The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-07 00:00:00

and worked on lull his

verance and assiduity La.. --
This he was spending when the mayor met him, in works of
charity in acknowledgment of God's goodness, and attributed
his SUCCCSS in life to his sobriety, and never entering 'a public
house. In conclusion, his worship hoped that though out of
the committee would not fail to invite him again to
Assemblies. (Applause). .

mafortuneof£lob,ooo

THE PRESTON STRIKE

LFROM OUR OWN REPORTER

PRESTON, SATURDAY EVENING

Premising that the conduct of the multitude of unem-
ployed factory operatives thronging our streets continues to
be most exemplary, marked, as it is, by a strict observance
of the law, I proceed to report what has transpired since
the date of my last despatch.

TRADES' DELEGATE MEETING.
Last evening, delegates from the various trades of this
town met at the Farmers' Arms, and adopted the annexed
resolution :—" That we, the trades' delegates, assembled for
the purpose of inquiring into the affairs, and supporting the
cause of the factory operatives, have, after mature delibera-
tion on the unhappy differences existing between them and
their employers, found, that the speech of Mr. Cowell, in re-
ply to the Editor of the Times, coupled with that of the
address emanating from the committee of the power-loom
weavers, in answer to the masters' address, to be an honest
exposition of the differences alluded to, that the statements
severally put forth are a just refutation of the allegations
recently made by the associated masters ; and that conse-
quently we have implicit confidence in the operatives and
their several. committees ; and that, so long as they continue
to act in the same peaceable and orderly manner as has
hitherto characterized their proceedings, we will give them
our sympathy and support."

OPEN AIR MEETING OF OPERATIVES

This afternoon, a meeting was convened in the Orchard,
at which Mr. George Cowell was called upon to preside.
The attendance was not so numerous as upon some former
occasions.

The CHAIRMAN criticised the masters' manifesto, charging
the authors of it with misrepresentation and falsehood. He
challenged them to a discussion. Let them have a meeting
in the Theatre, the Temperance-hall, or the Corn Exchange,
and when both parties had been heard, the public would be
able to judge who was in the right. In the masters' ad-
I dress it was stated that the weavers of Messrs. Birley were
the best paid in th 3 town. That showed how they could
misstate facts. The cloth made at Birley's was of a fine
fabric, and the weavers had asked for an advance of 14d.
upon two cuts—an eightpenny and a sevenpenny one. That
was sufficient to rebut the assertion that they had turned out
after having been offered an advance of Id. per cut. With
respect to the statement that the hands of Messrs. Birley
were the best paid in the town, he had mentioned the supe-
rior quality of the cloth they wove, and now it only remained
for him to finish the contradiction by stating that those hands
would not have received so . much as the hands of Mr. Paul
Catterall by id. in the two cuts he had quoted. As to Mr.
Bashall's hands, they were not offered any advance until
they struck work, and when a deputation had an interview
with their employer, they were unable to come to any pro-
per understanding. Something was said about Mr. Taylor's
hands ceasing work on account of the dismissal of an over-
looker. Now it so happened that the overlooker who was
discharged had been one who had made himself busy in the
affairs of the union. The conduct of the hands was only
such as might naturally be expected under the circumstances,
one who had sought to promote their welfare being dis-
missed, and a new man introduced. Looking at the general
aspect of the 10 per cent. question, he felt assured there was
no reason to despair of success, for the whole country sym-
pathised with them, and rendered them pecuniary support.
Mr. BROWN (of Blackburn) and Mr. GitnonAlu (of Great
Harwood) subsequently addressed the meeting, but enunciated
nothing new.

Three cheers having been given for the ten per cent, the
assembly dispersed.

THE BOILER EXPLOSION AT BLACKBURN.
CORONER'S INQUEST.

BLACKBURN, SATURDAY NIGHT.

