The Express.
London, England, 1849-07-02 00:00:00

THE FATAL EXPLOSION ON THE SOUTH

DEVON RAILWAY.

An inquest in this care wan commenced on Friday,
before Mr. Bane, the coroner for Devon. After viewing
the body of deceased, /Leary Evens, late a stoker on the
S ,ntk Devon Railway, and who boat his life in connexion
with the explosion of the bider of ono of the locomotive en
rhos on W. dnesclay, the following evidence wee given :
Mr. W. Manley said, I am a civil engineer and superin-
tendent of the South Devon section of the Great Western
Railway Company's locomotive department. It Pi my duty
to attend to the repair of the engines on the line, and
to see they are in peeper order for w irking the traffic
of the line. There are not stated times for doing so; but
it is my duty to inspect the engines for this purpose as
often as passible On Saturday last I examined the
engine 0 lßeth. I found it in goal working or.
der. The engine was upwards of seven years old, and the
bonier was to ell appearanoe sound when I examined it. I
examined the engine on Wednesday evening sPer the ex-
plosion took place. I found the engine lying with the smoke-
hoz underneath the Mader—the fire-box was in the opposite
direction—so that it was completely turned round, and lying
on its right side. The tep of the fire-box bad been forced in,
which was the cause of the position of the engine and train.
The dome of the boiler was quite perfect. My opinion is
that the boiler exploded in consequence of the pressure of

steam being greater than the ire-box of the boiler could bear.
Of course a greater pressure is ri quired to work a train upon
an ircline than on a level. The incline at Plynipton begins
close to the station, and continues to iiemerdon, a distance of
about three miles. I cannot state the event of the rise on
this incline, but I tkink about one in fifty; but Mr. Margery,
th • resident engineer of the line, is present, and I hare no
doubt he can do so.

Mr. P. J. Margery was called. He stated he was s chit
engineer and the resident engineer of the S ,uth Devon Rail-
way. The degree of inclination on the Plympton ineine
was about one in forty-seven.
Idr. Mutters examination resumed—This incline is not, I
believe, • very usual one, but I do not consider it dangerous
for a locomotive engine. There are steeper inclines and in•
Mines as steep upon other lines. When a greeter sp. ed is
required, the sal et) valve is screwed down, but Thompson
could not have reached the spring-balance whilst in his
eraper place, it being on the left side of the engine, and the
engine-man's place being on the right. I found the spring-
belanco on my examination of it on Wedr aid I evening
screwed down to 701bs ; and my cowdueion from that is, that
there was not a greater pressure than the regulated pres-
sure, or what the boiler ought to be able to bear, supposing
it to be as good u when it was tested. The boilers are tested
to bear upwards of 100 lb..
The next witness was Hurst, the engine•man alluded to by
Mr. Marley. He rated he was an engine-man in the em-
ploy of the Great Western Railway Company ; he said it
was his duty to run the ensiles , and to look after the en-
gines as well, and to take the reports of the other engine-
men as to the state of their engines, and to take them to Mr.
Hartley. He examined the Goliath on Wednesday after-
noon, and found it in good working order, and perfectly
sound to the eye. The engine came down to Plymouth on
Wednesday morning with the mail train. Witness examiued
it at two o'clock when the fire was out. He did not take out
the water to examine the baler. The water would show if
there were any flaw in the boiler quick. r than it could be
discovered by the eye. There were 4i iaches of water on
the top of the inside firebox. That is a proper working
quantity. There was no leakage from the boiler when the
engine left. The boiler appears to me to have sprung
under the firedoor. The metal seems at that spot
to be good; and I cannot explain the cause of its springing.
The nt.tal will sometimes sriag in a new boiler, even when
from its surface it is impossible to detect any defect. lie had
known a boiler burst in three week's werking, and would
not think it more extraordinary that a new one should burst
then that an old one should do so. No report was mode to
e liess that the engine was out of order. Thompson had
been an engine-man four years; he was a steady man, and
witness thought he was very competent to the he filed.
Mr. H. Gooch, the chief superintendent of the locomotive
department of the Great Western Railway, basing inti-
mated his desire to be examined, was next called by the
coroner. Mr. Gooch said he desired to be examined in or
der to correct an impression which he thought might be
produced on the minds of the jury in respect to the pres-
sure of steam on tae boiler. 'floe pressure on the boiler
was a fixed quantity and not affected by the gradient or
velocity. The quantity of rum generated in a !mom-
tive engine varies according to the intensity of the blast on
the fire, while . blast is cauleed by the eduction of the steam into
the chimney; therefore if the engine be running quick, and re-
quire a greater supply of steam from the boiler she is at the
same time discharging a quantity into the chimney, and,
there:ore, producing greater heat in the fire; so that the
pressure is self-regulating as the engine moves, sad aecordii g
to the duty she is pert-arming. I have seen the engine ie
question to-day. The condition of it has been correctly de-
scribed by the witnesses already examined, Toe thick-
ness of the copper where the fracture has taken place is
three-eighths of an inch, the ordains' thickets+ being three-
eighths and a sixteenth, which is there( re a loss of a six-
teenth. There boilers when new are fit to bear 300 to
3601b'. on the inch quite safely, and I believe this boiler
was fit to bear from 150 to 2001 b.. The appearance
of the crown of the copper fire-box leads me to think
that it was heated at the time, which would show an
absence of water, and when the train came to the bottom of
the incline the driv- r would naturally put on a greater quan-
tity of steam into the cylinders.
Mr. Goole—There as an order given to the engiaemen to
work at not a greater pressure than 70, and on ma account to
hold down the safety valve. Mr. Gooch handed in the lA-
lowing order :

