The Express.
London, England, 1847-06-22 00:00:00

THE LATE FATAL OCCURRENCE AT

BERMONDSEY.

INQUEST ON THE i-lUSTEREESI —Yesterday fore-
noon, at eleven o'clock, Mr. W. Carter, and • jury of 13,
assembled in the board-room of Bermondsey workhouse, to
inquire into the circumstances under which Frederick Mes-
senger, aged 58 years, and Mary Thissleton, aged 40 years,
came by their death.. The falling in of one of the arches
now in promise of erection for the North Kent Railway, on
the northern side of the Brighton, Dover, and Croydon line
on Friday night, was reported in our piper of Saturday.
The North Kent. or South Eastern Railway Company, was
represented by Mr. Feeron, solicitor to the company, and
Mr. J. P. Barlow, the engineer of the line. Mr. Corner,
the solicitor, attended to watch the proceedings onibehalf of
Messrs. Little, the contractors for the work, and Mr. lirsd-
ley, • working builder, to whom the same was sublet.
The jury having been sworn proceeded to view the bodies,
which presented • most painful sight. They afterwards
accompanied the coroner to view the locale of the accident,
when the manner in which it is supposed to have occurred
was pointed out. On their return to the inquest-room, the
proceedings were commenced. The identity of the deceased
Frederick Messenger having been proved by his sister, Sarah
Court, of No. 14, Parish-street, Horsleydown, and that of
Mary Thissleton by her husband, James Thissleton, of
Bristol, who proved that the deceased was staying on a visit
to a friend in town, and wee on her way home when the
accident occurred. _ .

Felice Constable George Hooper, 179 M, deposed to having
been called to the scene of the accident immediately after its
occurrence. Be was present when the bodies of, the de-
ceased parties were found ; that of the female was crushed
nearly fiat, and lay on the left hand pathway ; the man was
also dreadfully injured : he lay near the middle of the road.
Both bodies were removed to the workhouse.

—„— -----.............___ .....______.
Charles Smith, boot and shoe maker, of No. 1, Maltby-
greet, adjoining the railway, said, while working in his
shop, about half-past six, on Friday evening, he was
alarmed by a loud noise, and, running out into the street,
he saw a horse and cart under the old portion of the
railway arch. The bore was rearing up on its
hind legs, and appeared to be struggling to get away. Wit-
ness ran forward and seised hold of his bridle and then saw
that there-was a rope attached to the hinder parti of the cart,
which prevented the hone from mining it. The rope wee
round the tail pins of the cart, and the other end appeared
to be attached to some part of the tackling under the new
railway arch. Witness tried to remove the rope from behind
the cart, but it was taut, so that he could not, ant Inking
up he saw the top of the new arch open, and a light gleam
through ; the next moment there was sAremendous crash,
and nearly the whole of the newly erected arch fell in. From
the period of witness running out of his shop on hearing the
first noise until the arch fell about a minute and a half
might have elapsed.—Coroner: When you found the borse's
movements impeded did it strike you that the rope of which
you have spoken might have been attached to the framework
under the arch t —Witness : I certainly did think that the
rope which I found behind the cart was in some way or
other connected with the accident, and I have still the same
impression.
William Houghton, a lad 17 years of age, in the employ
of Mr. Dawson, carman, of the Knit-road, said he had
charge of one of his master's carts on Friday evening, and
was returuing from Dockheed with a load of ballast. On
arriving at the railway arch, he saw some ropes Imaging
down, which obliged him to pot his horse on the wrong side
of the way. Be did so to avoid them, and he had done the
same several times in the course of the day. After passing
under the new portion of the arch he wascoming " towards"
again, so as to keep his proper side, when a rope caught
one of the iron standards of his cart. The horse came to •
standstill directly, and immediately afterwards the arch fell.
Some persons came to witness's mentance directly, and the
horse was extricated after some time. Witness was not
aware of the use of the ropes which he saw under the arch,
nor did he know what was being done by the workmen at
the time.
The Coroner now said they had had all the evidence at pre-
sent procurable as to the falling in of the arch. It was for
the jury to say whether they would like to have other evi-
dence touching its construction, &c.—The Foreman of the
ry said he thought it was most important that they should
have any evidence which could be obtained c•oulated to
throw light on so serious a disaster. He thought the brick
work of which the arch was formed should be examined by
some competent persons who should be requested to report
as to whether, for an arch intended to carry the enormous
weight which must necessarily have pared over the one
which had fallen, the bricks were pined sullidently Giese
together whether the matter had sufficient lima In it, sad
whether It was of a proper tiontistancy ; and lastly, wire**
the . principals," or centre pieces, had not been removed
too soon.—The Coroner said he had understood from
Mr. Barlow, the emineer to the railway, that General
Feeley had inspect the remains of the fallen and 44
perhaps the jury would like to have his
on the 'abject. —The Foreman said, &this own put,
he had no objection to hear General Fasley's opinion,
thought the evidence of some practical man as to whether
there had been proper caution used in the erection of the
arch was of even more importance. Mr. Jones here dinned
the attention of the coroner to a portion of the brickwork,
which was planed on the table, and said it would be sea
that even now the mortar was ea wet impassible. Manover,
he should wish to know whether any arch of such mwenitnde
should be turned in mortar at all. Several of the jury ex-
pressed themselves of a similar opinion with their foreman.
After some further discussion, it was agreed to call in some
scientific person to report on the accident, and the premed-
ings were at 6 o'clock adjourned until Monday next.

