Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-07-27 00:00:00

A WORKMEN'S ExcunsioN.—On Saturday last the
employes from the extensive alkali works of Messrs. Hutch-
inson and Earle, at Runcorn Gap, through the liberality of
their employers, enjoyed their annual holiday and excursion.
The fine passenger steamer Manchester, was chartered for
the day, and placed at the disposal of the excursionists. At
an early hour of the morning the workmen, to the number
of 450, embarked, and the steamer, with her living freight,
proceeded to Eastham, where her passengers landed. A
field had been hired there, and, seated on its grassy slopes,
the men partook of a plentiful breakfast, the viands con-
sisting of beef, and bread and cheese, and "good strong
ale," with a provision of ginger beer for the teetotallers
and younger portion of the pleasure-seekers. The dejeuner,
though not exactly d la fourchette, or disposed of in a mode
that would have received the approval of Beau Brummel,
seemed, nevertheless, to be a_ source of hearty enjoyment,

fice of human life, which has for some years happened in

As, per

laps, most of our readers wi

remeniber, the

and reminding one, from its primitive an a sastantial
nature, of a baronial breakfast of mediaeval times. After
its conclusion, various pastimes became the order of the
day. In one place a group of 'aspiring atheletes emulated
each other in agile wrestling and daring leaps. In another,
a number of th lighter and more actiye ones displayed

A orth Shore
Vauxhall-rof

ills are situatec

the nort

:west corner of

attend ti

nexion with them there are between seventy and
)ied by the • workmen, with their f

bility to at

cottages,

their agility, and developed their muscular energies, by
racing. Here, a circle enclosed a party engaged in a, game
of rounders ; there, two or three wandered away, " deep
in the fern," amongst the trees that skirted the field ;
whilst, attracted by the music of a band which accompaL
nied the expedition, an additional portion might be viewed
dancing to
to quote t

,onions strains

and everywhere reigme

ney were origin

Sport that wrinkled Care derides,
And Laughter holding both his sides

set sal

earlier portion of the day. The health and prospers
the firm having been toasted with vociferous cheering, the

men then embarked on board the steamer for a trip down

the river, being joined for a short period at the great land-

ing stage by .JOhn Hutchinson,- P,sq. and Oswald Earle,
Esq., who were received with the most enthusiastic-welcome
from the men and the loudest strains of the band. Mr.

Hutchinson, before leaving, addressed a few words of. con-

while being continued, so far• as the limits ofthe.i'esselper-

in a most spin

clerks and foremen of the works, coupled with the names of
Messrs. Kellett and Powell, were reciprocated by the toast
of the clerks and staff of the Liverpool offices, coupled with
the name of Mr. Shape—the proposals and responses of
the toasts being interspersed with songs, many of them in
vocal power of no inartistic character. After spending a
most pleasant and interesting day, the men arrived 'back at
Runcorn Gap shortly after five o'clock. The exigencies of
the works rendering it impossible that all the men could be
spared at once, those who remained behind received an
extra day's pay. It was impossible to survey the merry
faces and contemplate the gratified looks of all who had
shared the pleasures of the day without feeling that such
excursions bring about a much better understanding by
the employed, of the identity of their employers' interests
with their own, and without breathing a portion of the
spirit of N. P. Willis, the American poet, when he said—

of an hour after the first discovery of the fire,
these unfortunate individuals were seen running about
in a state of frantic terror, with the certain prospect of
a dreadful death, in one, or two ways, before them. As
• • - --ansed •7htful vita=

,ne raging of the flames with-
lence, the poor creatures, :in a paroxysm of despair, gave
utterance to the most painful ejaaulations ; and at length,
being unable any longer to. bear up against the body of
flame which was surrounding them, several threw them-
selves from the windows-of the -fifth and sixth stories of the
building—which is about 130 feet high—preferring to risk
the chances of. mutilated limbs to the certainty of immola-
tion by remaining in the building. Two men, named
respectively Thomas Seddon and Edward Jones, threw
themselves from one of the windows on the south side into
the area beneath, and although th ht F - large

It stirs the blood in a good man's heart,
And makes his pulses fly, "
To catch the thrill of a happy voice,

