The Express.
London, England, 1862-09-10 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, SFPTEMBER 10, 1862.

THE FIRE AND LOSS OF LIFE AT THE
LIVERPOOL WORKHOUSE.-INQUEST.

An inquest was yesterday opened upon the
bodice of Wee killed during the disastrous fire at the
Liverpool Workhouse, on Monday morning. Mr. Driffield,
coroner for the county. presided, in the absence of Mr.
Curry, the coroner for the borough, and before the pro-
ceedinp were formally opened read over the list of the
killed, as follows :
Nuasz&—Susan Carroll, aged 47 ; Harriet Meack, 46.
CHILDRISN. —Ellen Duggan, 7, mother in the house;
Elisabeth Glover, 5, ditto ; Margaret Hall, 6, ditto ;, Martha
Hall, 6, alone ; Mary Hughes, 6, mother in the house ;
Harriet Anderson, 6, father in the house ; Ann Scott, 4,
mother in the house ; Winifred Grudger, 4, ditto ; Mary
Jan Wilson, 5, ditto ; Ann Wilson, 4, ditto ; Mary Brown,
4, sister in the industrial school ; Catherine Burns, 4, alone;
Mary Leather, 5 years and 6 months, mother in the house ;
Hannah M'Keoun, 4, alone ; Mary Dixon, 4, mother in the
house ; Ann Wolfe, 6, orphan ; Elizabeth Adamson, 6,
orphan ; Hannah Bannon, 5, mother in the house; Mary
Ann Cooney, 4, grandmother in the house; Mary Ann Car-
ney, 4, alone.
After the names of the deceased persons had been read
over, the jury proceeded from the coroner's office in Dale-
street to the workhouse in Brownlow-bill, where they
. viewed the bodies. The children generally were fearfully
mangled, and in most instances unrecognisable. On the
return of the pry to the coroner's court, Mr. Can,
the governor o the workhouse, was called to give evi.
dance :—On Sunday night he was in the house,
and nothing was reported wrong up to a late
hour. The inmates of the dormitories went to bed
at eight o'clock, and no one was allowed to be
out of the dormitories after half-past seven, unless on
special duty. On Sunday evening he was in the immediate
vicinity of the place where the fire occurred several times,
but did not observe anything wrong. Was there as late as
a quarter-past eleven, and everything then appeared safe.
About two o'clock the next morning he was disturbed by
the alarm of fire, and upon rushing dews stairs met one of
the schoolmistresses, who said there was a fire in the dor-
mitories. He proceeded to the dormitories (those of
the children adjoining the church), and saw dense
volumes of smoke proceeding from the building. He
then gave directions fur ladders to be brought, and for
the water hose to be set in operation. There was no noise
or screaming in the dormitories at this time. He made:an
attempt to gain an entrance to the dormitory through one of
the windows, but the volume of smoke was so great that he
was forced back. An attempt was made to save the chil-
dren (whose retreat was cut off by the bansiagataircase) by
the base being brought to bear upon this portion of the
building, but as the jets were increased, the force of the
water became weaker, and it was impossible to check the
fire which was now rapidly. increasing. An engine
belonging to the corporation arrived about 3
o'clock, and the volume of water poured from
it was necessarily large, though totally insufficient to cheek
the fire, which had then a thorough hold on the dormitory
and church. The fire might have commenced under the
weirs leading tothe dormitories, or in the school room under
the church. There was gas on the staircase and the light
was allowed to remain in all tight. The gas was not within
the reach of the children. He was unable to say positively
how the fire could have arisen.
Mr. Curwood said that the local anthoritiee were most
anxious that the fullest information as to the water
manta and supply should be given, and with this Iview
inquiry was adjourned until Tuesday next.