The Express.
London, England, 1848-02-15 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DEBLIN, FEB. 13.

It is said that an incorporated society, under the
management of Lords Devon, Courtown, and Mon-
teagle, Sir Edward Borough, Sir 1). Roche, Mr. Mon-
sell, and Mr. Fagan, is about being organised, the
object of which will be to purchase primarily such
parcels of land and estates as shall come into the
market, and apportion them for re-sale to small pro-
prietors in lots of 40 acres each. The occupiers,
when of good character, to have the preference of
purchase, and to pay the purchase mosey by half-
yearly instalments, so that their capital shall not be
at once exhausted. It is not the first time that such
a project has been mooted, and I should not feel sur-
prised that it was realised.

PROVINCIAL.
LANCASHIRE.
THE BOILER EXPLOSION AT MANCHESTER.--TWO
others of tne sufferers have died since Saturday, making
eeven deaths in the a hole. At the conclusion of the in-
quest on Saturday, or rather when it was about to be ad-
journed, and after our correspondent and many others had
left the room, Mr. Beswick, superintendent of police, who
had Mr. lkley, the owner of the boiler, in custody, claimed
the attention of the coroner, and put forth the folow.i.g evi-
dence to ju-tity the retention of Mr. Riley as a prisoner, till
the ',Leith of the inquiry :—Thomas Cuubin : I am a carder
by occupation, but owing to bad health of late I have been
obliged to do what I could get, and for seven mouths I have
been in the employment of Thomas Riley as engineer, and I
left him shout a week ago. I never had the care of an engine
before, hut Atkinson, the deceased, who was in attendance
upon the engine when I first went, came to me for about an
hour, and told me what I was to do. Riley himself never inter.
fend, but now and then to scold me when the steam was net
high enough, and when I have spoken to him when things
were not right—l mean when the boiler has b. en short of
water, and I have gone to complain to him. We were sup.
plied oy the Waterworks Company, and the water was kept
in two large tuba, but, if full, they would scarcely last us until
dinner time. The tuba were full at night, and when the
steam was down (which was always the care when we left
off), except when the large stone was at work, and then it
was obliged to be turned off; and these tubs supplied the
boiler for the next morning. But sometimes the boiler leaked
so much that I was obliged to call the master up in the
morning to fill it again. Oue tub lull of water was always
kept in reserve. It was a high-pressure teii:er, very old;
the bottom was very much worn. It leaked aluicot con-
stantly behind the bridge at the far end of the tire hole.
I have often stopped it—sometimes two or three time.
a week up t the time of my leaving, with spent hops and
manure. This stopped the leak ige for a time, but about
a week before I left we were so short of water that we run
the boiler, at my master's request, to about an inch and a
half off the bottom, and in this way it ran to the leaving
off time. When the water gauge hit the bottom, the hops and
manure were burnt. At the middle of this week there was
only about four inches of water at the bottom. Being afraid
of being blown up, I went and brought my master to see it,
and he tried it with the gauge. I asked him to allow me to
atop the engine and then we should be safe; but he said," Oh,
it must run while six o'clock; ;and he left me. We had about
forty minutes to run and then we left off for the night, and we
continued to go on until we closed that night. Our gauge was
afloat, which told us the height of the water. There was no
steam gauge ; there was a safety valve at the top, which was
weighted with •large round weight and two smaller ones. I
cannot tell the weight. When the steam had got to its right
height it always lifted up the weight and blew off. The steam
valve sometimes wanted repairing; it allowed the steam to
escape, and then extra weights were added to keep it down.
I never knew the valve to be fast. My master several times
told me that the boiler was too small, and that he was going
to get anew one as soon as the days began to get longer. I
never knew what was the extent of the power of the boiler or
of the engine, nor what kind of an engine it was. I think
they called it a locomotive, but the men generally called it a
"puffing billy." I was never told what power I had to drive
I did it by gums work. If the engine went slow my
master would frequently blackguard me and tell me
to put a heavier fire under; and 1 often refused to do so,
telling him it would blow us up. There was danger attend-
ing it. This was when the stone was gong. but at no other
time. The engine had to turn regularly eight lathes, and a
polishing lathe, and also two grindingastonee ; and when the
large stone was on extra steam was required. It would
drive the other weight very well, but there was great
danger when the large 'tone was at work; and it was at
work constantly for the last three weeks before I lett,
unless when the steam has been down for an hour or
two, and that has been daily. The engine required to
be driven at a very quick pace ; it is reckoned between