The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-17 00:00:00

ANOTHER BO.TLICR EXPLOSION.

GATESHEAD, Nov. 15.—Yesterday an inquest was
held by Mr. Hudson, the Deputy-Coroner for North
Durham, at Black-hill, on the body of a young man
named Joseph Eltringham, who was killed, and other
workmen seriously injured, by a boiler explosion which
took place at the Consett Ironworks a few days previ-
ously. It appears that eight boilers were connected by
one steampipe, and two by one feedpipe. The boiler that
exploded was one of two used in driving one of Na-
smyth's patent hammers. It had burst with awful vio-
lence, and had thrown the deceased a distance of 45
yards. The boiler divided into two parts ; one part flew
91 yards from its seat, the other part 96 yards. The
head engineer of the works had no reason to think that
the indicator on the boiler had been wrong. It was de-
ceased's duty to see that the valves and floats were in
order, and there is little doubt, from the evidence, that
the explosion had arisen from an insufficiency of water in
the boiler. Mr. Godley, the gentleman above-mentioned,
was of opinion that the boiler had " sludged," after which
the valve had not been sufficiently closed, owing to
something having got into the case, and that the
water had thus escaped. After the explosion Mr.
Godfrey examined the feedpipes as well as he could,
and found that the valve belonging to the boiler
"vas open a quarter of an inch. He said, from the
way they fed their pipes, they could not prime over,
and, by closely examining the plates of the boiler, he
found that, immediately above the fire-bridge, they had
the appearance of having been red-hot, and that the
plate was torn away. The thickness of the plate was
three-quarters of an inch. The boiler at that part which
gave way was perfectly safe, and the water was generally
kept about a foot above the flue, which leaves a space of
from two feet to two feet ten inches for the generation
of steam. Witness concluded that at the time the boiler
exploded the deceased was tending the feedpipe, having
found the boiler short of water. The boiler was supplied
with hot water, and hot water generates steam quicker
than cold water. He believed that if Eltringham had
noticed the boiler a little before the accident might have
been prevented. If he (wituess) found a boiler in a
dangerous condition through want of water he would
damp the fire, and open the fire doors, but by no means
would he draw the fire out. The boiler was pressed
311 b. to the inch. The jury returned a verdict of "Ac•
cidentally killed." This is the third boiler explosion
that has happened in the district in little more than two
mouths, by which 10 persons have been kiiled,and above
a score dangerously injured. The coroner remarked
at the inquest that he had consulted the Government,
but the Home-office did not think it requisite that an
engineer should come down to examine the boiler, as it
was not probable that large companies would allow acci-
dents to happen if they could prevent them, for they
were usually attended with expense to themselves, as
well as involving the loss of life. The other persons in-
jured by the explosion are recovering.

MARKET NEWS.—(This Day).

COVENT GARDEN.

The supplies of fruit and vegetables were large for the
time of year, and the trade ruled steady, at full prices.
FRIIIT.—Pine apples, English, 4s to Os per lb; colonia
do., Os to Os each ; hot-house grapes, is Gd to 3s Od per lb ;
foreign ditto, Od to Os ; melo is, is Oil to 2s 6d each;
peaches, 28 Od to Os; nectarines, is Gd to 4s per dozen;
apples, is Od to 2s Od per half sieve ; pears, 2s Oil to
5s per half sieve ; plums, Os to Os per sieve ; green gages, Os
per punnet; apricots, 1961 to 5s Od per doz.; common plums,
Os 0 to Os Od per sieve ; cherries, Cd to Od per pound ;
lemons, 4s to 8s Od per 100 ; oranges, 8s to lls per 100; fil-
berts, tis to 8s per doz. lbs ; cobnuts, 98 to Os ; almonds,
Os to Os per lb. ; walnuts, 8d to 10(1 per 100 ; figs, Os 9J
to is 61 per doz ; strawberries, 01 to Od per pottle ; goose-
berries, Os Od to Os Od per half sieve ; currants, Os Od to
Os Od per half seive ; raspberries, Od to Od per pottle.
VEGETABLES.—Grecns, le 6(1 to 3s Oil per doz. bunches;
red ditto. 2s to 5s O(1 per dozen ; French beans, 2s 0 I
to 3s per half sieve ; brocoli, Gd to is per doz. ; potatoes, 85s
to 115 s per ton ; vegetable marrow,4d to is per doz. ; peas,
3s to 5s Od per bushel ; broad beans, is Od to is 9d per half
sieve ; turnips, 2d to 4d per bunch ; carrots, 3d to 51 per
bunch; cucumbers, Os 2d to Os 6(1. each ; garlic, 61 to
Os 8d per p( and ; spinach, is tid to 2s Oil per sieve ;
old onions, 4s to 5s per bushel ; new ditto, Os 0,1 to Os per
doz. bunches; leeks, id to 2(1 per bunch ; shallots,
4(1 to 6d ; horse-raddish, 2s Od to 4s Oil per bundle ; parsley,
2d to 3d per bunch ; celery, Os 91 to is 3d per
bunch ; endive, is 3d to 2s 3d per score ; beet, Is Od to 2s
per doz. ; parsnips, Os Gil to is Od per dozen ; small
salad, 2d to 3d per punnet ; mushrooms, Is 3d to is Oil per
pottle ; artichokes, 3s to 4s per doz. ; cabbage lettuces,
91 to is 01 per score ; sorrel, Gd to is per half sieve ;
radishes, is to is 3d por dozen hands ; tomatoes, 3s to 4s
per half sieve; chillies, is to is Gd per 100; Brussels
sprouts, Os Od to Os per half sieve ; capsicums, is Oil to 2s
per 100 ; walnuts pickling, 6d to is per DO; cauliflowers,
.s to 5s Od per doz.