NOIrCES TO EN4'17011,11.8 AND
.FIILMI3I. —OCT., IR I L—Several canes

hue occurred the Out fortnight of tubes building, and slide valves
being lost, and these accidents may all be traced to the enginis being
forced to move more than do ir proper perroure. The cognomen are
hereby cautioned against allowing *heir firemen to hold the valve
screw down upon any account; but of.er the engine is screwed down
to 63104., any spare *team must be allowed to blow off freely from the
valve, Sr to be ,town into the tender.
The Coroner, having corsulted with Mr. Gooch, asked Mr.
Greenhow, in respect to a portion of his evidence, why, if the
steam accumulated, and dangers thus arose frail stoppages
on the iodine, the same danger did not ensue from the trine
stopping at the vari us stations ?
The witness in reply said that the steam was not generat-
ing with the same rapidity then, because the flees wt re
always slacked before coming into the stations, but on the
incline this won not the case, and they blew off the steam at
the stations, while they retained it on the incline to get
power for a fresh effart. He considered the gradients on
the South Devon line too great fur the locomotive—for the
carrying of Write tr tins. He heard, however, that they were
now making locomotives large enough to carry anything ;
in that case of course the traffic might be carried en satin-
faetorily.
The inquest was adjourned till to day (Monday).

THE NIAGARA, Captain Hyrie, nailed on Saturday
(r.= Liverpool tor Halifax and New York.