The district coroner, Mr. J. Hargreaves, commenced an
inquest this morning at the sessions' room, in this town, on
view of the bodies of the seven sufferers by the boiler explosion
at Mr. Hesketh's weaving shed, Starkie-street, on Wednesday
last. Subjoined is a correct list of the deceased :—Edward
Sharpies, engine tender, aged b 3; Thomas Sharpies, weaver,
son of the above, 17 ; Thomas Bretherton, loomer, 36; James
Howarth, fireman, 27 ; James Clegg, weaver, 43 ; William
Benn, painter, 27 ; and Croft Robinson, five months. Several
others are not expected to recover. Mr, Backhouse appeared
for Mr. Hesketh, and Mr. Clough for the owners of the
adjacent property destroyed or damaged by the explosion.
Mier viewing the bodies, the jury visited the site of the
disaster, and made a minute examination .of the boiler.
On, their return to the court-house,

Ralph Tomlinson was examined. He deposed—l am a
power loom weaver and was in the employ of Mr. William
Hesketh. Was at work there on Wednesday morning last.
About eight o clock, I went to get my breakfast in the boiler
house. Having finished my breakfast, I came out 'of the
boiler house into the street, when my attention was attracted
to some singers, and I thought I would stay out till half
past Eight. Whilst I was listening to the sinsers.the boiler
exploded " something like a blast us a delph . 1. was un-
able to see anything for steam and "smudge ". The weav-
ing sheet dropped in before I could get accross the street,
and the materials were widely scattered around. The boiler
was driven through several walls across the street and em-
bedded itself in the brewhouse under the dancing room of
tho Floooo inn. El w two bodies In the ruins but. was unable
to, recognize them. The engine tender was called " Old Ned";
Ido not know him by any other name. About:two or three
minutes before the explosion I lit my pipe with him ; he was
then on the boiler. I left him there.—Saw nothing unusal
about the boiler when I lit my pipe.—lts a thing I don't
understand. Had got my breakfast in the boiler house re-
gulary every morning for twelve months. Did not notice
whether the steam was blowing offon Wednesday morning.—
Don't,know what steam is ?

By Mr. BACKHOUSE.—There were four people in the
boiler house besides myself at breakfast time on Wednesday,
viz :—" Old Ned" and his son, the fire beater (Howarth),
and a little boy who worked in the shuttlem.h...s snop, over
the engine house. Did not hen" a word said as to whether
the engine was ready for starting, or anything of that kind.
Willi9m. wllson. —I knew Edward Sharpies, engine tender,
at ,tiesketh'S. Saw his dead body on Wednesday last, after
the explosion. His son Thomas was cut at the back of the
head, his breast crushed in, and an iron bolt or screw had
penetrated the lower part of his abdomen. He was out of
work, and had gone down to the shed to see his father when
the explosion occurred.

Richard Sharpies proved that the deceased, Edward
Sharpies, had been an engine tender 14 or 16 years.
George Duesden witnessed the explosion. Removed
Sharpies to the Fleece Inn. He died that night.
Thomas Rossthorn.—Was overlooker of weavers in the
employ of Mr. Hesketh. Knew the deceased, Thomas Bre-
therton. When I last saw him alive he was smoking his
pipe in the boiler house. Saw Bretherton lying dead at the
Fleece shortly after the accident.
By Mr. Backhouse.—Had known the engine tender, Ed-
ward Sharpies, for several years tending an engine for Mr.
Switherbank, of Green Bank, Have frequently gone to the
boiler house to " have a smoke" after breakfast. Cannot
speak to the amount of power required to work the looms.
Have repeatedly heard Hesketh caution Sharpies about
having the steam too high. I myself have also cautioned
him. Last week, particularly, I heard Mr Hesketh cheek
him, and tell him not to keep the steam too high. A new
boiler had been ordered. When I left the boiler house, im-
mediately before the explosion, the parties in it were,
Thomas Bretherton, James Howarth, Edward Sharpies, and
his son.

A AMOR—Did you notice any steam blowing off differ-
ent on that morning ?

Witness—No ;it was much as usual. The reason I
checked Sharples was, the engine was running too
fast for my looms. The engine had a " governor. '—l
thought it must have too much steam on.—Never noticed
what the steam guage indicated. The looms have gone
foster since Howarth was the fire beater. I fancy Sharples
was in the habit of running the engine as long as possible
without putting water in the boiler, and that he "fed up" with
water all at once at meal times.

