The Express.
London, England, 1848-02-01 00:00:00

THE EXPRFSII, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 1, 1848.

themselves had taken its rise is an act of noble integrity in
the grandfather of the_prseent member for Loudon.
J. WILD, Esq., M.P. in ascending the resolution, re-
pudiated the idea that this introduction of the Jews to perils
mint would unchrietianise the Home of Casasseas as per-
fectly ridiculous. It was high time that the contumelious
isolation in which we had placed the Jews, by a long coarse
of legidation and social oppressing, should be removed.
Ueneral Sir Da LACY Erase, M.P., in supporting the re'
solution, spoke in the stroegest terms of the claims which
the Jews had upon our moped, from their uprightness of
moral conduct, their devout observanee of their religious
duties, and their warm-hearted oharit not oell towards
their own, but to the Christian, poor. The gallemt general
tooted a - •• of the Archbishop of C.a.
the ' -

qL.—ed a parliamentary testimony of me
terbury, to the high moral and social merits of Jews,
and next dwelt upon the justice of entitling the electors, not
only of the City of London, but of all the constituencies
throughout the realm, to elect whom they pleased, being
otherwire properly qualified, whether he were Jew or whe-
ther he wire Chriatian. It was a perfectly monstrous pro-
position that the first commercial city of the world should be
debarred from selecting, as one of its representatives, a man
of eo excellent a position kin commerce, and so estimable In
his private character, as Baron Rothschild, merely became
he adhered to the religion of his forefather.
CHARLISS LUSHINOTON, Esq., also supported there.
solution. He referred to the testimony which the Bishop of
London had accorded in parliament, to the high moral and
social character of the Jews, to the vote which Archbishop
Whately bad given in their favour, and to the opinion!
stated by the Bishop of Chichester, that the Jews, after all,
differed but very slightly from the Christiana. He adverted
to the fact, mentioned in the Ardessieumjournal of last week,
of the establishment at papal Rome of a new club called
the Circolo Rotondo. of which one of the presidents, elected
by a large number of votes, was a Jew, and elected dis-
tinctly because he wee a Jew.
C. COCHRANE, Esq., and Sir C. ALDIS having oleo sup-
ported the resolution, it war put, and unanimously adopted.
The CHAIRMAN then raid to the meeting a petitim pee-
pared for presentation to both houses of parliament, from the
Inhabitants of the city of Westminster, bated upon the
resolution. _ _

The lion. F. Bums moved :
Mut the petition now read be adopted, and presented to both
houses of parliament; that tieaeral Sir De Lacy EMU be
requested to present that to the House of Commas, that Charles
Lusinugton, Eaq. M.P., be requested to support the same, and that
the moat boa. the Marquis of Lansdowne be solicited to present that
to the Howe of Peers.

---- -- - -----
Mr . Pitoor seconded the resolution, which having been
adopted, thanks were toted to the chairman, sod the meet-
ing separated.

ACCIDENT AT THE EUSTON STATION.
Yesterday, pursuant to adjournment Mr. Wakley,
M.P., 'misted by Mr. Mills, the deputy coroner, resumed
the inquiry into the deaths of Charles Oedge, aged 47, and
James Hickey, aged 39, two of the men killed by the felling
of • portion of the vestibule now in course of erection at the
Euston station of the London and North Western Railway,
oa the 6th of January.
Mr. P. Hardwicke said: I reside in Russelbequare, and
em the architect to the North Western Railway. I made
the design for the building at the Euston station. The con-
tractors for the works are Messrs. W. Cubitt and Co. There
was no fixed time for the works to be finished. The work
which fell is called the columns across the north end of the
vestibule. The construction formed eight columns, carried up
in pairs, one behind the other ; that is, four pairs. Those
which fell are similar is structure to those now standing at
the south end of the vestibule. The columns stood upon a
solid piece of brickwork, placed on concrete three feet thick.
There was a continued rise of five footings, one above an-
other. The width of the concrete was 11 feet 6, and the en-
tire building stands upon a bed of concrete. The concrete
has not been examined since the fall; but the substra-
tum of brickwork is as firm as ;suable. I am perfectly
satisfied that the fall was not occasioned by any
defect in the foundation or substratum of bricks.
There was nothing peculiar in the construction of the scaf-
fold. I attended to watch the works occasionally, my son
daily, and Mr. Christopher Benin, my clerk of the works,
continually. Mr. Cubitt, also, had Mr. Butterwick, a fore-
man of the works, in constant attendance. The contract for
the works was between Mr. Cubitt and the company. I
never had to complain of the works. The loss by the fall
will be about 1201. or 1301. I think the lose will fall upon
Mr. Won. Cubitt. It will certainly not fall upon the com-
pany.—Coroner : Have you formed any opinion with regard
to the fall t—Mr, Hardwicke : My first impression was that
the cement of the columns, on account of the work being
proceeded with so fast, was not sufficiently set to beer the
weight above them ; it was green brickwork, and the damp
weather was unfavourable. It ii requisite that cement should
be used within a certain period, as if left for a long period
it loses its adhesiveness and becomes crumbly. A co-
lumn of that size admit+ of being constructed of a solid
mess of cement and brickwork. There ought not to be any
interstices, hut if there were they ought to be filled up with
cement. The cement used was Roman cement. When the
cement is good there is a union between the brickwork and
cement as solid as stone. The bricks in the columns were
laid edgeways. I think that as secure as if they were laid
flat. On examining some of tke fragments of the columns
after the fall I found that the cement was green and not well
set. . _

