The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-05-25 00:00:00

ME LA NCDOLT ACCIDENT.

More titan one unfortunate family has been plunged In the dap•
cat distress by a fatal accident which occurred yesterday, at halt-
paid eleven o clock in the forenoon, near the Westminster-road,
directly opposite the new Orphan Asylum, which belongs to
3lr. Maud*ley, an eminent engineer, who built the capacious
steam-boat, known by the name of the London Engineer, at that
time the largest vessel which had been launched of the kind. r.
Mantisley had lately erected, at a considerable expense, a spacious
building, 100 or 120 feet long, by SC wide, and about 36 feet high
to the eaves, intended for an additional wortshor, ttnd immediately
contiguous to the extensive premises where be has so long carried
on his business. It seems that a new roof, composed of cast-iror,
was in the course of cTettinn, and nearly completed. It wag
great apparent. strergth and solidity, and had already been placed
over the new intilding, Cite process of covering it with tiles bein4
nearly completed, when the side-walls of the building suddenly
bilged, and the whole roof, as wen as a considerable part of the
walls, fell with a tremet.dous mall upon the unfortunate persons
employed within, some of whom were killed, and the others dread-
fully injured. A :atge portion of the walls fell into the ad-
joining street—one of those small ones which issue literally from
the Westminster-road. Some persons state the number employed
as high as one hundred, and the missing at fifty: but from the great,
confusion that prevailal, by the crying of women and children, it
is impossible c;rrectly to state the ouniher. One account makes
the number Of persons within as low as 14 or 15; but there were
others besides those employed in the usual business of the
factory, several being on thermal, occupied in tiling it, and some are
supposed in the street without. One person (the servant of a 31r.
Field, who was at work in an adjoining court) was killed on the
spot, and about twenty others were grievously maimed and wounded,
two of whom died on the way to Guy's Hospital, to which the
others who were dug out of the ruins hay. 7, been carried. From
sixteen to twenty individuals are still missing, and every exertion
is making to extricate them from the rains. Several children were
playing near the building when it fell ; a man who calls pies
about the streets is supposed to be among the numbers in jeopardy,
as a man was seen but an instant before the crash, passing near the
wall with a basket. At the time, however, when our reporter lett
the spot, the persona employed in removing the rubbish lead not
made any discovery of the kind dreaded ; the suddenness of the
event allowed little opportunity for escape by flight. The crash
with which the roof fell was heard at a considerable distance, and
gave the first alarm to those outside the premise•, who, upon re.
pairing to the spot, found the building presented the appearance
of a total ruin. Every effort which humanity could suggest was
adopted without delay, to rescue those who still survived from their
perilous situation, and many were extricated without any consi-
derable injury, whose lives were preserved in the most providential
manner.

For neatly two hours persons were employed in extricating
and conveying to the hospitals the unfortunate sufferers, many of
whom appeared to labour under the most excruciating agony. The
wounds were observed to be principally on the head, in addition to
which several had limbs miserably fractured. Among the latter
we understand were two bricklayers, named Edmunds and Trott.
the former of whom is one of those who died while in the act ot
being removed. The wife of this poor man, on becoming ac-
quainted with bet loss, fainted, and was with great difficulty re-
stored to animation through the humane and prompt assistance
afforded her by the family of a neighbouring publican, to whose
house she had been removed. Several of the wounded men, atter
having had their hurts properly examined :and attended to in the
hospital, were conveyed to their own homes on beds placed in vans
and other carriages, exhibiting a deplorable spectacle, the effect ot
which was much increased by the distress visible in the coun-
tenances of their friends and relations, who in many instances ac-
companied them.
It Is a most fortunate circumstance that the street is one little
frequented by passengers, otherwise mach greater mischief to life
and limb might have been anticipated. A number of children too.
who are in the constant habit of playing there, had the circuit"-
stance taken place hut half an hour later, when school hours would
have been over, must in all probability have heccme victims. Mr.
llaudaley, the proprietor, had fortunately just left the premises.
But a few minutes precious to the accident he hat himself been
upon the roof, watching the progress of the workmen. Had the
accident happened about a month later, most likely 100 or 200 per-
sons would have been employed under it, and of course would have
participated in the sad calamity.
The amount of damage done, and ultimate loss to the concern.
cannot at present be calculated; it must, however, be very consi-
derable. A detachment of the Guards, under the command of a
serjeant, was Immediately despatched to the spot, to keep oft'
the mob. _ _

Of the cause of this melancholy occurrence there can exist no
doubt. The immense weight of the iron composing the roof, oc-
casioned so great a degree of lateral pressure. that the supporting
walls, which were in some places not more than a brick and a haft
in thickness, were unequal to afford an adequate resistance. They,
of eourse, were forced outwArds, end thus the connexion of the
tool' falling, the whole was precipitated to the ground.
There is no ground for imputing any blame to Mr. 31audsley,
who is an industrious and most respectable man in business, and
sympathises, we dare say, as sincerely as any one can do, with the
unhirtunate sufferers; but there really appears to have been a very
reprehensible dekcieney of judgment in the individuals who ad.
vised the erection of such a ponderous roof upon walls which, to an
ordinary observer seems altogether insufficient to sustain so great
a weight. The cupidity of individuals becomes a fit subject.fot
public animadversion, when it endangers the lives of the inaucesit
and industrious.

'~ ~

. ,
.
rs
F
r
o
1
ft i
. I
I t .
' :.• ;
1
I
4 I
1 1 .
111 ! .
m Y,
it
s
I :
:'1 IA
, L
; !
.