The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-21 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 21, 1854.

DISASTROUS BOILER EXPLOSION.

On Friday morning, about three o'clock,*the inhabi-
tants of Smethwick, near Birmingham, were startled
from their sleep by a tremendous explosion, which shook
many of the houses as if by an earthquake, and was
heard a mile or two off. Many persons rushed into the
streets, and the intelligence spread with wonderful ra-
pidity that one of the boilers at Messrs. Beasley and
Farmer's District Ironworks had exploded with most
disastrous effect, it is to be feared, to life, and most cer-
tainly to property. The cause of this devastation appears
to be somewhat involved in mystery. The ponderous ma-
chinery with which the works are studded, in the shape
of rolling-mills, lathes, grinding-shops, &c., was driven
by an engine of 65-horse power. Steam was supplied
from two boilers, situated in the very centre of the pre-
mises, and surrounded on all sides by forges, workshops,
and mills. These were attended by William Dunn, the
assistant-engineer, during the night ; and, part of the
machinery having got out of order, h stopped the en-
gine for the purpose of putting it in repair. He bad
returned from doing so, and had just again put the en-
gine in motion, when one of the boilers exploded with
such force as to place the lives of very many of the
workmen in dagger. Streams of scalding water were
dashed off to incredible distances, thousands of bricks
were sent whirling off 300 or 400 yards, striking
houses, where they have left marks as if they had
been battered by artillery ; roofs were torn off, the
tall chimney-stack shaken, so that some 14 or 16 feet
toppled down from the top on the premises below, and
falling walls and the shrieks of scalded men and boys
made up a scene which an eye-witness described as the
most terrible he had ever seen. When the steam and
clouds of dust had cleared away, some idea of the extent
of the damage was ascertained. Two men and four boys
who had been engaged on the bank near the boiler were
found lying in a frightful state. They were terribly
scalded and otherwise injured. In other parts of the
works men were struck down by the showers of flying
bricks, others by the falling of the walls and roofs, others
again still less seriously hurt by being knocked down by
the force of the concussion. One of the boiler pipes,
which had been blown in an oblique direction, com-
pletely demolished a brick lathe-room in its course, and
finally struck an iron boat on the adjoining canal, which
it sank. One part of the boiler, weighing several cwt.,
was found in a field 'about 100 yards off, where it fell
without doing any damage. The boiler itself, however,
was the cause of great mischief. It seems to have risen
from its brick bed some 10 or 15 feet, and been propelled
-to the oppOsite side of the yard. In its course it first
demolished a forge—walls, roof, and everything ; then
entered a rolling-mill, the wall and roof of which it cu
thrOugh as lilt :had been paper, shattering everythingt
in its way, and at last came to the ground above some
Soma idea may be formed of the immense force
of the explosion when we state that this part of the
boiler, which was originally 251 t. long. and 10ft. in dia-
meter, must weigh between five and six tons. Great as
the damage was on this side, on the other it was scarcely
less: A gun-barrel and spectacle-grinding shop was
shattered, a puddling furnace completely uprooted and
overturned, and a rolling-mill considerably damaged. It
is impossible to convey an idea of the wreck. On a
rough calculation, the injury sustained will amount to
at least 2,0001. Infortunately, however, there is every
reason to apprehend that the casualty will be attended
by fatal results. It was found that Enoch Powell, about
40 years of age, Philip Robinson, 19, Charles Grainger,
18, Thomas Moore, 15, William Brown, 13, and %Vit.
limn Kelly, 12—all of them, with the exception of Brown,
who resides at West Bromwich, belonging to. Smethwick
—were scalded in the most shocking manner. They were
Hospital, immediately i
riantitnegnde
harnd
,t o and
w,
her n e
tchoeyvy
now
e conveyed
et o. t hoe
nGn e e al
inquiry
at the institution, about 7 o'clock on Friday night,
we learnt that all of them were in a very pre carious
condition. Faint hopes, indeed, were entertained of
the recovery of any of the unfortunate persons, with
the exception of Brown, who it was thought was likely
to survive. Several other of the workmen were more
or lees injured, but none to a very serious extent. One
man, named Thomas Glyn, employed in the rolling-
mill at some distance off, received a severe wound on
the head, inflicted by some of the falling material, and
is now going on favourably under the care of Mr.
Hicks. The only wonder is, that the occurrence was
not fatal to many. There were about 150 persons em-
ployed in the establishment at the time, but the greater
part had left about an hour before the explosion took
place.- With respect to the cause of the explosion,
there are, of course, several theories afloat. Some
consider it arose from a deficiency of water in the
boiler, and others from the pressure of steam. This,
however, will, no doubt, form the subject of inquiry ;
but we may mention that it was a tubular boiler, which
had been in work for about 11 years, although it had
been examined so recently as Whitsun week, when it
was found to be quite, safe. It was the ends which
gave way. The great mass of the body of the boiler is
still entire.—Birmingham Journal.

ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO POISON A
FAMILY AT MANCHESTER.

A woman named Cecilia Knott has been apprehended
at Manchester on the charge of attempting to poison
the family of Mr. H. J. Warrington, surgeon-dentist, of
23,2, Oxford-street, in that city. Mr. Warrington and
his sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. M'Donald,
reside in the house named, Mr. M'Donald following the
business of an architect, and Knott lived with them as
domestic servant. On Monday she was taken before
Mr. Maude, at the Manchester City Police Court, for
examination on the very serious charge named against
her. The evidence went to show that Mr. Warrington
had not been satisfied with the conduct of the prisoner,
and had often found fault with her in consequence.
General inattention to•orders, and the exhibition of a
strong self-will in respect to the performance of all her
duties, were the principal causes of his dissatisfaction
with her, and in particular he had spoken sharply about
the late hour at which she persisted in washing the front-
door step, when, in fact, the business of the day had
commenced. This greatly irritated her, and to Mrs.
Stewart, a nurse in attendance upon Mrs. M'Donald,
she several times complained of the treatment she re-
ceived from the family. On one occasion she said, " I never
saw such a d— crew in all my life ;" and on another
occasion, after some fault had been found with her, she
exclaimed, "By G— I'll do their job for them." Last
Wednesday, Mr. M'Donald dined about half-past one,
and between three and four o'clock, he was attacked by
a serious affection of the stomach, which caused him to
vomit very much, and harassed him all night, and he got
worse next day, but was afterwards relieved by some me-
dicine administered to him by his father•in-law. He felt
an increase of his illness after each meal that he had that
day. On Thursday night Mr. Warrington and Mr. and
Mrs. M'Donald all took coffee together, and the meal
was scarcely finished before Mrs. M'Donald exhibited
the most alarming symptoms. She was so completely
paralysed by sickness that she was unable to get up stairs
and when in her bedroom could not undress herself or
get into bed without considerable assistance. 'Next
morning the sickness increased, and, continuing through.
out the day, it was thought advisable to send for medi-
cal aid. Mr. J. W. Wainwright, surgeon, of Bur-
lington-street, therefore, was called in, and at once
declared that she was labouring under the effects
of poison, and in a very dangerous state; in fact, she had
then sank so much that she was in a state of collapse.
While Mr. Wainwright was attending Mrs. M'Donald,
Mr. Warrington was seized with the same sickness and
vomiting which his sister and brother-in-law had experi-
enced, but timely remedies were applied, and he did not
suffer so acutely, nor for so long a time. Mr. Wain-
wright deposed that when he was called to attend Mrs.
M'Donald he found her extremely prostrated from the
effects of vomiting and retching, and on examining the
tongue he saw all the marks of poison ; the mucous
membrane was_ excessively irritable, and the skin of the
body generally was cold and clammy. He had never
met with a case which more clearly showed that the
patient had taken irritant poison, and he treated Mrs.
M'Donald accordingly, with gratifying success, though
she was still in a state of great debility, and had evi-
dently,been in great danger of losing her life. Mr.
Warrington was subsequently attacked, and presented
the sam:p symptom-of having taken poison ; but in his
case the remedies were applied at an earlier stage, and
he did not fall into a state of collapse. Superintendent
Taylor, of the D division, who brought up the case,
applied for a remind, to allow time for a chemical ana-
lysis of the matter voided by the poisoned persons, and
the woman was remanded to Thursday. Mr. Maude,
before remanding the woman, asked her if she had any-
thing to say respecting , the charge ; but finding from
the first words She said that it was likely she was about
to adtbit the charge and defend her conduct, he stopped
her, and advised her not to say anything then. There
was no evidence whatever to show what the poison was,
or whether the woman had administered it. There was,
in short, nothing against her but the threats she had •
been heard to utter after the quarrels with the various
members of the family.

