The Express.
London, England, 1847-03-20 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL.

NEARLY TIER THOUSAND POUNDS HAS' EERY ALREADY
SUBSCRIBED for the establishment of en Atheneum at
Bolton. The building is to be commenced forthwith.

AN ACCOUNT OF THE FACTORIES NOW STANDING IDLE
IN MANCHESTER is given in the Lirerpool Standard of
Tuesday. The list includes the establishments of Moan.
Good, W,od, Wood, Throlfall, Rigg, Pooley, Stirling (em-
ploying 1,090 hands), Burton, Burton, Guest, Bullock and
Gray, Beatson, Poolev, Thompson, Fernley, Parnell,
Brown, H. Maryland, Morris, Higginsoa, Westin, Massey.
The bulk of the above are spinners of coarse or middle num-
bers, and many of them carry on power-loom weaving. The
number of hands thrown out of employment, including
spinners, plectra, weavers, and scavengers, is estimated at
about eleven thouand. Averaging their wages at 10s.
a week, we have bore 6,5001. weekly spent amongst the
shopkeepers, totally drawn out of circulation. The
&Bowing is a statement of the number of factories
working short time, and the hour. of working—vis.
—Birley's, 4 days per week; Oxford Twist Coaleany, 4
days; G. Clark, 4 days; J. Clarke, 10 hours a day, with
repairs; Woolley, 4 days; Hodgson, 4 days; Parnell, 3
days; Jones, 3 days; Can, 3 days ; Beaver, 4 days ; Wet-
kins, 3 days; Binn, 2 days; Barton, 4 days; Kennedy, 4
days; Patten, 4 days ; Albion Mills, 4 days; J. Wilson and
Co., 4 days; Ogden, 4 days; Waterhouse, 4 days ; Allen, 4
days • darstang, 4 days; Chappell, 3 days; Simpson and
Co , 2 working with 3 days wages. The bulk of these are
extensive establishments, employing a large number of
hands ; and the amount of money drawn out of circulation
from their partial stoppage mast be very heavy. Add
to these the number of calico printers, dyers, finishers,
fustian cutters, pokers, designers, engravers, and, in fact, of
parties whose means of living must be diminished by the
decreased manufacture of cotton fabrics, and we shall find
no difficulty in believing that the suffering in Manchester
must be intense. Of the five Tinning mills, all are work-
ing full time to supply the demand of face yarns for Notting-
ham and the continent. A very few only of the coarse mills
are similarly working. We have not at present correct
statistics of the amount of standing or partially employed
mschinary in the other manufacturing towns throughout
the district. As in the majority of these, however, low num-
bers are spun, it is certain that the number stopped or work
ing short time must be very extensive.

A Senses OF TRIAL. EXPRRIMINTA to test the strength I,
of gun cotton in blasting 's compared with the known powers
of gunpowder, took place on Wednesday, in the Standedge
tunnel on the Huddersfield and Manchester Railway. A
correspondent thus describes the proceedings and their results.
The place selected for the experiments is in the midst of the
great Yorkshire chain of hills, between Huddersfield and
'Manchester, where a tunnel is now con, tructing through
huge masses of Mi'stone grit, and which, when complete.%
will be the longest tunnel in England. Tke rocks which
are situate at a depth of one hundred and fifty-five yards
below the surface of the mountain, consists entirely of close
grained quarts, of which some idea may be formed by
the fact that in one hundred and ten yards of the
tunnel sow completed, not one fissure or joint is tible.
Holes were drilled of 2 inches, 11 inches, and 11 inehes to
diameter in the millstone grit, and the charges of gun-cotton
varied from 1-6th to 1-3rd of the weight of powder ordi-
narily made we of in blasting. Cartridges containing the
gun-cotton were dropped into the hole with the patent fuse
attached, and the quantities varied front 10 ounces in the
larger, to 6 ounces in the smaller tubes; the quantity of
gunpowder employed for similar blast-drill, varying from
1 to 311 n. The shots in the tunnel were 12 in number,
10 being charged with gun-cotton, and No. 4 and 11 with
gunpowder. The shots numbered 2 and 7 in the south
heading, and 12 in the north heading. were declared by Mr.
Nicholson, the contractor, previous to their being fired,
to be thote on which the test the strength of

