The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-06 00:00:00

MR. ALBERT SMITH'S ASCENT OF MONT

BLANC.

and as well worth hearing as any of the old. The sisoond
part is occupied entirely by the ascent, and is, of course,
unwind, relating as it does purely to circumstan-
tial narration. The third part is devoted to the Simplon.
In this we come across more eccentric travellers—old and
new friends. Mr. Brown, a pedestrian, who walks ell over
the world with no other luggage than two shirts and four
socks, is a capital contrast to the overloaded gentleman,
whew knapsack was packed up by his sisters last year.
We meet also the ill-fated Mrs. Seymour, whose black box
laid so heavily on her heart, after it was lat. She was very
nearly finding it this time, but not quite ; and
she left the raconteur under the impression that it
had fallen into the hands of the Russians —in
which cue there was of course no hope. The song of
" Galignsni's Messenger '• here takes a new shape, being
adapted to the immediate topics of the day. The new
scenic views, especially those in the last part, are a wel-
come addition. That of the Lago Maggiore, the last of all,
was perhaps tirst as a piece of effect. Everything, in fact,
went off in a satisfactory manner, and to the pertect con
tentment of a numerous audience, which, it is said, would
have been twice as numerous, but for the limited dimen-
sions of the room.

SINGULAR CASE OF SUFFOCATION.-FOUR

LIITS LOST.

On Saturday, Mr. Badger held an inquest at
Elsecar, en the bodies of Pticcbe Sadler, aged 53; her
daughter and son, Ann Sadler, aged 19, and John Sadler,
aged 15 ; and a lodger, named William Warrick, aged 48,
all of whom had been suffocated in their bedrooms during
the night of Thursday last. Elsecar is a populous village
situate between Rotherham and Barna!ey. The Elsecar
Iron-works are close to the village, and about a miltdistant
are the Milton Iron-works. Bath properties belong to Earl
Fitzwilliant, and are occupied and worked by Messrs. W.
11. and G. Dawes. The must northern of a short row of
houses abuts upon one of the blast furnaces at the Elsecar
Iron-works. This house was occupied by the four deceased
persons. Benjamin Sadler, &gel 12, son of Phoebe Sadler,
was employed at the Milton Iron-works, and, being on the
"night shift," left home to go to his work a little after six
o'clock on Thursday evening ; the rest of the family retired
to bed about ten o'clock, being then in their usual health.
Mrs. Sadler and her daughter and son, the latter of
whom was lame, occupied a bed in the front
bedroom, and Warrick, the lodger, slept alone in the back
bedroom. Benjamin Sadler returned from his work at half-
past seven o'clock on Friday morning. His knocks for ad-
mittance received nn answer, and after alarming some of
the neighbours he entered the house through the kitchen
window. The spectacle which met his sight on going up•
stairs emote his young heart with dismay. Mother, sister,
brother, and lodger—all were corpses. The lodger was
lying upon his back on the floor at the foot of his bed;
Mrs. Sadler and her son Xilin were lying at the foot of
their bed clasped in each other's arms ; his sister lay en the
bed, having to all appearance passed undisturbealy from
the slumber of repose to that of death. All the rooms
were filled with a white vapour, and the air was strongly
impregnated with sulphur. Several persons who entered
the house shortly after the buy, observed white vapour
issuing from crevices in the kitcueu jest above the floor in
both the house and kitchen. The bodies appeared to have
been dead about bill hours. e following is the evidence
of Mr. Janice Haywood, professional chemist, Sheffield:
" I have this (Saturday) afternoon examined the pro-
mises where the dead bodies are lying. The house consists
of two lower rooms and two bedrooms; the north wall of
the lower rooms being built against the aide of the stack of
the bleat furnace, and the same wall of the upper rooms
being connected with the furnace by an arch and a quantity
of brick work three feet thick. The level of the giound-
floor is about twenty feet from the bottom of the furnace.
At this point, immediately connected with the house-wall,
there is a large crock, discharging vapour, in which I could
recognise the odour of cyanide of I:otassium. There is an-
other crack in the brick work of the house-wall, through
which also this vapour is passing. The brickwork of the
wall is so loose that any discharge of vapour or gas from
the furnace might find its way not only through this crack
but through m-ny others. I have no doubt, from the evi-
dence I have heard, that the deaths of these parties have
resulted from inhaling the vapour of cyanide of potassium.
my opinion is confirmed by the following facts :—There
, being fire burning in the house all night would show
, that the parties have not died from Whaling combustible
gases, as the fire would have inflamed any such gases issuing
from the furnace in a sufficient quantity to cause death. To
my knowledge, there is always a large quantity of vapour
of cyanide of potassium in the lower port of a smelting
, furnace, which vapour is highly poisonous. A very small
r quantity, I should say an ounce, of cyanide of potassium
, converted into vapour would kill the deceased."
; The furnace stack is old and dilapidated, being screwed
, together with girder rods to prevent its opening from being
; expanded with beat, but it does not appear any annoyance
had been previously suffered by the inmates of the house
from sulpnur. The jury returned a verdict " that death
had been caused by inhaling the vapour of cyanide of
potassium.'