James Cope proved that Sharpies was in the habit of
having the steam as high at stopping time as when he was
at work, instead of lowering it gradually. He was often
complained of when in the employ of Mr. Swithenbank.
Have hoard Mr. Hesketh's father-in-law, Wm. Harwood,
cheek him repeatedly about getting the steam up too soon.
Last week the engine stopped about an hour before the pro-
per time, and I went down to the boiler-house to see what
was the matter. Found that Mr. Hesketh had ordered the
engine to be stopped, until more was put into the boiler.
On Wednesday I was on the spot immediately after the ex-
plosion. Ephraim Shorroek was the first we got out; he is
still alive. I next found Thomas Bretherton, he lay at the
end of the boiler-house, "like a bag of coal." The body
was so much disfigured that I was unable to recognize it un-
til after its removal.
By Mr. BACKHOUSE : Don't know the power of the en-
gine. All that it did besides driving Hesketh's looms was
to work two shuttle maker's machines. Sharpies was apt
to keep his steam too high at stopping time : the same as
in the middle of the day. Instead of opening the fire-hole
door 'when the hands were at meals, he used to keep it
closed. Don't know the pressure at which the boiler was
generally worked. I have seen steam blow off, but,not much.
There was a safety-valve on the top of the boiler, but I did
not notice the weight upon it.

Ann Robinson—:The -decased Robert Robinson was my
son. Our hou.,e was next to Mr. Hesketh's weaving sheet.
On Wednesday morning I had gone across the street when
the explosion took place. I left in the house Thos. Brooks,
a lodger, and three of my children.—Robert was in bed; the
other two followed me to the door. William Benn, who
also lodged with us, had gone out at the back door into the
yard. I was in a shop on the opposite side of the street at
the time of the explosion. A cloud of ashes came against
the window and made it dark. As soon as I could I ran out
to look for my children. The house had been blown down.
My husband discovered two of the children in the ruins—
Betsy and Thomas ; they were seriously hurt. Some time
elapsed before Robert was found—he was dead.
Michael. Dean—Was one who searched amongst the ruins
for those buried underneath, rani the deceased child, •

Robert Robinson, in bed. The child appeared to have
worked itself into one of the sheets and got fast. The child
was dead, and appeared to have been suffocated in the sheet.
William Dobson—Found the body of William Benn under
a heap of wood, stone and bricks.
The finding and identity of the other bodies having been
proved,
The Coroner suggested the desirability of taking the
opinion of some scientific man, with regard to the condition
of the boiler.

Mr. Fairbairn and Mr. Nasmith, of Manchester, are to
be consulted upon the subject.
_

The inquiry-was adjourned to Saturday next

IRELAND

(PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

DUBLIN, SATURDAY EVENING

THE FLOODS

The reports received from the provinces to-day,
represent the waters as having in great degree
subsided, but the sufferers from the calamity are
left in a condition of great distress. In Cork, on
Thursday night, over 400 families received relief
in. the shape of food, shelter, and bedding, through
the medium of the mayor's secretary, and yester-
day a public meeting was held, which was influen-
tially attended; and at which it was at once agreed
to enter on a subscription to alleviate the condition
of the poorer sufferers by the inundation.
The Examiner of yesterday evening, describes
the then state of the streets to be unusual and
extraordinary. They are chiefly covered with sand,
and many of the quays completely denuded of
facing stones. All the bridges are injured, and
breaches made in more than one. The number of
persons who have lost their lives by the breaking
down of Patrick's bridge is not yet ascertained,
but some bodies have been discovered and iden-
tified

In Mallow three persons were drowned, and
over twenty head of cattle, whilst in Fermoy,
Macroom, and Limerick, the flood is described as
having carried away hay, corn, horses, and even
casks of whiskey, belonging to the traders of the
towns. The floods are however now greatly on
the decline, and it is hoped that, some apportion-
ate estimate of the damage may be soon ascertained.
As yet itjhas been impossible to make any calcu-
lation on the subject.