The Express.
London, England, 1864-10-12 00:00:00

THE LATE GITNPOWDER EXPLOSION AT

KEITH.

After our report of the inquest left yesterday,
__ _ _ ___.

Mr. G. D. Wary sworn, esid—i em melstaAt storekeeper
at Woolwich. My duty is to see to **loading and unloading
of gunpowder at the goverameat stores. Hs explained
the puke:ice which prevailed there. The casks were lined
with :natal, but that wee a vary expensive prectios, the
lined barrels costing dl. to 61. snob, and could hardly be
introduced into mercantile operations. I went to see Mr.
Hall's former magazine, near Greene Point, and was
quite horrified at it. I maid to Mr. Rayner, " Let me get
out of this as fast as lon ; I never saw each an mauls
place in my life ;" and Mr. Reyna. said, "Oh, you govern-
ment people are too particular. I however got out of it as
soma es I could, and nothing would have induced me to enter
it again. There was iroa all about it, and iron nails every-
where. I base sever been to Mr. Hall's new premises.
Craerazamined by Mr. Poland—The government bought
those premises, but they bad to spend a large amount of
money to make them safe, and though they had sot drawn
the nails, they had covered them up. It was now need as
a place for Moving rockets and
Mr. H. T. Hodder, foreman of the ment
at Plunged marshes, said that he hd not seen themajaZT
Hall's new premises recently destroyed, but be was
to m that he had observed the
sorry
which in the unloading at Me m% malts
old works, *old to the government three years ago. There
were fires on the barge while the hatches were off. He did
not stay to see any more, but made his way off as fast as be
could. The truck was just going off with a losd of ammuni-
tion. He spoke to Rayner upon the subject. He also
explained the regulatioas of the government, and exprered
his opinion that if they were adopted in private =games
they could not explode. Smoking was not allowed on iXeri
any of the government term and so fire was allowed witlus
a quarter
George
a Rayner the eon of the deceased foreman, was
then called, and the letter which had bees handed to so
many witnemes was completely sad unmistakeably identified
by him out being In his &then handwriting. The letter was
next handed to Mr. Mask, who also a:premed kis belief
that it was is Rayner's handwriting.
The Coroner then said he proposed to read the latter.
Mr. Poland—Where dews it come from! _ _ _

Fba ooTts ;;;;; down from tie sky, I
may my, because it was one of the numerous documents
that were blown into the air at the time of the explosioe,
and has been given to me by the gentleman who picked it
up, who I. not present to-day, but who will be forthcoming
when necessary. It is a letter which was fond between two
sod three miles from the wale of the explostoo, and has
been sent to me with • large somber of other papers and
letters, which, however, are all ordinary business lotion
directed tol Mr. Rayne; ; but this r a letter which ap-
pears to me to have ea important bowie; on the ewe under
investigation. It been no date, bet is wised "Geo. Rayner,
for Mews. J. Hall and Son." The spelling is not very ac-
curate in many of the words. Perhaps the better env will
be for me to reed it. He then proceeded to read the letter
as follows :—" Mr. Moak.—Sir,—For some time past I have
witnessed the leaking of casks to a very unpleasant degree.
In fact it amounts to this, that the majority of the quarters
in particular are not fit to put gunpowder in, not only
with the FF F, but the 0, the F 0, and the BC.
In fact, the hoops are falling off the casks as
they are handled, and the heads falling in. I have not eom-
pliuned to any one Glee, but it this growing evil is not
' remedied I must of neoessity do so. It appears the wood is
not properly seaweed, or, in other words, the workmanship
is very inferior. I hope you will do something to alter this,
so that we may get them of reasonable bounds. I ms drive
the hoop. on so as to another one on in many awes.
Your attention will ohms yours truly, Gm. RATIOIL, for
Meows. J. Hall acid Son. The Oprooer continued—Now,
my opinion, gentlemee, is that that letter is in the hand-
writing of Raynor, but when and where it was written I do
not know. It is clear that it could not have got into the
possession of Mr. Monk, or it could not have been
found where it was, neither does Mr. Monk know
anything at all shout it. It has, however, been placed in
my bands by a pence in authority, and the references to
the letters F F F, and so on, go far to prove its genuine-
nem, besides which we have the positive evidence of the boy
to the handwriting.
Mr. Monk having again examined the letter said—l know
nothing about it whatever, but it certainly appears to be in
Mr. Rayner's handwriting.
A little girl, daughter of Mr. Rayner, wan stated by Ser-
gaud Co: to be in attendance, and having beau called totes
table and shown the letter, gave it as her unhesitating
opinion that it was in her father's handwriting, and bad pro-
bably been written in the oriole of the magazine, but when
she could not my.
Mr. Hall stated that he always encouraged Mr. Rayner
to complain to Mr. Monk when he taw anything wrong,
end Mr. Monk always showed him Rayner's letters. The
present letter appeared to him to be quite genuine, but
it might have referred to matters that had been long rd
medical.

Kr. Mock also at►ted that he remembered about three
years sot receiving complaints from Yr. Barra about the
teaks.

The Corona sad that it was impossible to finiah the in.
quiry that night, and u they had now at over seven hours
he proposed to adjourn.
After a abort conversation as to the most oonvssient day,
it was agreed that the inquest should be further adjourned
to Tuesday next, when the whole of the remaining witness.
would be in a condition to be examined.

We understand that yesterday soother of the injured
persons died. making the twelfth victim to this dreadful
calamity. Most of the houses in the neighbourhood are
DOW undergoing reir, and having their windows and
ceilings replaad Many of them, however, present • vary
desolate aspect. Isolated parties still continue to visit the
scene of the explosion, and gem' with astoaishmeet on the
ruin. but the public excitement on the subject has now
reamed, end beyond those who are personally interested in
the result of the inquiry, there ware oomparatively few
pigment at the inquest yesterday.