MUTINY ON BOARD AN AMERICAN EMIGRANT SHIP.--
A mutiny broke out yesterday morning among the sea-
men on board the Fidelia, American emigrant vessel, be-
longing to Messrs: Baring Brothers, of Liverpool, and
lying in the Mersey, intending to sail for New York.
We have not received full details of the occurrence, but
we learn that the captain (Dixon) shot ono _or two men,
and that ciuripi the struggle which took place a number
of the sailors • were seriously bruised. 13 of the muti-
neers have been brought ashore in custody, and will be
placed before the magistrates this morning. It seems
that the emigration officer was clearing the ship, when
the mate ordered the hands forward. They refused to obey,
he seized one man by the arm, when the fellow drew his
knife from the sheath, and made several attempts to stab
the mate,, who ultimately received a wound on the arm. The
other men then joined in the attack, and the result might
have proved serious to the mate, when the captain sprang
forward and discharged two pistols among the mutineers,
both shots taking effect. One man (Nylar) was shot
through the back of the neck, and is said to be in a dan-
gerous condition. The other man was only slightly
wounded.

PAUACHUTE DESCENT.---M. Latour, whose projected
ascent, suspended from the car of a balloon, and descent
in a parachute in short, time back, became a failure at
Tauxhall, and terminated in .a ludicrous, but fortunately
not fatal manner, ascended yesterday with his apparatus
attached to a balloon from Cremorne-gardens, and,
after being wafted through the air at a consider-
able height from the earth, descended by the aid
of his parachute in safety, in a field opposite the Sun-
in-the-Sande, Shooters'-hill, about half-past 7 o'clock in
the everting. The parachute, as far as a judgment could
be made by those who were not immediately on the spot
on which the descent took place, appeared to descend
steadily and with comparative slowness, and with less
oscillation,than-has attended some former attempt&

K

SPORTIAt'INTELTJGEN-6 B.

NEWCASTLE-TJPON-TYNE.-TUESDAY.

TRIAL STAKES.

Monimia
Sheriff .
Ingornar
Lord Lieutenant.
Greek PHnee
Won by three lengths. Bad third.
THE NORTH DERBY.

Marley Hill
Arribas
Billingham
Won cleverly by a neck. Bad third.
MEMBERS' PLATE.

Knight of St. George
Revolver
Vindex

Ammonia
Fourteen ran. Won by two lengths.
TYRO STAKES.

Saraband
Nettle
Neoptolemus
Eight ran. Won by a length
SELLING RACE.

Maid of Balmoral
Torn Rintoul
Surgeon-General
Won by a length. Bad third.

LATEST BETTING ON THE COURSE.
NORTHUMBERLAND PLATS.
5 to 1 agst Kingston.
6 to 1 agst Early Btrd.
7 to 1 agst Grapeshot.
9 to 1 agst Baalbec.
Nothing else backed.

HAMPTON RACES.—Fosr DAY.
Nominations for the INNKEEPERS' PLATE. Options;
selling weights. Heats —three-quarters of a mile.
Hybla, 4 yrs (501) May-day, 6 yrs (501)
Remnant, 3 yrs (501) Herbert, aged (501)
New Brighton, 4 yrs (501) Nerva, 4 yrs (501)
Dear-me, 4 yrs (50/) Spinaway, 3 yrs (100)
Dispute, 3 yrs (50/) Adeline' 3 yrs (501)
Merry Peal, 6 yrs (501) Spider, 4 yrs (1001)
SECOND DAY.

Nominations for the RAILWAY PLATE. Optional selling
weights. Five furlongs.
Vestige, 3 yrs (501) Marmalade, 2 yrs (501)
Omen, 3 yrs (501) Constance, 2 yrs (501)
Flageolet, 2 yrs (501) c by Van Tromp—Reel, 3
Eccleston, 3 yrs (501) yrs (501)
Red Drop, 2 yrs (501) Humbo►dt, 3 yrs (1501)
Spinaway, 3 yrs (1001) Oxus, 3 yrs OM
Nominations for the PLATE of 30 soya. Optional Sell-
ing Weights. One mile.
Little Tom, 4 yrs Speed the Plough, 4 yrs
Missive, 5 yrs (301) (100)
Dispute, 3 yrs (301) Economy, 6 yrs (301)
May Day, 6 yrs (301) New Brighton, 4 yrs (301)
Nominations for HER MAJESTY'S PLATE of 100 guineas,
Two Miles.
Widow Macrae,
aged
Omen, 3 yrs
Noisette, 4 yrs
Cable, 3 yrs
Ilex, 5 yrs
Nutpecker, 4 yrs
Kakistos, 6 yrs

