The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-16 00:00:00

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RAILWAY iii-TELLIa
LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN-
This co sioany h s given mote e of it, in feetion to ap-'
ply to Parliament iti the ensuing se-sion for powers to
an-ti act lines to Axminster and to Exeter. The notice
includes four lines—namely, one from Dorchester to Ax-
miester; another from Yeovil to Axminster ; a line from
' Axminster to Exeter, via Colyton and o,tery St. Mary ;
and a line called the Yeovil Junction, commencing by a
junction with the proposed Yeovil and Axminster line,
and terminating by a junction with the Yeovil and Salis-
bury line. It is also intended to apply for powers to
consolidate, regulate, and amend the exi-ting provisions
relating to their share stock and borrowed capital, and
to raise further capital in shares or stock ; also, to enable
the South-Western Company and the Salisbury and
Yeovil Railway
Company to oarry into tffect any con-
tracts or agreements for the construction, maintenance,
using, aed working of the latter railway • and to contri-
bute towards the capital of the Salisbury and Yeovil
Railway, by taking and holding shares therein, or to ad-
vance money on lan, or to guarantee such interest or
profit on all or any of the shares of the Salisbury and
Yeovil Company as may be agreed upon, and to nomi-
nate and appoint directors of the latter company.
OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND WOLVER-
HAMPTON.
Notices of application to Parliament have been given
by this company to extend the time for the completion of
the railway and works, and fir laying down additional
rails on the broad gauge, and to repeal or alter any pro-
visions of the company's acts which imposes any penalties
or forfeitures upon, the company in reference thereto ; to
enable the above company and the Great Western Rail-
way Company to enter into agreements and arrange-
ments for the discontinuance of the broad gauge rails on
the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway, or
any part thereof, and for the working thereof on the
narrow gauge only, and for the laying down and use of
rails on the narrow gauge on any part of the Great
Western Railway, and for the release of the company
from any obligations imposed on them with reference to
the broad gauge or the rights and powers of the Great
Western Company with respect to the undertaking, and
to enable the company to guarantee an annual or other
payment on the shares or stock held by the Great Western
Company ; to authorise the Board of Trade to postpone
or relieve the company from the further construction of
the railway on the broad gauge, to authorise the com-
pletion thereof on the narrow gauge only, and to enable
the company to take up, use, or sell the materials now
laid down for the purposes of the broad gauge.

WORCESTER AND HEREFORD.
Parliamentary notices of application in the ensuing
session have been given for power to extend the time
for the purchase of land and completion of works on this
line, to reduce the capital, and to release the sum of
42,405/., deposited with the Court of Chancery. Also
for power to abandon a portion of the authorised line
between Malvern and Hereford.

THE LATE BOILER EXPLOSION AT
WALKER.

THE TERMINATION OF THE INQUEST.
On Wednesday the adjourned iuquest was resumed at
Low Walker, at the house of Mr. Stewart, the juryman
who, from indisposition, was unable to attend last fort-
' night. During the interim he had sufficiently recovered
to hear evidence, but was still unable to leave his house,
hence the jury assembling a 3 above, in order to flush
the inquest.
Mr. M. Dunn, Government inspector, was again in at•
tendance to assist the inquiry.
The Coroner, before calling witnesses, read over the
evidence previously tendered, in order to refresh the
minds of the jury.
Mr. M. Dunn, Government inspector of mines, then
read the following paper relative to boile.. explosions :
" I have thought proper to lay before the jury assem-
bled at Walker a few extracts relative to the power of
steam, under various circumstances, as bearing upon the
inquiry now before the coroner and jury, which may
probably serve to lead to the consideration of circum•
stances by scientific purposes ; but, after duly consider-
ing these and other similar cirearastauces, I have come
to the conclusion that the explosion has originated, from
whatever cause, in the proper quantity of water in the
boiler having been wanting.
" Such want of water might take place front neglect of
the person in charge, or it might take place from the
priming of ore boiler into the other, up the steam or.
feed-pipes, by which means the boilers were intercommu-
nicated. The boilers would-appear to have beeo well
guarded against such an accident, each boiler having
duplicate safety and feed valves, the latter being fur-
nished with flaps, within the boiler, for the prevention of
the priming. Notwithstanding these precautions the
boiler seems to have undergone undue heat ; and
although there is no evidence to show that any new feed
had been recently admitted, yet I conceive that it is very
possible that the agitation of the steam might throw the
water within the boiler upon the plates, already so hotas
to occasion an instantaneous undue expansion of steam,
and to produce the explosion.
" I am, therefore, against the opinion that hydrogen
gas has occasioned the catastrophe ; because it will not
explode at an ordinary red heat, and it could not com-
municate with the boiler fires.
" With respect to the prevention of such accidents,
and under the impression that they almost always origi-
nate from want of water (unless the safety-valve either
goes wrong or is overweighted), I am greatly of opinion
that the revival of an old practice would be advantageous,
viz., to adopt a plug of lead or some alloy which would
melt or consume at a temperature approaching 350 degs.
as explained by experiment, to red beat, such plug to be
placed in a tube boil-r, at the upper part of the tube ;
and in a common cylindrical boiler half-way between the
surface of the water and the boiler bottom. The said
plug once consumed, the steam and water would rush
out and recall immediate attention to the boiler, which
must necessarily then be left to cool down, during which
the steam valves would be opened.
"It would be quite prover, whilst the boiler was being
cleaned, to punch out the said plug and substitute a new
one.
" The advantage of this over many other devices is its
extreme simplicity and freedom from friction or com-
plicity. At any rate, I trust that these remarks will
cause investigation and decision amongst practical en-
gineers, so as to diminish these appalling mischiefs.
"It is also an excellent precaution to adopt a flap, or
hcrse•foot valve, at the foot of the feed pipe, to prevent
priming up that pipe.

" MATTHIAS DUNN,
Government Inspector of Minet..7

" P.S. I aid to the above repirt some experiments
made by Mr. Hornsley, engineer, Seghill, at my re-
quest, to show the rate of steam diminution under dif-
ferent circumstances, the boiler being faa feet in length,
6 feet i❑ diameter, and the safety-valve baying au area► of
3 inches:—

Steam indicator, At the end of
25 lbs. 5 min. 10 min. 15 min. 20 min.
Exp. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs.
1. Fire-door open 231 20A 78 16
2. Fire damped 2l. 181 16 14
3. Fire pulled out 221 19 16 131
The Coroner briefly summed up, after which the jury
returned a verdict of "Accidental death."

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