The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-09 00:00:00

Mr J. Brown Boss was tho first witness called—Re said,

I am surgeon to the Ist Tower Hamlets Engineer Volun
teers. I know the deceased. His name was William Drans-
field, and he was 32 years of age. He was sergeant in the
Engineers, and attached to Chatham, and was government
instructor to our corps. I was not present at the accident.
Donald Glass, sapper, said—On Thursday evening I was
at drill in the drill ground, Victoria-ground. The deceased
was present as instructor. We assembled about 8 o'clock.
Part of the instruction was the blowing up of a stockade.
The company was divided into an attacking and a defend-
ing party. I was with the deceased in the attacking party.
It was part of the manoeuvre that we should take the stock-
ade, and then blow it up. It was a quarter to 9 when we
proceeded to do this. Others were with me, and the de-
ceased on one side of the stockade. The explosion was to
be made by the deceased. He gave orders that when he
said the word "Ready" the company were to right about
face and fall down. We were to lie on our faces. All could
hear that order, and we had been previously cautioned to
the same effect. The deceased placed a bag of powder in a
hole in the ground on our side of the stockade. It was to be
ignited by one of Boxer's fusees. I assisted in tying it to
the bag, or rather in the bag. The operation consists in
placing the fuse into the mouth of the bag, like a finger into
a glove. If it was put in up to " 19" (the figures marked on
the fuse) it would take 19 seconds to fire the bag. We put
in the end only, and after the composition had burned to
the bottom it would blow out a few grains of powder in
the hollow of the fuse, and so light the powder in the bag.
I do not believe there was any powder loose about the bag
outside. The fuse was fastened in 50 yards from the stock-
ade, and Sergeant. Knox carried the bag to the hole. I was
4 or 5 yards from deceased when ho was igniting the fuse.
Ile gave the word "Ready," as he had the light in his
hands before applying it to the fuse. The light was some
kind of fuse. There was a spade shoved in under the
stockade, over the bag of powder. The moment I saw
him apply the light, I as well as the others turned round
and fell down. I looked back over my shoulder, and
I saw Dransfield blown backwards. He never uttered
a sound. The quantity of powder in the bag was
about 21bs. I scrambled to deceased and took his head
from under his back. With the exception of the skin at the
back his head was blown from his body. There was only
time to right about and fall forward from the time of the
ignition to that of the explosion. I cannot explain how
it came to pass that the explosion was so prompt. I have
been 7 to 8 months attached to the engineer regiment.
Capt. J. Ambrose Coffee said—l am the commandant of
the Tower Hamlet Volunteers, and was in charge of the
regiment on the night in question. This night attack was
being made because I am obliged, though commandant, to
carry out and obey the orders given by the drill instructor
from the War-office. Sergeant Dransfield was about four
years attached to our regiment, and he was very enthusi-
astic. He proposed a night attack, and I inquired as to its
safety. He assured me there was no danger, and on Thurs-
day night we were rehearsing what was to have taken
place to-night. I asked him particularly if there would be
time given by the fuse for the men and himself to get out
of the way, and ho lighted an artillery fuse and threw it
down before the men. It took some time to burn. and
seemed safe. Ho proposed that I should take command of
the defence. I posted my men and defended my earthworks,
firing at the enemy until he gave the signal. We then ran
as hard as we could supposing that the enemy had entered
the earthworks. At 50 yards I halted my men, and drew
them up in front of the enemy. Wo waited for the explo-
sion. While waiting there was an explosion and a man
cried out, " The sergeant is dead or wounded." I sent my
men everywhere for aid, but when I got up poor Drans-
field's head was off his body. He had been 12 years in the
army. At the War-office, and wherever ho was known, he
was highly respected. His name was down for promotion.
He had been .-:ducated at Harrow, and he know thoroughly
the science of engineering. He was a careful man.
Sergeant Edward Knox gave corroborative evidence.
Edward Kendall, sappal, said that ho saw the deceased
light the fuse. He knelt on his left knee, and rested his
right hand on the spade. Ho struck the fusee (just as if
ho was going to light a cigar), and as he passed it to the
fuse the explosion took place. The fusee threw off sparks
all around as he moved to light the fuse. Witness thought
that some grains of powder wore loose about. When the
deceased forced the bag under the stockade, and shoved the
spade after it, in witness's opinion some grains of powder