Gossip, 4 yrs
Crosslanes, 3 yrs
Mishap, 3 yrs
Veteran, 4 yrs
Missive, 5 yrs
br. c. by Plenipo-
tentiary, dam
by Hetman
Platoff, 3 yrs

Nerva, 4 yrs
Lord John, 3 yrs
Exact, 4 yrs

Allington, 4 yrs
Vestige, 3 yrs
Little Tom, 4 yrs
Economy, 6 yrs

ORDER OF RUNNING THIS DAY.
2. o—Stand Plate.
2.4s—Surrey and Middlesex Stakes.
3.3o—Claremont Stakes.
4. o—Corinthian Stakes.
4.3o—lnnkeepers' Plate.

GOODWOOD RACES-JuLy 25.

WEIGHTS for the GooDWOOD STAKES of 25 Boys. each ;
15 ft, and 5 only if declared on or before Tuesday
next. Certain winners extra. Two miles and a-half.

Age st lb
Stockwell
Rataplan
Hungerford
Balrownie
Torment 4 8 3
Muscovite ...... 5 8 3
Adine 5 8 1
Ariosto
Goorkah
Little David 4 7 13
Ty pee 4 7 11
Nancy
Hermit
Talfourd 4 7 8
Cobnut
Ilex 5 7 8
Ethelbert
Ethelwolf
Early Bird 3 7 5
Haricot
Ballinasloe 4 7 3
Bantomime
Lerrywheut
Audubon
Mr. Sykes 4 7 2
Crusader
Exact 4 7 0
Jouvence
Nutpecker 4 6 13
Irelhnd's Eye 4 6 12
Lindrick
Ulster
Exeter
Mentmore Lass 4 6 10
Queen's Own 3 6 8
Jacqueline 4 6 7
Heapy
Postulant

Age st lb
Jack Frost 3 .6 4
Mare Antony
Br. to Grey Tommy 4 6 3
Bracken 3 6 2
Baalbec
Cock Pheasant
The Pontiff
Roscommon
Hercules
The Caliph 3 5 12
Jonathan Martin 3 5 12
Dr. O'Toole
Barrel
John Bull 4 5 11
Bribery
Newbold
Swiftsure
Lord John 3 5 9
Woodcote
Phocion 3 5 8
Amalgamation
Lady Bird 3 5 6
Puchbox

Diana 3 5 5
Valeria
Gamekeeper
Tros
_3 5 4

Miss Tennyson... 4 5 4
Hermitage........ 3 5 3
Duchess of Lor-

mine colt
Lurley
Mulligruos 3 5 0
Stonehenge
Jennala filly
Jujube
Erycina,
Lincoln's Inn

RACING FIXTI
JU:

RES FOR 1854.
TE.

Newcastle-on-Tyne 20
Hampton 2l
Knighton 23
Carlisle 26

Riding 2B
Bibury 2B
Ludlow 28
Stockbridge ... ........ 2B

Winchestr 3O

Stourbridge ...

Stamford ..

Newton 18
Knutsford l9
Nottingham 2O
Great Grimsby 24
Goodwood 25
Radcliffe 3l
Deritend Pool 3l
Ripon 31
UST.
Egham
Folkestone, Hythe, and

LONDON GAZETTE OF LAST NIGHT.

LORD CHAMBERLAIN'S-OFFICE, JuNa 17.

Notice is hereby given, that the State Apartments at
Win,lsor will be re-opened on and after Thursday next,
the 22d instant.

FOREIGN-OFFICE, JUNE 17.

The Queen has been pleased to approve of Mr. Benja-
min B. Greene as Consul-General in London for the Re-
public of Paraguay.
DOWNING-STREET, JUNE 12.

The Queen has been graciously pleased to give orders
for the appointment of Peter Smith, Esquire, Chief Clerk
of the Office of Secretary of State for the Colonies, and of
Major George Balfour, of the East India Company's
Service, to be Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of
the Third Class, orCompanions of the Most Hon. Order of
the Bath.