/ley were caug. .33, a
tarpaulin which was held to receive them, Seddon, who is a
Very stout man, was killed on the spot, both his thighs being
broken. Jones was also dreadfully mutilated. A young.
woman. named Sarah Foley. and two other 1710/1 threw

thewelves'from one of the large doors of the sixth floor at
the east end of the building, with the intention, it is sup-

posec. into tne canal, but they felt on
to the canal bank, and were all dreadfully injured and
mutilated. One. man was seen at one of the fifth storey
indows at the south end of the building uttering the most
piercing and piteous cries, and in a few moments afterwards
the greater portion of the roof fell in, carrying the' floorinm

b6fore it, and there can be little doubt'thai the poor fellow
perished by 4uffocation'; at the time stretchers were provided
without the slightest delay for the wounded, and as soon as

possible six parties were convoyed to the Northern Hospital

tobert 1

lire, an(

Griffith

homas Seddon was alrea.dy dead, and Sarah

To return "to the conflagration, which was
_still raging

wan unornueu wry. in a very lOW moments atter tne root
had fallen, nearly the whale of the south wall of the build-
ing gave way and fell ,in with a fearful crash, and thus
exposed the area of the yard, the adjoining cottages,
and several ,large sheds stored with rice and wheat,
to the greatest danger. :The intense heat of the flames at
this period rendered it almost impossible to remain in` thd
yard ; but, notwithstanding their exposed position, the fire-
men remained at their posts, and laboured with a praise
worthy endurance to arrest the- prooTess of the flames.

;rich .noN

ing shei:is,, as~~~~aaesana otner stirronnamg
property. From themoment that Mr. Hewitt Mid the fire-
brigade arrived, it was clearly seen that it would be impos-
sible to save the main building,' and the efforts of the
firemen were, therefore, directed to -save the adjoining out-
buildings. With this view they played upon two large
sheds, containing a large quantity of cleaned rice, wheat;
sacks, &e., but were unable to save the shed nearest"to the
mills. It ignited almost simultaneously with the falling-in
of the roof, and in a
.very short space of time was entirely'
consumed. An adjoining spacious shed, containing pro-
perty to the amount of between £15,00.0 and £20,600, was
saved..
The Occupauts of the cottages were in a state of the -1

:6; ot t

hd 'lathes; whi
+;+l, +I, la; r

named had already been ,a.lrmingly affected, a -nuniber. of

wooden shells attnebed.to it having• been
,consumetl, and a
chick affixed in the centre having been scorched, and the
works so injured, that it stopped at three. minutes past two

It was most 0 Co see the state of terror and alarm
of the cottagers when apprehensive that the fire was about

;ressing

to communicate wit

Under the itnnic

siOn that all they possessed was dooniedlo destrnetion,unless
speedily removed, they were to be seen busily engaged in

bug street, where they remained in a state of confusion
for several hours.

About four .o'clock, the entire building having now been
gutted, and' nothing but detached and tottering portions of
the main walls remaining, the fury of the flames showed
,symptoms of exhaustion, and little' *as presented to view
saVe'the smouldering ruins of what only two short hours
before was a noble pile of buildings, giving -active employ-
ment to a. number -of industrious artisans. -

When our reporter left the scene of disaster; last night,
the west,gable of the building remained standing, but in
such a cracked and tottering state of isolation as to induce
tho boliof that it 'night, at any mornont, fall. Thy remain-
ing portions of. the north and east walls were in a similarly
dangerous state, and it is. questionable whether it would be'
safe to plaCe wgrkmen to take them down.
We understand that the loss -upon the building, machi-
nery, and stock on the premises, is estimated at from £70,000
to a 0,000; which is fully covered by insurance in ,the
Liverpool and London, Royal, and West.of England offices.-
Major Greig, and, Superintendents Quick and Ride, were
.early on - nd lered every assistance en-I

ie spot, and rent,
to subdue the flam

Mr. -Hewitt and hiirmen
were equally active ; and similar praise, is due to Mr. Dove,
of the Royal; and Mr. Anderson, of the West.of England.
It was the general belief of all present, that a more rapidly-

,
destructive fire was never :before witnessed in Liverpool.
We regret to ,say that, during, the height ofthe conflagra-
tion, a large body" of fire was carried to a neghbouring tim-
ber yard and joiner's shed, the property of Mr. Williams,
builder; which, immediately ignited; and all the contents,
'comprising worked timber, to the amount of about £l,OOO,
was destroyed, in addition to the whole of the tools of about
thlity4orkmen in the employ of Messrs. Williams.

The annual meeting of this association was held yester-
TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF THE NORTH day, at the Livvpool Medical Institute, Mount-pleasant, at
SHORE MILLS, AND LOSS OF SEVERAL noon, the chair being occupied by Sir Charles Hastings
LIVES. D.C.L., the President elect. In the absence of Dr. Robin-
son' the duties of secretary were performed by Dr. Tuke.
The most appalling fire, accompanied by a fearful saeri- AmoUgst the other members of the association present warp

ler, Dr

this locality, took place yesterday afternoon, when what are .ur. iv.pumiougu, .ur. IT . oneriock,
Dr. Paul, Dr. Edgar Sheppard, and others.
known as the North Shore Mills were completely destroyed The minutes of the last meeting Were taken as read, and
in an incredibly short space of time. the President stated the. reasons why the place of, meeting-

)üblin to this town

had been unavoidably changed from
would suit the convenience of many who desired to
Medical Association.

