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

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 18, 1853.

Coroner—Hass you formed say opinion, recollecting that
some of the trusses Sr. still standing with iron ribs resting
upon them, as to whether the mode of operation employed
was judicious, and calculated to answer the desired Ind ?
I think it was judicious, and calculated to answer the de-
sired end.

Coroner—Do yeti know whether new material was used
In the formation of the iron ribs ?—Yes, it was all new.

Sir Charles Fos—That will be readily understood when
I mention that these girders were 120 feet span, while the
largest in the Hyde-park building wu only 72 feet.
Coroner (to the witness)—As a practical man, have you
been able to form any impression under what circumstances
the three trusses gave way have taken the strictest ear*
to investigate, and I can't form sny idea.
The Foreman of the Jury—Had yen any apprehension of
danger yourself at any time ?—None whatever, otherwise I
would not hare went up on the trusses as I did generally a
dozen times a day ; nor would I have sent a man when I
dared not go myself.

Foreman—Hai you received any intimation from any
Fason, or had any remark been made to you, indicating
an apprehension of danger on the part of the workmen ?
No, air.

Foremen—l should tell you this has been an outdoor
remark, end therefore I put it to you. Iles any man em-
ployed upon the works withdrawn within the last week or
tea days, in consequence of any fear expresst d of the safety
of the scaffolding ?—Not from the part of the building where
the accident occurred. We discharged one employed on this
part one day last week.

Foreman:-But none have withdrawn voluntarily ?—None.

Coroner—l have beard it remarked that some men have
Aft their work in consequence of having found themselves
giddy when employed at a great height. Is that so ?—Yes.
In other parts of the building many men have been afraid to
work at the necessary height. There are plenty of men
who have not got nerve enough to go off the ground.
Coroner—That is only a personal feeling, and hu no re-
ference to the stability of the building. None whatever.
Foreman—Then you mean to say that none of the men
have left their work from fear of being employed at so
great a height at the part of the building where the acci-
dent occurred ?—lf they have they have not made it known
to myself.
_ _

Coroner—Looking to the circumstances, do you con-
sider this to have been an unforeseen accident, and one
which ordinary forethought could not hays accounted
for i—lt was quite unforeseen, and I can't account for it.

Foreman—Lid not a similar accident occur at the same
part of the building about a month ago ?—Yea, a portion of
the scaffolding then put up was not strong enough as we con-
sidered afterwards. It gave way, and carried down with it
three of the trusses.

! necessary, he would address a special application to the
Secretary of State on the subject.
Mr. Sallantine said if the jury would now name any
gentleman—Mr. Brunel or soy one else they pleased—the
contractors and the company would afford him every op-
portunity of going over the whole of the works, and of
making the most minute investigation.
A juror said one circumstince pressed itself most uncom-
fortably on his mind, and that was that two similar scaffold-
ings had fallen in the same place.
Mr. HaUantine said be might mention, as no doubt it
would be satisfactory to the public and to the court, that
although Messrs. Foe and Henderson had no reason to
doubt the propriety of the steps which had been taken to
form the scaffolding to which the accident occurred, they
would not allow any, the slightest, risk to be run in future;
and the firm had given orders that the scaffolding for the
completion of the roof should proceed directly from the
ground, so as to provide a support from the basement, in
adeition to the support which it already had. This had
been determined upon in consequence of the difficulty of
1 accounting for the accident.

Coroner-1 understand from Sir Charles Fox that the
most unaccountable circumstance is, that this portion of
the scaffolding should have given way without the whole
falling in.

Sir Charles Fox—When I heard of it first, and wu told
that only three trusses were down, I said " Come tell me
all—out with it at once—l am sure it must be all down."
I thought that no portion of the trusses could have fallen
without bringing down the remainder.
Coroner—Do you think if any architect or scientific per-
son were to see the building he could account for the acci-
dent any better thin yourself ?
Sir Charles Fox—b ~ sir, I think it quite impossible,
the trusses that have fallen are so completely broken up.
In fact, there is the same difficulty here as in the case of
railway accidents. At the same tans, we should be ex-
tremely happy to have the cause ascertained, because it is
of the greatest importance to us to know how the accident
originated.

The proceedings were here terminated by the coroner
giving his warrant for the interment of the sufferers, in re-
ference to the disposal of whose remains Mr. Ballantine
stated that it was the desire of the contractors that the
wishes of the relatives should be consulted.

In reply to the summoning officer, the Coroner said he
did not consider medical testimony would be necessary is
either of the cases. Lord Denman had, some time since.
decided that medical evidence was unnecessary when the
cause of death wu palpable. It was not requisite in such
cases to go into the minutia of details.
The jury were then bound over to meet at the same
place on Friday (to-morrow), for the further prosecution of
the inquiry.