The Express.
London, England, 1851-05-20 00:00:00

that it wu not safe for him to eat his dinner in the build- l
loft, and Harrigan replied, No, it was not, and he feared
there would be a smash some day. Mrs. Harrigan was then
farther questioned, but she was so much alarmed that
she could recollect nothing.
Michael O'Connor, a labourer, said he was at work at
the building on the occasion of the accident. He was upon
a ladder dole to the iron girder that gave way. The lad-
der was placed upon the middle floor. Ile saw the girder
on the top floor snap right in half, and the two ends went
upwards. He did not know what took place afterwards, as
he fell to the bottom himself.

Mr. James Parsons, • -solicitor at Charing-cross, said
that about six weeks ago he went over the building, to
obtain some information about the prineible of the fire-
proof patent, and witness explained to the clerk of the
works that he considered one of the girders was insufficient
to carry the superincumbent weight. The girder he pointed
out was on the south side, next the church. He judged of
its insufficiency from its want of size and strength. [This
was not thegirder in question.]
Mr. James Montague, the district surveyor, had often
been upon the premises during the progress of the building.
lie was there on Monday, but ho could not give any infor-
mation as to the probable cause of the accident. lie had
never noticed any insufficiency in the thickness oLthe walls.
lie believed they were of the thickness requiredly the act
of patliament. There is no man in London who had no
much experience as Mr. Bell in the construction of lame
buildings, and, therefore, witness did not go so often to this
building as he otherwise should have done. He, however,
went there five or six times, and he never saw anything to
excite suspicion or alarm.
By a Juror.—He considered that the 9-inch wall was suf-
ficient to carry four girders, the floors, concrete, &c., the
weight of each girder being 35 cwt. He should not be
afraid to build a house for himself with such a wall ; but it
would certainly be safer if the thickness had been half a
brick more.

William Glandfleld, a labourer, was employed in the
building, and when it fell he was on the ground-floor. Ile
saw the girder on the top-floor snap before he heard any
noise. If anything had fallen upon the girder before it
snapped he could not have seen it. There was not the lean
noise until he saw the small girders break.
Frederick Mayhew, a carpenter at the building, was pre-
sent when the accident happened. Ile saw the centre part
of the building (where: the staircase is) fall in. lie tint
heard a rustling noise, and he immediately ran to the back
part of the building. John lknnet, the contractor for the
work was on the building at the time of the accident. Ile
and Mr. King had been all over the top about a quarter of
an hour before it happened, and every thingappeared qute
safe and sound. When the accident occurred he was
talking to one of the men, when he heard •
load report and then a rumbling noise. Witness escaped
into an adjoining house. Ile always had his doubts about
those staircase girders. lie thought they would not bear
the weight. The length appeared too great for the size of
them. lie knew nothing about the strength of iron, and
what he said was only his own fancy.
Mr. Tress, a surveyor, went to the building about 11
o'clock on Saturday morning, but never on any previous
occasion. If the wall had been stronger, and had not been
loaded with an extraordinary weight of floors, the fall of
the girders would still have pulled down the brickwork
with them. They might weight a 9-inch wall upon the
top as much as they liked, but they could not throw it out
of its perpendicular. The girders did not rest upon the
walls; they were'• tied" in all directions.
Mr. Avian'', an architect, had inspected the premises,
and he was of opinion that the accident must have arisen
from a flaw in one of the girders. Witness had seen a great
deal of the manufacture of cast-iron girders, and the girder
that had been dug out was extremely defective. The lower
fangs was evidently of bad iron, and in the middle there
was a large hollow place two inches in extent. Front look-
ing at the girder externally, he found it so sound, appa-
rently, that the flaw might not be discovered, but he did
not think it would stand the necessary testa ahem y weight.
The proving was a most uncertain operation. They might
place six tons upon a cast-iron girder, and it would prove
to be quite safe, and on the next day the same of jett might
be again tested and not bear the weight of half a ton.
Several Juror—Then proving gas for nothing, and we
had better do without fire-proof buildings.
A long conversation then ensued between the witness
and one of the jury, as to the state of the building and the
probable cause of the accident. The result was, that the
witness repeated his opinion that the defective girder was
the cause of the accident.

Mr. Woodthorpe, a surveyor, had seen the premises be-
fore and after they fell. The walls having fallen only
internally, it was quite clear that the accident did not
arise from any settlement in the brickwork ; and he was
quite satisfied that the fall of the staircase girder must have
been the cause. All over that building there was not a
single downward settlement, and the brickwork was quite
green. The front wall was as safe as any wall in the
city of London, and the public need not be under any
apprehension upon the subject.
lo answer to a question from the coroner, Mr. Bell stated
that the girders were proved in Scotland.
Mr. C. J. Corbett, a surveyor, and partner to Mr. Bell
in the property in question, stated that he entered into a
contract with Mr. lord to supply the iron-work. (The
witness produced a certificate of the girders having been
tilted and proved).
Michael Sheen, a workman on the building, was there
when the accident happened. lie heard something crack,
and he looked behind and he saw the walls shaking near
the staircase. lie wsa then on the second floor passage, and
was getting along front the staircase well hole. lie did not
know what was the cause of the walls shaking. Ile never
heard any talk as to the insecurity of the building.
The Coroner inquired whether there were any witnesses
present to prove the names and ages of the deceased
persons.
The names of the deceased were then severally identified,
and their respective ages given.
The Coroner then addressed the jury, and observed it
was fur them to say what cour.e they wished to adopt.
That the unfortunate men had come by their deaths by the
falling of the building there was no doubt whatever, and
the question, therefore, was how that fall had been caused.
[When our report left the jury were consulting as to
whether or not they required further evidence.]