the panic and preserving something like order. As
soon as possible the search was proceeded with, and here
and there amongst the roma pieces of flesh were tin.ci leered,
which were carefully gathered and deposited in an adjoining
carpenter's shed. Not a lonh wee perfect, awl the unfortu-
nate mourners were totaily unable to recognise the mutilated
renmins of their Midianite Still fathers. A sickening sight
was the interior of the shed, where all that was left 01 the
victims of the exph,sion were to await the coroner's limpowt.
At first it was difficult to ascertain the names of the dead,
hut after • patient iiivestication the following list has been
made out, which there is reason to believe is correct :
John Young, aged t 2, married. four children.
Edward Young, 45, married, four children.
George Taylor, 67, Married, tine son.
William Sole, 41, married, eight children.
Christopher John Cock, 3), married, no children.
Thomas Baldock, 27, married, two children.
William Austin, 25, married, two children.
William Eley, la, married, no children.
John Payne, 39, married, four children.
Thomas Back, ffil, married, four children.
Thomas Amos, 4 married, no children.
From this it will be teen that twenty-nine children have
been left orphans, awl the calamity is rendered more de-
plorable by the fact that the majority of these are of tender
age, and are, therefore, perfectly helpless. All the de-
ceased were experienced and skilful workmen, and in point
of remuneration were more comfortably situate! than those
Ito performed less perilous duties George Taper had
been more th in thirty years in Messrs. Ilall's employment,
mot had escaped several previous explosion. Thomas Back
lost a brother by the disaster of April last. The others were
well known in the neighbourhood as respectable, intelligent,
and careful men Shortly before the explosioa there were
twelve workmen in the three buildings already described.
One of these. named Frederick Sherwood. Wit the claming-
biome at a in {lntr to eleven tOt a few minutes, and it WKS
while lie was Mood that the accident occurred. Ile heard
the flr*t report, and then was flung senseless ion las face, and
knew no more until he was WWI up near the ruins half
dead with fright. The engine-driver, Thomas Jones, was at-
deniling to his duties, and also a caned, although he received
a severe shock. A carter coming to the corning.honae was
thrown int,, the air, lint has mile suffered a few slight coil-
tneions. A scan named William Bramble, employed It. load-
ing a host, was alio in a very dangerous position, but has
sustained no hijUry.
Towards eveiiing it was considered necessary to poet a
large iiiiinber of a atchmen around the works, to prevent the
tigress of sightseers, who became bolder when it appeared
that there was little dancer 1.1 another explosion. !Co one
was allowed to enter except the pollee, the proprietors, and
the inanseer. Keen the ground on the river side of the
canal was eimilarly guarded. The beat view of the ruins
N. obtained from the marshes maned° the plautation.
The tremeudons force of the explosion was evidenced Ivy
the Minimise rents which had liven made in Walls more than
six feet thick The upper portions of these hail been broken
oil, and projected distances of between 50 and 100 yards
Single bricks were found on a rising ground nearly three
quarters of a mile away. The damage would have been
iefinittly greater but for the larger embankments which
Surrounded three sides of each of the houses in the mills.
The shock was felt as far as Canterbury
.about ten niiles
distant`, in which town several windows were broken. The
earth was shaken for fifteen 'area smiled Faversham. In
Favenhain the houses shook and rocked in a manner that
elicited general terror, and the inhabitants rushed out Into
the street believing that their dwellings were about to fall
on them Some of them state that It appeared as if the
houses first smik and then nue, and then tlie rocked leo k.
wards and forward. If they had been London built houses
they must have inevitably have onto lieu. As it was, the
especially in the lower part of the town, which
was suealest the mills, were shattered, and chlinueys were
blown Wiwi). Several persons were more or less Colltnteti IT
being thrown against the walls of rums or :Tenni articlesof
(Wafture. The townspeople mention as a sort oi general
lons that the largest sheet of plate glass in the t../.1 was
oomph lily destroyed. lu Canterbury the general exclama-
tion was, "It Is the Fenitins but in Faversham the people
cried out It is the mills again ;" f r expli•Milis arc a' most
of perivilical occurrence, nota itlistanilibg all the care that
is taken to avoid such calamities.

private meeting: the result of which has not trampled:

As for away as Herne Biy awl Margate pt.. pie heard a
crash like a distant peal of thunder. Two or three persons
who were working in the fields and marshes, neat the mills,
describe the itumeillate effect of the explosion as something
marvellous. They saw the roofs of the houses bloom into
the air to the height it several lon.dred feet, awl falling
In huge fragment, to the gr quid. The place was covered
with a dense cloud of smoke and dust, which hung for a
considerable time in the foggy air. The water in the river
was grew ly agitated, awl some of the pouts in the mantles
Were literally emptied.

