The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-17 00:00:00

FRIGIITIrL AND FATAL BOILER EXPLOSION.

DUDLEY, SUNDAY. —At two o'clock yesterday
afternues the inhabitants were thrown into • state of great
alarm and consternation by a tremendous explosion, caused
by the berstinj of one of the boilers of the engine used at
the Fire Iron and Glare Cutting Factory in the Minories,
of Messrs. David and Simeon Davis. Most fortunately it
occurred just before the work people got into the shops, or
the loss of life most him* been greatly increased. As it
was, four were killed yesterday, and of the life of another
of the sufferers slight hopes are entertained. The effects of
the explosion on the factory are quite ruinous, the building
being wholly destroyed, together with all the machinery,
which was blown into the air, and scattered over
the houses adjoining, in mane cases, the large masses
of iron, weighing 6 cwt., 6 cwt., and even 7 cwt.,
falling on the roofs of the hooves and breaking through
them. The engineer, named Joseph Millward, was blown
to a great height in the air—pee44f near a hundred feet—
and tell on the roof of a benne about eighty feet from the
(notary wall, through thkelating of which and the ceiling of
dusessena under, his weitht carried him to the door. Ihe
• mate man was not dead when he was found in the
Nob nearly half an hour after the explosion, but In
in net survive more than an hour. Besides the
"ow, there were killed, Elias Sheldon, about 20 years
eagle ; Peter Ellis, who has left a widow and five chil-
ies's ; and George Stokes, who was • married man, but
bri as child. The remains of these poor fellows were
,bee ugly mangled, the hand anl arm of one of them se-
wed Irvin his body has not yet been found. James Taff,
• lad in the employ of Messrs. Davie, is so dreadfully in-
fared that little hopes are entertained of his recovery.
'Thomas Cifthes and his wife were found buried under the
rains; but, extraordinary to relate, they were compare
lively little hurt. James Evans was very greatly injured,
but it is hoped not fatally. The sufferers were most
promptly attended by Messrs. Fisher, Johnson, end Hough-
ton, surgeons in Dudley. The engineer, Millward, had
only yesterday commenced working the engine, not having
boos ban in the employ of Messrs. Davis. Of course
tlim awn of the accident cannot at present be satisfactorily
taaatellial, and perhaps never will be.
Oar smarter heard that the engine had been in use 2G or
27 nod was 0(20 or 2.5 horse power. It worked the
y'drab- lilts machinery in the f. ctory for diving the grind-
MSing MO cad polishing machinery for the fire irons and
MOl3O desesNada4 apparatus. The dilapidetien to the
MOM eirrennillll On factory is very considerable ; portions
aft brichka Illideista of timber, and of the iron boiler
amil machinery bolm scattered about in all directions. In
dour winster saw a large piece of the boiler,
bout 3ee 4 cwt. The force of the explosion du-
ether boiler of the engine from its bed. It has
Moe a wry sad calamity for Messrs. Davis, as they have
only been proprietors of the factory about three years, and
have expended something like 400!. in repairs and altera-
tions. Much sympathy is felt for them here. Great
numbers of people hove been yesterday, and to-day, to visit
the scene of the accident, and a boa has been opened at the
entrance to the ruins of the factory to receive contributions
for the benefit of the widows, &c., of the deceased. The
lose of lite has not bees 110 great, but the extent of damage
to property is probably more than resulted from a similar
occurrence at Hart's Hill, about two or three years ago,
since which nothing has happened in Dudley of so disas-
trous a character till the present sad ,(Pair.

