The Express.
London, England, 1853-08-18 00:00:00

fill then I believe ?—Yee, all that

.
waa then up cacao down.
Coroner—There was mine imperfection then in the scaf-
folding t—Yes ; we have since made the trusses of double
strength to prevent future accident.

Fuienianliow does it occur that on that occasion when
there were 70 men at work on the scaffolding they had 20
minutes' warning, and were all able to make their escape,
whilst in this case, the whole came down together ?—That is
just what I can't answer. If I could tell you that, I could
toll you where the accident began, and perhaps how it
arose.

Foreman—Save any of the iron pillars, upon which the
trusses rest, given way ?—No, they are all perfect, and the
building is as secure as ever.

Coroner—l will ask you again, and pray speak your mind
freely, whether your experience enables you to tell which
portion of the structure gate way Bat—Can you define
that 1-1 can't. It le quit* a mystery to me. I can't " dis-
solve" which part gave way first.

Coroner—Are those trusses which fell the same weight as
those which remain standing ?—Yes, they were the same
weight, and the same material, and rested upon the same
description of bearings.
Sir Charles Fox—They were all executed from the same
drawings.
Coroner—Then, If those stood with the additional weight
of the circular iron rib resting upon them, how is it that
these others should have given way, when there was no
weight upon them ?
Witness—That is the point I can't explain.
In answer to other questions from the coroner and jury,
the witness said the trusses an intended as centres for
carrying over the iron ribs forming the arch, and they
would be removed upon the completion of the roof. These
trams are constructed by piecework, and any work which
is not properly executed has to be done again at the expense
of the party who undertakes to make them. I sublet the
work to others. The materiah are found by the coot:Won.
We employ labodren in fixing. I prefer labours," to
regular carpenters or mechanics, because they are more
active, and more used to this kind of work. Besides,
you would not find one man in fifty of experienced me-
chanics and joiners who would go so high off the ground.
We construct the work, as far as possible, below, and all
the fixing required is to put the bolts in and screw them up,
which any labourer is competent to do. The bolts are all
inspected before use. They are finch bolts; half an inch
I would be quite enough, but we put in extra strength.
The bolts are tied with nuts. No portion of the
weight would fall upon any particular screw or
screws, but upon the extreme ends, which are, in fact,
the columns. It is impossible the labourers could have for-
gotten to put in the necessary bolts, because if so the whole
strut would not have maintained its position, nor should
we have been able to move it. I have made an examina-
tion sine', and I find the bolts are there still. They have
doubled up, sail bent in a remarkable manner, bat they
are not snapped. The trusses which gave way fell over
and inwards towards the centre of the building. They did
not collapse and drop perpendicularly.
Foreman—Then I presume the first strut fell in conse-
quence of its not having been properly connected with the
others ?

Witness—No, it war sot so.
Forestaa—Thea did It arise from any easier mom-
moat of the strut ?

Sir Charles roz—No, this braid not be. This seventh
strut was not quite completed, and was not to have been
moved until the next day.
Foremen—How long bad this seventh strut been in the
same position ?
Witness—For some dap during its formation.

Fammaa—That makes It sll the mere =neonatal* that
it should have fallen whoa It did ?—lt L perfectly ann.
countable. Everything was ht its preps: plass, sad all the
fixing wee finished except one belt, which a man had just
gone up to mew In. I sew his ease shag the scaffold in
the &minim of the wank strut the mement before it
tell, and he am. down with it.
Coroner—ls he alive N—No, he Is moon the sufferers.

Mr. &Santini said he understood some of the Jury had
expressed a desire to have the evidence of one of the
wounded men who was lying at Guy's Hospital. As, how-
ever, that man could not b• called at present, be might
state that Sir Charles Fox bad seen him sad had had some
conversation with him, hat he was quite unable to mount
for the accident. Sir Charles was quite reedy to give his
evidence to that effect.

fiir Charles Fox saitl—l maw the man in question last
night at Guy's Hospital, whither I went, accompanied by
Mr. Cobb. I asked him if he could give me any idea of
the muse of the accident. He replied, "No ; I can't say
at all what part gave way. I think it must have arisen from
the great weight of iron resting on the platform." I said,
" Then you consider it is all down." "OhI" he said,
"it's all down—every bit." "There,' I said, "you are
mistaken." He added that when he got about half way
down he became insensible. He was taken out of the place
and never recovered his senses until he got into the stores.
Coroner—Then you think he can throw no light upon the
affair at all ?

Sir Charles Fox—Not the slightest, lam sure. He said
in convenation to me, " Well, if it is not all down, I don't
undentand it at all." I said, " There an three trusses
down, and those an the three that you last fixed." He
said, " Then I cannot nndentand it at all." That is all
that passed between us.

Coroner—lf the man recovers, and the jury think it de-
sirable, we wiU of course take his evidence.

Foreman—Atter what Sir Charles Fox has told as, I
cannot conceive that his svidonos would be important

The Coroner at this stage of the proceeding; suggested an
adjournment. Sir Joseph Parton had kindly ocumentsd to
go over the building, and on their next amembliag he would
be ready to offer his evidence to the jury. He was himself
anzlona to facilitate the inquiry as mach as possible, but ha
regretted that soother important engagement that after-
noon necessitated his presence elsewhere.

A juror said he thought it would be desirable that upon
their neat assembling some independent surveyor should be
called before them.

The Coroner said that observation placed him rather in a
difficulty. He did not know that he was entitled to call
upon any person to make an examination of the building,
Of to give evidence. The legislators had given him no
powers of paying such a gentleman. The jury bad better
4ear AM the evidence that would be adduced, awl Was if