Itaidieising at a time when almost eve!y outrage is asso-
ciated with Feniaisism, it woe spite natural that in the first
panic the explosion ghouls' have ',ten ascribed to the sauna
stevillish malignity which canoed the ruin of property and
loss of life at Clerkenwell. But the sliglisest investigation
seemed to disprove such a supposition. Messrs. list!, like
other firms engaged In dangerous trades, had hints and
warnings of mischief, and as a consequest,e had prudently
doubled the precautions against expheion. The 1.0 suit is to
show that no care, however minute, can guarantee the
manufacturer of gunpowder agitinst the lobs of life and
propm ty. The works were inimitably destine I Everyt MIA
was emistnoited an. a 5 to Moth, the minimum of friction.
The meti war' leather elm lies, and walked In felt slippers
No fire was permitted, except in the hoilerreion. Each
matt worked a slay and watched a night idternately. rhe
roof of the gt izing. In. was cs seem,' with large tanks fillet
with eater, and this pre,auti ~,, tieunlcntny saved its contei
On Sunday an Mammas 'tomb, of 'sightseers flocked to the
place. The trains InOurlis hundreds from Canterbury,
Chatham, Werrington Teynhain, and all the neighbouring
towns The narrow Nies leading frsln Faversham to the
marshoi Were densely Virongest by Men awl women .but very
few saw aoything heyfe.d the bricks seittered in the flelds
and the broken trees. The nabs:tiling surrounsting the mills,
at hich had in mar* places been broken, was replaced by
temporary barriers, tine watchmen guarded every foot of the
enclosure, 40.1 Wahrilit the Otis, 111 Ot the 01prd:tors or the
police it Was gene iniposAble to get a near view of The
amines, buihlings. ACCONingly most of those who came to
gratify a morbid curiosity went lwme disappointed.

An Inquest hes been held, when a verdict of " Aecidental
death" was returned, with the followinz addenda " And
the jury also believe that ne. ry care and caution have been
taken by the proprietors of these works to s. hot men who
are careful, sober, and honest, and that the management is
carried on caret

the utmost delitieratimi, and rather like a number of per- manual labour in the way of trade must attend school re
sons making a purchase than people committing an action gularly and concurrently with such occupation.
of which the consoquences might he en serious to themeelver. Would too permit me to ask you to give publicity to what
While the men were collectiug the annuttuition the young the Workshops Regulatiou Act requires, in order that tne
man who first addressed Air Allfort, and who appeared to information may reach, through your columns, every part of
be the leader of the party, showing hi, revolver to Mr. the kingdom?
Allport, laughingly remarked, " This is rather a nice No child may he employed under e'ght years of age.
sort of thing, isn't it?" Whim the tie., men had been No child under 11 may Int employed at night or Lr more
gone a f,w ni hint, with the second prize, the Si; with a het than fax and a half hours.
warning to Mr. Allport not to fol ow, left the bhp No owns person /ruder 15 awl no female may he em-i
without the slightest harry, and anickening their pace playeni at night, or for more than 12 hours.
when they reached the street, crossed over to the None of the above persons may 63 employed after 4.31:1
other side, passed down a narrow lane called Freeichureh- p.m. on Saturday.
street, and disappeared, leaving Mr Allnort, his nephew, No child under 11 may be employed uniees such child &t-
-end Mr Daunt se coniplet,ly overwiHneBl ty the entire tend sellout at least three days per week, and produce to the
eircurustanu, that none of the Om C could in untie ent employer a certificate of elicit attendance
time collect themselves enough to glee ati alarm or make 11.11 On the lit of July, 1868, the short time anil school ate
effort for the apprehension or irameliee pursuit of the is extended to 12, aud on the ht of July, 1870, to 13 years
men It was only when they had disappeared that Mr. of age.
Allport recollected himself. and hasteiiing to a police eta- There are other regulations, but the above are, cleared of
Mon, gave information. line whole ellair d!il not occupy techuicalities, the simple anti plain enactmentt
more than ten or fifteen intrudes at the very tartheq. The As Inspe.tor of Factories lam now in communication
eight men were mostly tf the middle height, two being with the yeti,os local authorities In my district, to whom
taller. Some of them were persons of onlieary appearance, lam elisions to render every assistance in my roe Cr in their
bat all were detviitly dressed, arid two or three wore clothes administration of this beneficent law.
of
.suptrior slut, sad seemed smart and gentlema!ily teen.

-
A few were of Risking American cut in minter said 5....in.-ear-
ance. The police are busily engaged in pursuit, but nn to
the present without success. The magistrates have held a
_ . .