DR. REIM—The long-pending ditlerenees between
Dr. Reid and the Office of Works and Public Buildings,
the subject of warming and ventilating the new Houses of
Parliament, have at length been brought to a close by a
court of arbitration. The arbitrators nominated meow
lively by the office and Dr. Reid were W. Forsyth, Esq.,
barrister-at-law, and John Forbes, M.D. After a long sad
elaborate investigation of the whole case, the arbitrators
eve their award against the government and in favour of
Dr. Reid, adjudging to the leiter gentleman 3,2501.
UNITED KINGDOM TEMPERANCE AND GENERAL
PROVIDENT INSTITETION.—Yesterday afternoon the
twelfth general meeting of the members of this institution
was held at the Whittington Club; Mr. Warner in the
chair. The report stated that the number of petioles boned
during the put year was 1,177, covering assurances to the
amount of 186,4191., this being a considerable increase over
the business of any preceding year. Dr. Lovell had been
✓wed in visiting Scotland, various towns in Yorkshire,
a ;eat of England, and the Channel Islands; and the
sera Wes the appointment of several new agents and 212
=for assurances, amounting to 40,3751., on which
relegate of the premiums already paid was 1,2071. le.
The menus of the financial year ending 20th Nov. 1882,
sslsitt from premiums, interest, &c., was 28,3931.
IswlL in advance of that of the previous year. The owe-
alakiedi capital of the association at the same date wee
MUM. 19s. 3d., showing an increase from the bul-
imia@ of the year of 13,9741. 9s. The directors
dressed that while the business of the office had
lossisosi sines the beginning of 1851 from 30 to 40
pc there had been no lacrosse in the amount of
else ami management expenses, Through the decease
of members claims were made to the amount of 8,4021. ;
the claims from the 20th of November last, to the 13th of
the present month, were 20, and amounted to 2,7201., being
at the rate of 40 per cent. less than the dales' of 1852,
although 1,600 members had been added within the last
eighteen snontha Including the new Niehaus obtained
sheath* close of the financial year, the present annual in-
' some might, It was said, be set down at about 32,0001., and
the accumulated capital at about 82,0001. It was further
dated that Mr. Mina, having teeiPed the eleeeteelehiPjthe
iftemipmeant had been placed in the hands of a wen eat
dirater. Ms. Baker, who had been connected with the in-
slitudiem hem the essassamaseat. The report was adopted
easeissoisly.
TES PARK YOH FINBBCRY.-13 Finsbury really
to have a park ? For eight or nine years the projector, Yr.
J. Lisp& has agitated the subject, and one government after
MihraiTigLeisPitieentadlonf done. vplAleadWepeuttlonlee.Pe*tealll
Led Illsoossoor, Sir James Duke, Mr. T.
anale. 16/181. 111 r. C. Pearson, Mr. Lloyd, and several
Sia pollies..xei. interview with the Earl of
ibb of the Exchequer oa the sub-
jelL istely conceded the nessesity
of a park ha
at= pistod out, and it was made apps-
rent to the tithe Ezehefieer that the formation
Is mall per mold evestoalliA be more expensive than
awinteillhoLlW gerhated
rougliPthe estinue.ymour.
Reir ?Vil-
na and Idr. Pennethorne, and to inform Lord
of the result. It must be apparent to
jr=earhat• mall park for the City and the min-
en
as sew crastrawa.erbillaseradrant to SRO worth of Lou- I
Mat sow sal only now can
as olsolloisoit dos be °Wood at a soussolio oust its
olio d had wool& of sews be bums* imosisse lig
the w d Ms park psis* is so son
puovreillo
moo dissossita mil all bops s
kip opus moo
lisr ozonise void be lost. It is sot
Os Malaria es Fisslosy mead the City who are
is this queslies ; ft —was gamy dweller is the amber
psis that apes areas, wheelies amnia resaabstroy is ihe
slaps of gram sad green twos osoyiso oosoklisbuls Awls
to preserved.— The Builder.
DOGBERRY's Lossgs GR LEASIS.—" Much Ado
about Nothing," Act IV. Sc. 4 : " Dogierry. A rich fellow
wes~lt, go te : and a fellow that bath had losses; and one
that lath two gowns, and everything handsome about him."
I sea quite sympathise with the indignation of some of my
at the alteration by Mr. Payne Collier's
:=Tri es
crorreetor, of "loses" into "lases." lam
KM, le see a reading which we had cherished without
misgiving as a bit of Shaksperean quaintness, and
onsoerstod by the humour of Gray and Charles Lamb,
UMW into a clumsy misprint. But we must look at real
piebabilitiss, not at fancies and predilections. I am
AIM "bras" is the likelier word. It has also • special
free, whisk has not been hitherto remarked. Many of
the wealthy people of Elisabeth's reign, particularly in the
Wins class, were " fellows that had had leases." It will
sosollosted that extravagant leases or fines were among
Ace soillsods by which the possessions of the church were so
dilapidated in the age of the Reformation.
=veto had a little money to invest could not do so on
mew advantageous terms than by obtaining Such leases as
the lellesesify or avarice of clerical and other corporations
indeed them to grant ; and the coincident fall in the
value of 'now increased the gain of the lessees, and loss of
the osopMegelli, to an extraordinary amount. Throughout
Elisabeth's reign parliament was at work in restraining
this abuse, by the well-known "disabling acts," restricting
the power of bishops and corporations to lease their pro-
perty. The last was passed, I think, only in 1601. And
therefore • " rich fellow" of Dogberry's class was described,
to the thorough comprehension Ina enjoyment of an
audience of that day, as one who " had had leases."—Noles
and (buries.