The Express.
London, England, 1858-07-20 00:00:00

DEATH IN d DIVING APPARATUS.

An inquest was held at Dover on Friday, on the
body o[ John Oppey, a diver employed at the Admiralty pier

--
lame Smale, a moon by trade, and a helmet diver In the
employ of Messrs. Lee and Son, was the first witness sea-
mined. He said—l knew the deceased, who wee also • meson
employed upon the Admiralty pier works. Yesterday, about
one o'clock, I went down in the ordinary diver's dress for the
purpose of setting foundations for the pier. I was mom-
panted by the deceased, who was provided with the sense
apparatus. I believe that that was the first time he had
descended. Before going down I established with him a
code of signals he was to make with his hands, whereby
I should know whether he required more or less air ;
and I expertly enjoined him by no means to
meddle with the air-valve, as the consequences might
be vary serious if he did so. I also told him how to
signal with his lifeline to those above, in the event of his
wishing to be taken up. On getting to the bottom, I placed
him against one of the blocks, end pressing his hand
and waving to him at the same time, I conveyed
to him that be was not to move. I then left
hint for aboat two minutes, but wee not distant
more than six or eight feet. I employed myself the turns
mentioned insetting one of the blocks, and then returned to
the deemed. I found him in the place at which I had put
him, but holding in his hand a tool called a straight-edge,
with which he pointed to one of the blocks, which was
slightly out of level. I was pleased at that, as I
thought it showed be was getting on famously. I
then repeated the signal to him not to stir, and
again left him, and employed myself at my work.
In about ten minutes I went to him again, and he
had than moved about four feet towards the spot at
which I bad been employed. I examined the valve regu-
lating the quantity of air supplied to the diving apparatus,
which was in the poeition I had placed it in previous to going
down, and put him back to the place I had first stationed
him at, and enjoined him by signal not to move. I then a
third time went from him, and, on my return to him in
about two or three minutes, he was leaning with his arm upon
the block and the straight-edge in his hand. He shook the
latter at me playfully, as if he was striking with • sword.
I then again left him, and in a few minutes, on looking
towards him, I misted him. I directly went to where he
ought to have been, but he had moved from that "pot about
eight feet. On getting to him, I took him by the arm,
upon which he turned towards me, and made the agreed
signal with his hands that be should like to go up. I
directly snatched his life line, giving the signal to those
above to lift him up, and at the Lame time I lifted my hand
to snatch mine, when • signal came down to me to come up
myself. I gave the return signel immediately, and I was
to the 'tutees. On getting there I looked about for the
deceased, expecting to find that he also had been raised, but
I was informed that they could not hit him. I said, Pall
him," and they did so, but were still unable to raise him up.
I then directed them to peas the line on to the staging, so as
to get the lift straight up and down. That wee done, bat
still they could not get him up. On learning this I went
down myself directly, but was unable to find the deemed,
and thinking that he might have been drawn to the surface
as I had gone down, I again had myself pulled up. Finding,
however, that they had still been unable to lift him, I
again descended by his life line and guided by that I disco-
vered him lying down with his hands firmly clench-
ing a rope. I then cut off his weights, on which
he lilted • little, and I augured from that that there was
some hope. After some difficulty I unclenched his hands,
and he was then lifted up. upon m 7 making the necessary
signal to thou above. I followed ham to the surface, and on
the glees in frost of my helmet being taken out, I asked if
he wee dead or sliver The answer being. I fear be is
deed." I emit directly to look at the collar of deceased's
apparatus, and found the regulator quite open. The valve
being opened, water could get into the Inilmet. Ido sot
think the valve could have become open b accident. but
moat have been designedly turned by drowsed. On the
occasion of my first going down into the water es a diver, I
suffered extremely from pains in the head, and beginners
often suffer in the earns way. Going down immediately after
eating would cause the symptoms to be aggravated. The
dowsed had just come from dinner when he descended. In
my opinion deceased began to feel oppressed and uncomfort-
able, and was induced to tura the valve, thinking thereby to
to obtain relief. _

thelstry—;;;;tuved a twedid In sooordance with this wit-
waif opinica.—Doww a4reseiele.

BBRIO U 8 POACHING AM.47 XICAB 1322.1011T01Y:

Between two and three o'clock on Saturday
morning a most desperate fight took place with two poachers
and three watchers on Colonel Paine 's grounds at Patcham,
three miles northward of Brighton, at which place the
poachers resided. They are two most desperate characters,
named Poplett and Winton, the former of whom wee mixed
up in a garotte case some time since. On Friday night, the
local constable of Patchett', named °mimes, had his au-
picions aroused, and he obtained the assistance of two mos,
named Clark and Brown (employed by Colonel Paine sad Mr.
Tanner as watchers), and all three proceeded to some
unenclosed land belonging to Colonel Paine, when they
found several rabbits wired and a Ism quantity of games
set. They lay by them till the above-mentioned time, when
Poplett and Winton came along, and proceeded to take tha
rabbits out of the wires ; Clark than walked up to thee;
and without a word being psased he was struck • heavy blow
over the head with • bludgeon by Poplett, who called upon
Winton, at the same time repeating the blow, to st Come and
knock his brains out." °mimes and Brown immediately
ran to the assistance of Clark, and • most desperate en-
counter took place, and eve; after Winton was secured by
Brown, Poplett had • fearful fight with the other two,
and it was not before he was nearly killed
that he was secured end handcuffed, and placed under the
are of the East Sussex constabuLu-y. AU parties were
severely injured, and Mr. Dixon, surgeon, who attended, said
he was an hour and • half in dressing Poplett's wound., ha
having received seven Devere cute on the head, beside' con-
eased wounds on the body. His ceptors were also *seemly
punished. The case was taken before the county magistrates
at Hove in the afternoon. The chairman of the bench (Mr.
C. Carpenter) said they were bound to convict, but they
thought great violence had been used, perhaps more than
was necessary, seeing that the watchers were the stronger of
the two parties. He then sentenced the two prieoners to
one month's imprisonment each, and ordered them to find
aerating to keep the peace for six months from the expiration
of that time, themselves in 101., and two sureties each in 61.
At the oonclusion of the case, Mr. Carpenter said he thought
it was a sad pity that in the neighbourhood of large and po-
pulous towns like Brighton nnenclowit loads should be
proesrved.

MURDER Is LITERPOOL.—OR Saturday morning
two seamen, named James Cronley and Patrick
were quarrelling about a girl, in a mart in Paul
Vauxhall-road, Liverpool, when they cisme to blow=
M'Mshan stabbed Cronley to the heart with a large pocket-
knife, killing him on the spot. Ile also severely moasded
another Dim named Schroeder, who endeavoured to
him. hi•Mahan was taken before the megistratas m ester-
day sad remanded.
TIIR MASSACRES AT JIIDDAH.—The Moodier,
anaennees that the son of M. Evelliard, the Frame eoseed
at Jeddah, who was murdered by the fanatical drabs, has
been nominated to a scholarship in the imperial Lytle= et
at. Louis ; end his sister, the courageous young woman who
straggled to defend her parents, and actually killed coo ci the
111111mailants, has been provided by the Empress Eugenie with a
headmanedowry.