The Express.
London, England, 1853-03-09 00:00:00

CATHEDRAL APPOINTMENTS BILL.

On the order of the cloy for going into committee on
this bill,

Mr. EWART complained that the incomes of deans were
still various in amount, in opposition to an understanding
which had been come to that they were to be equalised.
Many deans had '2,0001. a year, whereas it had been under-
stood that 1,0001. was to be the maximum. The intention
of the legislature had so far been defeated.
The bill passed through committee.

INDEMNITY BILL.
This bill was read a second time.
TILE PILOTAGE BILL.

This bill was brought is and read a first time.
The house adjourned at a quarter to 10.

Mr. IV. 0. S'anley wag shut out from the division on the
Canada Clergy Reserves Bill.

NEW COMMITTEES APPOINTED.

Yesteriny the General Committee of Elections ap-
pointed the following members to serve on the follow-
ing Committees:
tiILHNCESTEIL.—Hon. Edwin Laseelles (chairman), Hon.
E. Yorke, Col. Ferguson, Mr. G. H. Vanaittart, and Sir
J. Haunter.

Mar.nort.—Lord Robert Grosvenor (chairman), Mr. T.
Phinn, Right Hon. G. Mulkey, Sir H. F. Davie, and Mr.
H. G. Liddell.

EXPLOSION OF A RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVE.

SHOCKING LOSS OF LIFE.

A terrible accident occurred yesterday morning at
LongsiAt, near Manchester, by the explosion of a railway
locomotive belonging to the London and North Western
Railway Company. Loagaight is a depot for engines. It is
about two miles south of Manchester, close to the main
hue; and besides extensive works for mechanics employed
in repairing, there is an immense shed, of nearly circular
form, into which engines are taken to clean, oil, be
supplied with fire from the coke oven, and in
which the steam is got up. It is about 150
yards in circumference, and is lighted by a circular
lantern iu the centre of the roof, 40 feet high. It has eight
pairs of rails, radiating from a turn-table in the centre, with
eight pits, over which the engines are placed for examina-
tion and cleaning. Yesterday morning, amongst six or
seven of the locomotives in this shed, was one standing on
the south side, with the steam got up. It was engine No.l,
being the first locomotive ever built for the Manchester and
Birmingham Company, 12 or 13 years ago, by Messrs.
Sharpe, Roberts, and Co. This locomotive bad been under-
going thorough repair, and was to have left the shed for
the first time since renewal yesterday, the steam having been
got up at 8 o'clock for the purpose. About 5 minutes to
nine o'clock, however, the boiler burst with a terrific
explosion, which was heard for miles, tearing the part over
the fire-box into three separate pieces, hurling each to a
distance of six or seven yards destroying five of the pillars
supporting the structure, and blowing off and destroying
upwards of 1,500 !queue feet of the slated roof. In this
shed from 60 to 80 workmen were at breakfast, dispersed in
groups about all parts of it, and hence a shocking loss of
life, four men being killed on the instant, in addition to
some ten or a dozen carried away, more or less
severely hurt. Four men were sitting close to the
next pit, on the west side of that over which the engine
exploded, about six or seven yards distant, and upon these
unfortunate men an immense sheet of iron, forming one
side of the boiler over the fire place, about six feet by four,
and to which apiece of the ash-box was attached, weighing
altogether 6ur 7 cwt., tell; and these are the men killed.
Their names are Thomas Gresty, of Gorton, a married man,
having a wife and five children—his skull badly fracturei ;
James Snowdon, of Chancery-lane, Manchester, married
man—skull and right leg fractured; Wm. Black, of Gorton
Brook, married man skull much fractured ; James
Moore, of Pinmill Brow, Manchester, married man—skull
much fractured. All these men were also badly scalded. The
workmen were of course fearfully alarmed, and those who
conk escaped from the building at once, but in a state of
great excitement. A large number, however, were covered
by the roof having fallen in, and those who had escaped
were set to work as soon as possible to rescue their fellow.
workmen, which they effected in a short time. When the
engine exploded, Edward lieffern, the driver, was on the
top of it, and William Cheetwood, the fireman, was in the
pit underneath raking the ashpan ; and how they escaped
with life is wonderful. They are, however, seriously hurt.
Reffern, who was found by the side of the tender, alter the
explosion, was found to have sustained compound fractures of
the skull and of the right leg ; and Cheetwood had his face
badly scalded, besides other injuries. 1 hey were both carried
to the Manchester Infirmary, and lieffern's is considered a
very dangerous case. The following were also conveyed to
the Infirmary : about 10 o'clock William Coweell, of 3,
Rider's-court, May-street, Manchester, boiler-maker, aged
26, basing a scalp wound and fracture of one knee ; Ralph
Brundrett, Gorton-brook, aged 24, with a laceration of one
thigh ; Charles Clyde, 10, Edward-street, aged 26, labou-
rer, fracture of one arm and leg ; Joseph Ainsworth, 1,
Crook-street, boiler-maker, aged 38, laceration of the sale,
Robert Tabley, 56, Burt:street, aged 34, scalded face.
Besides these seven taken to the infirmary, many others
were led home, some much injured, and °then but
slightly. These included Ralph Turner, contused head;
James Muckle, contusion of the head; Rickard Hough,
struck by a bar of iron, and repotted i• a dying state;
Joseph Blears, contusion of the head ; and Edward Bolt,
contusions on the head. On the boiler exploding the engin,
broke from the tender and darted forward about twice its
own length, whilst the tender recoiled only a few feet. The
fire-box dropped into the pit immediately under the place
where the engine had stood. The cause of the ezplos;on
is
not known. Though the engine was a very old one, and had
received a new fire-box, it appears to have been sound.
There are patches on the boiler, but the rens
caused by the explosion are not through these or
any part in which there is evidence of a flaw. The wrought
iron roof of the external covering of the fire-box seems to
have been blown off in one piece, drawing with it the
copper stays, and is torn through the centre of the ricer
holes on both sides. Another piece is torn through the
solid wrought-iron plate for several feet in length,
eighths tl.ick, and in one place through two tkicknessal
the plate. A coroner's inquest on the four bodies of the
H
killed, which have been removed to the WaggWaggon
orses public-house, Longsight, will probably be held a
day. three:

TILE CONSERVATIVE LAND SOCIET V.—The shah
purchase of the society was made yesterday in 'Wend-
shire between the towns of Ware and Ileriturd.