glut-cotton, compared with that of gunpowder, would
oe unwt certain, both as to charges and post-
- tins. Ni. 2 was charged with 10 ounces of gun-cotton,
sod chi wonder'ul ex. cation, ete.weling in everythinz the
' e xpec•atetes of both the engineers and miners. No. 7 was
extr4t-ol a i.b 14 eunce of gone dton, end performed the same
work as 6 ounces of gunpowder. The crowning expoiments
were Ni. 11 and 12 in the north heading. No. 12 was
charged with 16 ounces of gun-cotton a;ainst 31bs. 4ez. of
gunpowder in No. 11, the shots exceeding anything the en-
gineers or miners had before tested. The gun-cotton ex-
ploded first, and threw against the isde of the heading, and
broke into nine pieces 2'o cubic feet of rock, or about 15
tons weight. This shot, from its connexion with No. 11, was
supposed to have assisted it materially. No. 11 removed to the
distance of about one yard t.li feet of roek, or about 161 tons
weight, but was broken into six pieces only. Thus showirg the
strength of one over the other. The following properties
were established in these experiments:—That the gun-cotton
may be considered of three or four times the strength of
gunpowder ; that it is entirely free from smoke, a qualifica-
tion of great importance in mining operations, as the miners
can recommence work immediately after the blasts have been
a'red, which is not the cue with gunpowder that in keeping
nttton on the works, and its being handled by the men,
'
then e is not so much risk from explosion or loss from waste
• h gunpowder that it ignites with more certaintythan
Renews vder, and, from the decreased siva of the charge, the
depth at the drill-hole mar be diminished, and the power
more cons entrated it also possesses all the qualities of the
best guar,-.der, and may be kept under water instead of in
a magazine it does not beat by keeping, and will explode at
not lees than 4.160.
Tue ARDSL.73 COAL-PIT ACCIDRNT.—After several ad-
journments the s nquest on the unfortunate sufferers by the
late coal-pit acrid, 'nt at Arelslev, to ar Barnsley, was con-
cluded late on Thu. -sday night last, when the jury returned
the following verdict, :—" Accidental death, and the jury are
of opinion that efficie, it regulations are not enforced in this
district to prevent the use of naked lights in those parts of
coal-mines where ineuttmable gas is known to exist, and are
further of opinion that d e recurrence of accidents involving
so large a loss of human life demands the immediate atten-
tion 01 her Majesty's goner nment, and would justify parlia-
ment in framing such a cm le of regulations as would give
greater security to persons es oploved in mining operations."
The fury requested the ecotone r to forward their sentiments to
the Secretary of State for the lime Department.
LINCOLNt +ERRE.

DEATH By INHALATION 73P NrAPOtH OP ETHEL—A
coroner's inquest was commence e on Saturday last and con-
cluded on Monday evening, at tiranthans, on the body of
Ann Parkinson, a married woman. aged 21, who died two
days after an operation performed under the influence of
ether. A tumour had formed on the leg of the deceased,
and by her own renting it was removed whilst she was under
the influence of the new antidote to pain. At firstthe ether
took but slight effect, when the inhalation was repeated, and
the operation was proceeded with. She said she felt
the pain of the ineiAons, and after the operation she re-
mained very weak, continuing in a low state fur two days,
when she died. A post mortem examination was made,
and two surgeons gave an opinion that the operation had
been skilfully performed, and there was every evidence that
death had resulted from the vapour of ether, the deceased
having inhaled more than her system would bear. A verdict
to this effect was returned, the surgeon who performed the
operation (and who used the ether with reluctance) being
exonerated by the jury. The post martens examination
demonstrated that the anterior lobes of the brain were con-
gested. This fatal symptom was presumed to have arisen
from the use of ether.

ELECTION FOR EAST fimaIUISITINIIIIL—The liMnl com-
mittee organized at the Bath meeting hare taken the most
prompt measures for securing Mr. Pinney's return, and this
morning his address was extensively circulated throughout
the county. Up to this time no oppmidon has been com-
menced, although threats are freely indulged iu, and the
names of Sir Alexander Hood, Mr. Blathwaite, Mr. Knatch-
bull, and others, continue to be freely used. Should an op-
position arise, no lean are entertained by those members of
the liberal party moat likely to be well informed of the
return of Mr. Pinney.