A note was readfrom Dr. Connolly, the retirii

le meeting, am

wrnull 11100.1/1,.
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wail
"1
"le
Y4M
elleß'SeS
The 13B.72;;;;1;171 dati;e7eudt'll "i;augural address, in
the mill, the cottages being thus only divided from the mill the course of which he bore warm testimony to the im-
by the area of the yard. provements in the treatment of the insane introduced
These ill-fated mills seem destined to perish by fire, for by his predecessor, Doctor Connolly. Referring to the
the present is the second occasion of their having been con-
position of the association, Sir Charles Hastin
sumed by -
built for t

LO DeVCE wII.I4GIAIWJ 11a or ream-
- purposes or cotton spunung, and were so occu- --witisc-h- cements our union. In the p 00resent humour
pied up to 1853, when, on the evening of the 23rd of May. of the public mind, as respects our science, you are all aware
in that year, a fire broke out, and both the building and that sordid motives are too often attributed.to those who de-
machinery were destroyed: Subsequently the premises were vote themselves to the reception of the insane, and it has been
entirely re-built, and during the last two or three years, even stated that, owing to the distinction which undoubtedly
they have been occupied by a company called the " Liver- • exists between public and private asylums, there is not that
pool North Shore Flour and Rice Mill Coinpany." cordial co-operation amongst us which is the very essence of

. Yesterday afternoon, about half-paSt one o'clock, a dense the success of such an association. • Now, it appears to me,
body of smoke was seen to issue from the windows of the that, as far. as this association is concerned, we have all on€
fourth and fifth stories, on the north side of the mills. The object in view, which is to collect facts from whatever source
whole of the hands employed on the premises—about 100— they may arise, and so to arrange and classify them as to
were at work at the time, and an alarm that the building was adduce safe conclusions. We all admit the imperfections of
on fire being given, the greater portion of those who fbrtu- the present curative arrangements for the insane. We all
nately were occupied in the first, second,.and third stories, lament the shortcomings of our art; we, all desire to see
w It once enabled t-

. ._.
gratulation to the workmen, assuring them of his cordial. were .o man ..aeir escape ; but there were improvements ; but we, at the same time, believe that those
sympathy with their interests, and his desire to promote - -
- about fifteen -or twenty at work in a fifth, sixth, and seventh deserve encouragement , who labour in this field ; and
their welfare in every possible way. The steamer after-
stories, .and when these p.arties made on effort to descend therefore, so long as the need exists, as it undoubtedly
wards pursued her trip down the nver, proceeding on- her
-
from the rooms they were in, they found it impossible to do does exist, for the reception of patients in private‘asylums,
return round the men-of-war ships stationed in the 'river,
so; owing to the fearful rapidity with which the flames were we feel convinced that those engaged in conducting them
the men saluting each with a good old English cheer. She
extending in every direction. Several of them managed to - will be assisted in their efforts by their brethren, the
__,..Aa fhn ------" - , lower themselves outside the building,' by means of the: superintendents of public asylums, who will, on all occa-
hoist, and thus saved themselves, but others were unable to sions,' hold out a friendly hand to them, and thus they
• Qnd the flames having issued from the windows of the will mutually aid each other in alleviating the affiie-
• tious of the insane.' (Hear, hear.) There is, • indeed,
inn& for grave consideration as. to the treatment of the
insane, and as . to - the way in which the public law- should
interfere to assist in the amelioration of their condition.
There can be ' no doubt thn,t, in our own - day,the

DREADFUL FIRE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION your to fulfil the duty honestly, and we
OF 'MEDICAL OFFICERS OF ASYLUMS to the suppression of anythini wh
IN LIVERPOOL. AND HOSPITALS FOR THE INSANE. . terests of the members of the a

that he had incurred some' pc

similar course in former Tea

le boot a

Thom'u7

.fienry 131
ohn Bus

BANKI

,d,shoe mane
,h, and ilem

J ames Hiles and David

Victa

Itooert smith, Swaffham, :Nod(
Fanny Moss, Mansfield,
Robert Harman, Littlewiek,- Be
Henry. Williams Gladwell,
dealer in stereoscopes.

GOODIVOOD RA(

Thormanby
Apollo .

The Craven Stakes (handiea

Stir:of the East
Clydesdale .

5 fur. 97 y