The Express.
London, England, 1868-02-03 00:00:00

GREAT DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY AND

LOSS OF LIFE.

In the City, on Saturday, a remarkable scene
wee witnessed in Billiter-square-court. About twelve
o'clock • large roll of sheet-had, weighing, It is sup-
posed, upwards of one hundredweight, was strippei
off the root of the ofiloes No. 2 by the force of Sim
wind, and, after being wafted like a ball, it was blew&
through one of the windows of the sample-room of the
Rent and West India Dock Company's house, situated I
'pyrite, forcing in the whole casement, and causing an
bruirre excitement among a number of clerks who were
seated at their desks. At the same moment a tall stack
el ellimerys, also beleaglng to the sake No. 2, ramose-
lied away, and fell into the office of Mews. Andaman,
Thempres, and Co., shipowners mid insurance brokers. A
&wk. named Dudley, who was sitting at his desk with •i
sbeseeeger of the office standing by him, was cut about the I
heed and face, but not seriously injured.
Shortly after 1 o'clock, during the height of the storm, a
Mel mordent took place at the extensive dye works of
Mama Farms sad Seas, Old Feed, near Bow. The re-
alm am of eamkisrable extent, and nearly adjoin the
weir el the Ire London Water Company, on the beaks
of the River Lea. It appears that several women, meetly
wives of men employed in the factory, were at work
" IMting " cloth on the upper floor of a building known as
the Blue Dye-house. In the basement were the furnace
I sad boiler, and at the western end of the building stood
the shaft, a massive structure of its kind, some 70 feet in
blight. During the regime of the gale in the course of thel
messing it was stated that the chimney showed no signs of I
weakness ; but about 10 minutes past 1 o'clock the wind
blew with overwhelming force, and, taking the west front
of the shaft, it yielded to the fury of the hurricane, and
nearly the whole length fell over the building with a
tremendous crash, bringing down the roof and the floor
upon which the women were at nark, with the walls,
to the basement. As may be imagined, the catastrophe
created the greatest panic amongst the workpeople ; and
the omens and cries of the poor injured women being
heard, several men with great alacrity rushed up the
wooden steps which were outside the building to the ex-
treme west end of the floor. There they found several
women shockingly hurt ; but, owing to the heaps of
brickwork about, it was with some difficulty that they
could be extricated. The other portion of the floor having
been exposed t v the full faros of the great weight of the
falling meas, it had been carried down to the basement,
and with it those who had been at work in that part of
the building. On the floor was found the body of Mrs
111`Cormack, with • rafter resting on her chest. She was
shockingly mutilated, and quite dead. Another married
woman, named Thompson, was also got out in • dreadfully
injured state, and she died shortly afterwards either en
her way to the London Hospital or in the institution.
Three other married women, elderly persons, named
Field, Turner, and Marshall, were also found in the
building, sadly hurt. At the east end of the building a
married woman named Drumm', dater of Mrs. WCormack
who're' killed, was known to have been at work " listing"
(sowing list ou to the cloth), and • search was made for
her remains. After digging away and removing the brick.
work and rubbish in the basement, near the stoke-house,
the body of the poor creature was discovered in the corner
of the building. Life was extinct, her desth, no doubt,
having been instantaneous. At one time it was thought
that there had been a greater loss of life, but
dinner-time having arrived, the workmen had scarcely
left the dye-house • few minutes when the chimney
fells Blankets and other necessaries having been obtained I
for the proper care of the injured females, Mr. Cornelius I
Gamma, the surgeon, of Bow-road, and other medical pa-
tlemen, were soon in attendance, and, having rendered all I
the aid they could to the sufferers, the poor creatures were
conveyed to the hospital, where they remain in • sad way.
The remains of those found killed were removed to the
homes which they had only left a few hours previously.
They are stated to have left young families. As may be
supposed, the melancholy event created the deepest sensa-
tion in the neighbourhood, and, as the storm continued to
rage with great severity, much alarm was felt lest other
lofty shafts should yield to the force of the gale. A body
of the K division of police, under the direction of Mr.
Inspector Kerreasey, of the Bow station, was soon in at-
tendance, and rendered material aid in lessening the ex-
citement and preventing conferee.
In the City, at No. 1, Prince's-place, Coleman-street, a
large stack of chimneys, the brickwork of which weighed
nine tons, was blown down. It fell on the roof almost In
a mass, and brought down two-thirds of it into tho upper
rooms of the house. le these rooms were three children,
Thomas William Blyal, aged 9 ; Lucy Elizabeth, his sister,
and Emily Banks, a girl, aged 14, engaged in minding the
baby. The baby was killed on the spot ; some of the
rafters falling so as to form a sort of penthouse from the
mantel-shelf to the flooring, right over the girl Banks,
saved her life, but she was injured, though not severely, by
being struck with bricks and tiles ; the boy in some way
escaped unhurt. A block of brickwork, weighing half a
fon, fell within a short distance of the little girl's head.
It was thought she was killed, but to everyone's surprise
who entered the building, she crawled out from among
the rubbish. It was found that the child's head had been
frightfully crashed, no doubt by a falling brick. The
father of the child is a workman in the employ of Alder-
man Causton. The mother had only just left the room
when the catastrophe took place. The house is one of a
row said to be 200 years old. In Newgete-market a lofty
stack of chimneys fell and passed through thereof of the pm-
miselbelongingtolir.Ward, a butcher. The female servant
was taking her dinner, and she was struck by • heavy I
beam and received serious injury to the shoulder and seek.
She was removed to the hospital, and after being attended
to was able to be taken home. In the City-road about 17
shutters, although secured by heavy iron standards, were
blown down and sent flying in sundry directions, knocking
down passers by in the road, and a little girl named Maria
Goldsmith was so violently struck on the back that her
head came in contact with the road, and ehe was obliged to
be removed to the hospital. Neer the Eagle Tavern, at the
top of the road, oue of thelarge advertiaing boards was blown
down and struck a young woman named Georgina loader,
and it is stated by the parties who tookher away for MU read I
attendance that she had expired on the way to the surgery.
A man named Adams, who was employed during the recent
gale on the top of • house at St. John's-wood, and was
blown from It, sustaining a compound fracture of the

atoll, died on Saturday.
About rue o'clock on Saturday, the boom 13, South-1
ampton-street, Pentaiville, was seriously injured by the
rriolenos of the wind, which blew the coping-stone com-
pletely away, and ridging the roof from the walls, preci-1
piteted it on to some small shops which were situatedil and
somewhat lower down. It would appear that an o
oolourman rented one of the small shops, sad he had just
seat his boy for kb dinnubser,and temporarily left thesis.*
himself, when the roof of No. 13 dissuaded upon his rod,
smashing it, and completely making a wreak of his shop.
It is mast remarkable that no one was injured, coasidedag
the crowded nature of the thoroughfare. An sodded
also occurred at No. 2, Haismoistrest, Peetenville, by
which the rod was lifted off the heaps sad throws late
the frost garden. In this ars ate thin did not dear 1
any injury to life or limb, as the lodger, wen at the
time out. The boobs woo emnpletely unroofed.
The steamer Achilles, whisk trades between Liverpool,
I
Leaden, aad Mao, es wino very heavy weather ea
the voyage round hem the Thanes to Ise Soney. Oa
P Sunday week, whoa abed 33 add le the adds of the
Loagthips, Captain Robed °respires, of the Achilles,
sighted a woad is distress, and sti oaes hire deem
to her. On approsehing the wsosel, Oaptain Cromp-
ton found that she - was the brig Odom, board