THE New SAVINGS' BANK BILL —We hear that
the government is quite ready with its New Savings' Bank
Bill, which it is anxious to bring forward as early u possible,
in order that the minute may come into operation from aid
after the 20th of November next. It is now understood that
the government will become r sponsible, and that as a conse-
quence it will uadertake the entire management of savings'
banks; thus placing the safety of these institutions beyond
all doubt.—Reporter and Savings' Bank. Advocate. •
THF. " SHOOTING GALLERY" NUISANCE. The
Wednesday following the Newton races, a yonn_f woman,
apparently about twenty years of age, was brought before
the Mayor of Warrington by the police., who stated that
they had found her wandering about the stores of the
town. She appeared to ba a destitute stranger, and, from
her conduct, the police believed her to ben sane. She
had a recent wound on one aide of htir head, and, from
what information could be gathered, it appeared that she
had been at the Newton races, and was either
standing behind or passing near a shooting 'el-
le, y, when she was shot in the bead. The
wound was subsequently dressed by a surgeon of
Newton. She afterwards rambled to this town, and being
met by the police, an stated, she was taken into custody for
safety. When before the bench she could hardly articulate
a single word, nor did she stem to comprehend a simple
queetion. The bench thought it advisable that she should
be taken to the workhouse for the purpose of having medi-
eel aid. Sh a was taken accordingly under the care of Mr.
Hunt, surgeon, who found the skull serious 4 fractured.
lie probed the part, and felt a hard substance, which he he-
aved to be a ball. Oa Thursday the girl's heed was tre-
panned, and embedded in some congealed blvd, pressing
upon the membrane, wee found a misshapen leaden bullet,
half an ounce in weight. Before the ball was ex-
tracted the girl was speechless, but immediately after
its extraction she recovered her articulation. She
is now lying in a very precarious state. She
states her name to be Jane Markland, and that she efines
from Dixon green, near Bolton, where her relations reside.
As seeer,l ic‘idents have occurred lately at the race grounds
from similar tassel to the present cue, it is, we think, a
duty incumbent upon the anthcrities not to permit shooting-
galleries either to be upon or anywhere near the race ground
At the last Cheater races a man was killed by a ball shot
from one of thesis galleries, and in this case it is doubtful if
the girl will recover. The safety of people visiting races is
imminently endangered by these galleries, and unless they
are suppressed, numerous accidents will ensue.—Manchester
Examiner.

THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SHOW AT NORwICII.
The following are the heal arrangements in respect to this
east national event :—Thursday, Juiy 12: Last day of re-
cetving implements, seed, &c., to be exhibited in the imple-
ment yard, and arranged by the steward' for the judges' in-
spe:tion.—Monday, July 18 Trial of implements 7Tues-
d y, July 17 : Sleek received in the show-yard from eight in
the morning till four ice the afternoon —Wednesday, July
18 : The implement yard open to the public from eight
In the manning till six in the evening ; the judges
to inspect the stock and award the prizes; in the evening,
after all the jars have delivered in their awards, the public
to be admitted into the cattle yard. At twelve o'clock at
noon, the Rev. E. SionPy, N A., will deliver a lecture
in the County Court, Guildhtll, "Oa the Parasitic
Fungi of the British Farm ;" and at four o'clock in the
afternoon, Professor Simonds, of the Royal Veterinary
College London, will del v.r a lecture at the same place,
"On the Anatomy, Physiology, and Diseases of the Organs
of Bmpiration, with particular reference to Pleurn-Pneu-
mania in the Oz." At six o'clock the council dinner will
take place in St. Andrew's Hall, at which will be read the
judges's award of prises, with the exceptions of the awards
of prizes for horses, which will not be announced until the
following day—Thursd .y: The cattle and implement yards
open to the public from six the morning till six in the
evening. The great dinner of the society will take place in
St. Andrew's Hall at four o'clock. Friday, 20th General
meeting of the members is the Guildhall, at ten ohlock in
the forenoon. Mr. B. Gibly,, baring examined the certificate
of stock entered, state, that the number of animals orals
that entered for the society's prizes at any former meeting.
The entry for implements is grea'er than any former one.
THE STANFIELD HALL MURDERS.—It his been
matter of coojecture whether, on the tragical night of Nov.
29, the amnia Rush 'mid any weapon he-ides the blunder-
buss found at Pot oh on Hey 19, and "aught of Mr. Feld,
233. Holborn, on the 13th of July, 1848 The following
extract of a letter, addressed by Mr Field to a ceen.v nte-
gistrate on the 23rd inst., is, we think, a proof that the only
weapon used was the blunderbuss in Tuition ; and the mur-
derer probably reloaded it in the dining-room : " There was
one circumstance connected with the sale of the gun which
I did not mention to you,—that the man who bought it or-
dered the touch-holes to be enlarged, in order to make them
prime themselves, which, coupled with his having cirtridges
would greatly facilitate the reloading.—Norjoik Chro-
nick.

