The Express.
London, England, 1864-11-08 00:00:00

THE LATE EXPLOSION AT EItITII.

ADJOURNED INQUEST.—(THIS DAY.)
The inquest upon the bodies of th,:
people who were recently killed by the l►te explosion
]facers. Hall's gunpowder magazines on Erith Hershel, was
resumed this day before Mr. Carttar, one of the coroner:
for Rent. The intelligence published in the papers ct thir
morning of the explosion of a corning house at the mills
belonging to the same gentlemen, at Faversham, threw an
additional gloom over the proceedings, and much sympathy
was expressed for the Mows. Hall, as well WI for the tw,,
poor men who have lost their lives.

The same legal gentlemen attended to watch the pro.
ceediogs in the interest of the various partic3 ,ffo,:te.l, and
Mr. rdby, the agent of the Low wood Co:opany, : •
present.
The Coroner stated that on the last oczasion be hay'
given pei.rOnion to Mr. Poland to produce some wittei,e,
to contradict the evidence which had been given by scup:
of the witnesses, but one of the witnesses having volunteered
a statement that the government powder magazine,
infinitely worse managed than private ones; ho ha•l rr.
calved a letter from the Marquis of liartington, the Ledo,.
Secretary of State for Wart requesting him to can
witnesses from l'urfleet to explain the manner in slid
the government establishments were conducted.
The following witnesses were then examined :
Mr. Charles Ker Cleeve sworn—l reside at PurtL.t,
have an appointment there. lam store officer
have been so for two years.
The Coroner —lJo you dispose of your unserrick..d.".•
powder in bairels ?—Yes, we do. Whenever there is r: a'.
cumulation it is sold to contractors by tender.
Are any defective barrels sold without the powder':—
they are.

Within the lut six months have you sold any ddect:,
powder barrels ? 1 es, both powder in barrels a, 1
serviceable barrels which were worn out. They were
nally powder barrels, but latterly they may have beta esti
for puttiog charcoal or saltpetre iu.
Have you sold any new defective barrels?—No,
Have you, within three or four months, sold as n....cy as
1,000 barreh?— Yes, more than 1,00) empty btrreli.
Were they sold by auction?—They were, but acy r
not purchased by powder mauulacturers.
Are they sold as worn out powder barrels?—Yes ; as u.
serviceable barrels.

Now, with respect to the unserviceable powder it.(. 11, is
what condition were the barrels "l
—la a perfectly st.,:, I 0, I
serviceable condition.

Is the statement of the witness Linginan true and correct
—1 consider it a tissue of the most acuidalous
there is not a single word in his statement in which thud
the slightest truth.
He stated that the barrels were pitched out 13 or 2 / fec t
into the vessel. Is that true?—Not a word of it.
barrel filled with upset viceable powder is handed out and
carefully examined to see that the barrels are luite sound,
and they pass through the hands of four persons, and nuaily
are deposited in the bold of the vessel on a soft cushion.
What plan do you adopt with respect to fire on Ix aid it.:
barges ? —No fire is allowed on board the barites. Ti.:) are
all put out at the buoy, 400 or 500 yards from the wharf. I
can speak from 2.1 years' experience. I never knee the
rale broken, nor any smoking. We have a cook house on
shore, at a safe distance from the magazine.
Did you ever know the heels of the barrels fly oat
never.

'—No,

Nor powder flyiog out from beneath the hoops ?—No,
oertaioly not.
With respect to the berm!' themselves, do you manatee.
tare them:'—No, they are supplied by contractors.
Are soy of them supplied by Messrs. Hall *:—Yes, a great
many.

Acid in what condition generally are they the rue,:
satisfactory condition. They are most excellent barrel';
both the empty barrels and those in which there was powder.
You desire no iiimendment in them whatever!—?o, and
we take as many of them as we can get.
Yon do not think that it would be proper to hare a
large re-coopering establishment at Parileet?—No, our
establishment for re-coopering is at a considerable 'e.
When we sell powder to contractors the empties are re•
turned, but every such barrel passes through the cooperage,
and none are need except they have been re-coopered and
examined.—[The a Ansa' handed in two letters, one from
Messrs. J. Hall and Sons, and one from Mr. Wilke, which
the coroner having looked at, said that he would deal with
when be examined those gentlemen.]
By the Jury—l have been connected with and in charge
of powder for 20 years, bat have not been more than two
years at Purtleet. The barrels are rolled on an open bar.
row with copper wheels. They are let down on the cushion
in the hold by a block and pulley tackle, and then they are
banded by one of the men. The barrels do not drop at a:I ,
they are emply landed.
Do you not consider there is great danger from passing
steamers I don't think there is, but it appears to me
that the steamers always make it a role to coal it'd as they
get opposite to the magazines. Why they do so I can't
imagine, possibly it may be a sort of half.way station between
London on Gravesend.