Marna Assocwricni ma THE ADVANCEMENT
or Sotencn AT 01701 D.—The arrangements for holeas
this, the litth meeting, to-morrow, are now completed. The
Ant general main* will take pee ts Wednesday she
ens, at 3 o'clock, WINO Ilk R. T. Mereldne the we ids
of the previous year A zap dr *hair to Mashie
the petaistet if the geese neseling. The ssiantills
buistees of the tenon esmenee as usual on Theft
men*, at their swessal otestiatessaw, and the araisr,
with the exerptica d hiaday and Tasidsi, ars
sled to mien& disemen On Seinnie, thereZti*
ragweed* and senrirrists• at the liadefle Larry,
Wish will be era as Tandy for the esiibliisa sisaissoe
asps and isienowidesillestratione, On Tbender evening,
the
Rev.°tis Pathan Bean Powell will deliver • hokum
sh°i getimilaissiiikshois• ltoorky
describeirrorent = In Ind en
lleaday mane H.l Seq.. deliver a din
emu oa the aatiral kbeee of the dodo mad ease allied
Ws. The emeadre weeks, will be had as Wedasr
day, Jame 10, i 11 Abe, when the prossedisse of the
ri@mains', sod the omen of assasy saassisald
srla be amp& Oa lawise the Bitimitaf Oohed wal
Marrs. awl bys doiWar estsakass the Nab.
=1:11 die 'antes whisk Awn • =sr pea
ea selsoi
time day, is " hatailleyia
• neat he he =WO= sif=, philmobisoloppanoss,
genial sad artillsisleashria he., bs oyez=
week at the DfslailLeesel. Anseen the
vhissek_whose pries is Iffipasisi base the week, is bin
loyal Higbee." Penn Alban, whom astsainse olio see.
final mediae is eadidratay ansuossi tot alma 1111=
sadist wham monassedstisa peseasseins an
at Ruhr Cele the sense of whisk i.e. DriZebeds,
bag nee d bis lona* leeks. It is also =neatly or
=bat he will, on Oh stabs, be asseseby her
who will siutoett die seat al the hbiasep of
Yee, at Nuneham. ease wham attandens are
certain are the Priooe of Canino, the Chealiar Bases, the
American Minister ; Count LAM, 41111114.11 by the thrown
Prince of Sweden to exhibit some ilaberste naps, osseand
by the latter ; Profane StZllte, the eminent muwwww•c;
Dr. Lanham ; Bate de Is Pewee ; Preen Van der
Bona, of boyar' ; Id, de Vemasil i Prebissat 1114