FIRE IN ST. GlLEs'd.—Yesterday morning at an
early hour a fire broke out in the lower part of Sayer's beer-
shop, St. Andrew-greet, Sewn d:als. The brigade engines
and men soon reached the neighbourhood. Water was
abundantly procured, and with difficulty the Are was
subdued, with oonsiderable &mtge. The hone was full
of ledgers, who wt re totally unconscious of their danger
till aroused by some persons patting theft's'''.

MIL HUDSON, M.P., AND RAILWAY
MANAGEMENT.
(Prem the llotltray Chronick.)
Wo regret to hear from all sides minutes of read
omen about the state of Mr. Iludson'a accounts, is they have
turned out in the recent ex sminatb.ns into the Of sirs of the
link and North Midland, er York and Newcastle. Our
readers well know that we have done Mr. Hudson ample
justice. We expressed very earls our determination not to
I allow ourselves to be biassed be idle clamour of men who
were tirsd of their idol, and vented upon the object of their
former worship a wroth quite as irrational as their veneration.
We never subscribed to a Hudson te-timonial ; and, there-
fore, wets quite at liherty to defend him from his friends
when he fell into adversity.
It is, therefore, with great regret we have to announce
to our readers that we lave authentic ibliermation, which
leaves us no room to doubt that our belief in Mr.
Hudson's honesty of purpose sod in•egrity of intention
was misplaced. The transactions that have taken
place it seems impos.ible to palliate or to justify. It would
appear that Mr. Hudson was led to forget altogether the
marked distinction between his own property and that of
his railway companies. He seems to have, to a great ex-
tent, in the habit of placing the cash of the company
to his own private account, and of paying the debts of the
company cut of his own private NA. also. But it would
also appear that the transactions of the former kited have
much preponderated over the latter; and that Mr. Hudson
has remained to a lamentable extent richer by his intro-
missions with the companies' funds.
[From llerapath's Journal.]
We undentand that the York, Newcastle, an I B. rwick
Railway Company have par: lolly removed their account
from the Hnitn Bank of York, of which Mr. Hudson is
. chairmen, to the Newcastle and Northumberlat.d Datsiet
Bank at Newcastle. It is said that Mr Hudson will :4•11
to refund to this railway some 200,0001, a d that thing"
will appear against him in the report much worst than is
generally expected. He is reported already to have paid
back, or arranged to pay back, 75,0001.

FRENCH RAILWAY THAFPIC.—Ihe following are the lest
return of the grou receipt. of the principal French railways :
7:salvia:v.—Prom Julie 18 toJune 24: huemgers, 162,3951.; goods,
131.505 E; total, 292,90 d.
BOUEN.—From June 17 to June 23 : Puungers, 58,325!.; goods.
75,161 E ; total, 121,486 f.
Han.a.—Prom June 17 to June 23 : Peaungers, 23,36;.; goods,
34,990 f.; total. 58,236 f.
°AL/LANA—Prom June IS to June 24: rawengerr, 79,4'4f.; go dm,
93,400 f. ; total, 172,814!.
Boat.ut I.—Prom June 16 to June 22: Pawners, 31,385!.; good,.
41,217 E; total, 72,6)2f.
VIMWON.—From June IS to Juno 24: Pamengers, 34,321!.; goods
23,962 f.; total, 50,283'.
BOULOONE.—From June 18 to June 24 : Passengers, 21,736 E; goods,
3,308 f. ; total, 23,644!.
DlitrrE—Prom June 17 to June 23 : Peasengere, 5,229 f. ; goods,
6,512!.; total, 11,541 L