Mr. W. Cubitt, M.P., exemined.—l was, with my partner,
the contractor for the works, a portion of which have fallen.
There was no specified time for the completion of the con-
tract with regard to that portion of the work. Mr. Butter-
wick was my general foreman of the works, but with respect
to the columns the foreman's name was Stephenson. I '
never received the slightest complaint as to the improper •
performance of the works. I made no complaint on receiv-
ing the drawing" of the construction of the building. I never
complained of the works myself. We find the cement differ
very much in quality. Cement which is very fresh and new
hardens almost instantly, but takes some time before it
becomes of the character of stone. The cement which is
used very new takes longer in assuming the character of
stone. It is necessary that bricklayers should have experience
with regard to the use of cement. The men employed on
these works are picked men. lam ashamed to say that I
have not been able to form any conclusion is to how this
accident happened. Ido not believe the scaffold had any-
thing to do with it. I cannot find a satisfactory cause
in any one part. lam of opinion that those columns
would have eventually been fully capable of carrying all the
work. If they had been erected at a more favourable period
of the year the work might have been done in half the time.
We were, altogether, engaged 11 weeks is carrying up the
north end of the vestibule. Mr. Cubitt, in answer to the
coroner, said it was his opinion that the cause of the fall was
mainly dependent on the rain and other unfavourable
weather. The men had not the slightest inducement to
hurry the work at all. The beet Thames sand war used
with the cement.
Mr. Christopher Bavin, clerk of the works to Mr. Hard-
wick., examined : My duty is to superintend the work, and
see that it is carried out according to the plans, and the
quality of the materials, according to the specifications. I
visited the building daily, and never had occasion to make
any complaints of the manner in which it was being done, or of
the quality of the materials. It was on my suggestion that the
columns were built brick on edge. I have seen them built
on end, but I cannot call to my recollection of having seen
them built brick on edge. The view I had was that the ma-
terial should be more compact. There would of necessity be
more bricks and less cement in the columns. I mentioned it
to the men, and they approved of it instantly. I account for
the accident by a sudden leverage or swaggering of the scaf-
fold, which was 90 feet high. I have discovered during the
week that the columns were confined at a certain point.
They were braced about two-thirds up by the transoms
poles touching them. I noticed them some days before the
accident, but 1 did not complain or order themto be removed,
as I thought they would strengthen the columns. Ido not
think the pedestals would settle from pressure. I do not
remember ever seeing any similar structure. It is usual to
make those pedestals with mortar, and not with cement.
The columns were formed of the best Cowley stock bricks,
which were hard to be cut, and that was one reaa.n of their
being put on edge. The course of bricks ran 25 at the bot-
tom of the column, 23 in the middle, and 21 at the top.
Mr. William Tite, of Upper Bedford-place, Bedford-
square: I am called at the request of Mr. Hardwicke. I
have examined the works, and think the brickwork and
mortar had not thoroughly set, and that the pedestals gave
way first. It appears at if the columns had slipped off them.
The work had been carried up in wet weather, and was not
thoroughly set. It might have been done too rapidly for
the time of the year. I have calculated the weight the
columns would have borne, and I am of opinion that
they would have carried eight times the weight they were
intended to carry. In had been there five minutes before
the accident I would have had no hesitation in going upon
the scaffold. The accident happened by a sudden pressure
upon the colunius. I think it is a pure accident without
blame to any one, and produced by the length of the
leverage.
Mr. Edward Blore, of Manchester-square, architect—l
have examined the place, and having heard the evidence, am
of opinion that the accident originated from some movement
of the scaffold, being taken from the perpendicular, and
throwing the pressure on to the columns. I would guard
against such an accident for the future by connecting the
wall in course of erection by steadying points from the back
wall. I agree entirely in the evidence of Mr. The, and that
the slight sway at the top of the scaffold in raising the lever
caused the pressure upon the columns suddenly.
Mr. Hardwicke said he had several practical builders to
call, but be thought. after the evidence of Mr. Tite and
Mr. Blare, it would be unnecessary to take up further time.
The Coroner said that at the last meeting the jury ex.
pressed a wish to have the evidence of a gentleman con-
nected wit's the office of Wo4s and Forests.—Mr. Hos-
kins h.d attended from that office, and in order that the jury
should have the best evidence, he (the Coroner) had sum.
moned Mr. Braithwaite. He would examine them at once,
but as Mr. Hoskins wished to consider the evidence he had
beard that day before he gave his opinion as to the cause of
the accident, he (the Coroner) thought it could not be re-
fused, and therefore he must trouble the jury to come once
more.
Mr. Hoskins said he should not only wish fir time to
consider the evidence, but also to put his opinion to writing.
The inquest was then again adjourned until Thursday