Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-01-13 00:00:00

in the

FATAL ACCIDENT

LATEST PARTICULARS,

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put too much bricks, &c., on..tbe floor. II
assured that there was no dancer. whir.h.

IN
GREAT GEORGE-STREET.

lesterday morning crowds of people collected in front
of the house, and much anxiety prevailed, as a report,
was e current that some persons were still missing.
workmen were employed all night in, re-
ti!'"int,' the ruins, and searching ',for, any bodies, that
Might be underneath. The first
.care, ' however, was to'
Put the premises in
proper order, so as to prevent
further accident, and the directions of igr. Newland, the
borough
engineer and the borough surveyor were,
Promptly attended to. BeaMs of timber were thrown;
across the back portion of the shop and- supported: hOri-
Znntal pieces laid against th.e.walls, so as to prevent.their
falling, kit it was believed the side walls were firm
"ough. The men continued their exertions through the
night, and, in the course of their operations, they got out
three dead bodies, namely, Eliza Jones,- 27,
.Wolfe-street;
arid Meredith Jones, a clerk in the establishment. The body
of a man, supposed to be-John Ellis; a 'loiner, was also
got out. In the early part of the evening, two females
were removed to the Southern Hospital, dead. These
were the fiisf bodies taken out. They were identified at
Ilate• hour: as Mother and daughter, .the former named
Elizabeth Murray, aged 48, widoW. of an outfitter, living,
at Oldham-terrace'
,Oldhamstreet, and the latter, Jannett
i_kurray, 15 years age.
nad • -These poor creatures
guise out to purchase linen to* make a
shirt fur Airs. Murray's son, and the girl was taking home
ofineflour for deMestic'.purpoSes:, Martha Ellis, the wife
9' a retired professional- gentleman, who resides at
272, Park-road,: was got out of the ruins, but,
fortunately, more frightened than hurt. Mrs.
Ilan, a German lady, living at 49, Upper
Parliament-street, Was 'die got out, luckily,iunhurt, but
both ladies received_sovPrehack3,_ but we are glad to say,
that they are quite-recovered.

• P'rsons THE WOUNDED
Who THE
most severely, are Bartland
Smith/ and James Blackburn, two men engaged
work, and William . Owens, an
assistant in the shop. They narrowly escaped with their
lives, and are at present in the Southern Hospital, where
every attention is being paid to them, and at present,
Unless more unfavourable symptoms set in, there is very
hope of their ultimate recovery. A number. of persons,
some ten or twelve It is stated,'were hurt more or less,
but not of consequence to require medical treatment, as
the injuries were. only . slight bruises and scratches.
The interest throughout the town yesterday,, in
Tigard to this sad affair, had not. abated, and as the
morning advanced 'the people began to, collect about
•the place. During the night, Inspector Acton and a
bady►of police —officers, kept, the place; but the crowd
.continued nearly all night. In the morning
Inspector Gregg and another body of officers replaced
kr. Acton, and Chief Superintendant Quick was in at-
tendance. The workmen continued their exertions,
inside all night; but, with the exception of
the persons named, who were, unfortunately, killed
and wounded, no other bodies were fOUnd, although
it was supposed that one at least, was missing.
By eleven o'clock yesterdy morning, the debris was nearly
-all got out, and it was pretty certain that no person re..
wined under the ruins..

THE APPEARAIiCE OF THE PREMISES, YESTERDAY,
was melancholy, and on viewing the extent of the damage,
and considering the number of workmen engaged, and the
people in the shop, and the position of the falleri 'Firtion
'of the place, it is almost miraculous that more lives were
noilost. We were:infermed that there is no further danger'
to be apprehended frOm the preMises, as Mr. Lewis stated
that every precaution has been taken, and the.direetionti of the town surveyor and engineer have been strictly
observed, as to putting the place in safety.

THE PROBABLE CAUSE OP THE ACCIDENT.
It has been stated outside that Mr. Lewis was conduct-
ing
the work himself, without the aid of a professional
person. Mr. Lewis informed our reporter yesterday
that such was not the case : he is assisted by Mr. M'Caig,
and under his direction the work was going on. The latter
gentleman drew the plans, and the back part of the premises
that are finished; and also that portion in progress;
have been pronounced as good and safe building as any
in England.. The following facts will show that. as far
-as human foresight could go, every precaution had been
taken, and that there was -no more reason to
apprehend danger, than there was at any period
of the progress of the work. The back portion
of the premises have been erected in galleries like,
with a glass roof, for the purposes of Mr. Lewis's
business. In order to connect the front portion of the
house with the back, room by room of the former
had to be removed. This was done very
cautiously and eight had been successfully got
over by laying the old materials on the next
floor, until removed. The ninth was the last fatal
floor that gave way, and resulted in the melancholy acci-
klent. About half-past eleven, Mr, Lewis went to this
floor where the men were working, and gave them special
orders, as was his custom daily, to be cautious, and not to

says lie was

.most likely the men believed, for otherwise they.would
not endanger their own lives. Mr. Lewis then went out
about his business, and returned just at the time of
the catastrophe. It seems that the floor would
have probably held out as the previous eight had done,
but it being the last, and is surmised, wanting some sup-
port, and the places where the chimneys were, pressing
at at each side, the centre gave way, and of course
the whole went down, and coming on the next, gained
force and weight in
,the fall, so the entire mass went
'crashing into the shop and cellar carrying all before it.
Mr. Lewis is quite overwhelmed with sorrow, and
.says he cares nothing about his own loss, which must
be considerable, compared with the loss of life
that has so untimely taken place. Altogether,
it is a melancholy sight to look on and melan-
choly in its results. yesterday morning, Mr. RishtOn,
town surveyor, and Mr. Newlands, the engineer, visited
the place, and, as we arc informed, were satisfied that there
was no further danger to be apprehended from any portion
of the premises coming down.