The fire is higher just when they are coaling, I suppose!
—Yes, there are more smoke end sparks.
Mr. David Price Maxsteed, chief foreman of the govern-
ment magazine at Purflest, sworn—The bonus that are sent
out from the government stores with unserviceable powder
are quite sound and free from latkage, and the empties are
returned in fair condition ;they are sent to the cooperage
at once and re.cooperecl. We have no quarter or eighth
barrels. We have quarter barrels of ammunition. I know
Mears. Halle barrels ;.they are very good indeed.
By the jury—There cannot be better barrels for the pur-
pose for which they were used. We have nine men in
the re.coopering department. Every barrel must pus
through the". heeds, and are examined most carefully by
them. I never saw barrels so bad as to admit of the powder
flying out. I have been six years in the position 1611 at
present, and before that I was at the head of the cooperage.
I have been 20 years employed at Purflset. We have, per.
haps 100 barrels in the examining-house at a time. We
have about 33,000 hundred pound barrels of powder at a
time. There never has been an explosion here.

A Juror—Are you aware that the 7',nt,l stated Ott
there were 50.000 barrels of powder at Purifeet !

Wittme—That was a mistake.

Mr. Clews —I thick the re 1,141 stated that 30,000 barrels
might be stored there, end that is correct.
Croas-examined—Steamers do not come within half a
mile of our magazines, neither do little fishing smacks come
within the buoy. A sentry is placed there to prevent them.
The store-houses are about W yards apart, and no doubt if
one exploded all would go.
By Mr. Terry—We have occasion sometimes to return
casks which were faulty to contracton. I do not know
what price is paid for each ask.

A Juror—Whose caeka have you had to reject ?—I do
not know, because we have so many. We have scarcely
ever rejected Mr. Hall's casks. In fact I only know of one
instance in which a single barrel was rejected.
James William Sing, employed li years at Pudica, cot.
roborated the evidence of the last witness.

[The evident was being proceeded with whoa our report
left. J

THE BERRYER BANQUET.—The hour fixed for
the banquet to M. Berryer, which take. place in the
Middle Temple 1101 this evening, is half past ti o'clock.
Among those who have been invited and hove ao.wpted the
invitation are Lords Brousbam and Kincarlown, the Lord
Chief Justice of England, the Lord Justice Knight Bruce.
the Right Hon. W. E. Gladotoue, M.P.. the Lord Cuief
Baron of the Exchequer, Vice-Chancellor Sir John stuart,
Vice-Chancellor Sir W. Page Wood, the Right Hon. S:r 1.
Ryan, the Right Hon. T. E. Ileadlam,3l.P., the Rohr H.io.
8. Lashington, the Right Hoo, J. S. Wortley, Mr. :ionize
Blackburn, Mr. Justice Mellor, Mr. Justice Lyles flacons
Martin, Pigott, Bramwell, and Channel' ; the Afton:ley
and Solicitor Generals, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, If. P., Sir Hugh
Cairns, Sir George lionernao, the Hon. George !Maniac,
Sir Joshua Rowe, Sir Barnes Peacock, sa- J. E. Willmott,
John Rolt, N.Y., J. A. Roebuck, M.P., James Anderson,
Q.C. ; Sarjeanta Hayes, Payne, Want) no, Wiailrych,
Parry. Among those who have been iucitial and have re.
fused are the Lord Chancellor, the Master of the Rolls,
Lord Chelmsford, the Right Hon. Sir Laurence
MR. COBDEN AND RIB CONATTITENT., —We believe
it is now definitely arranged that Mr. Colvien will oldren
his constituents at Rochdale, in Mr. Councillor Robilieon s
new works, on Wednesday, the 23rd inst. Mr.
M.P., has notified his intention of being present, and will
take part in the proceedings of the evening.
ACCIDENT TO THE DUKE OF LIAMILTON.-011
Tuesday lasts mad occident happened to his :race the Duke
of Hamilton while hunting with the Cliristeburch barriers.
The noble duke rode well to the front, charged at an mar.
mous bullfinch. holding his whip hand before his facie foal
protection, when the animal no which hi. mounted
threw hark her heed. knocking with awful violent* the
boodle of hie bunting-whip into his eye. For some time it
was feared his grace must lose his eye, it eopearmg to be
forced from its socket, but from the ticicly assistance of
retainers, medical aid it is hoped may soon restore him to
his large carols of admiring followers.—Same Adratiscr.