The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-22 00:00:00

rourtt

THE PIMLICO TRAGEDY.
(THIS DAY.)
The adjourned inquiry into the cause of the death
of the unfortunate men who perished in the Kenil-
worth-street sewer, Pimlico, was resumed to-day
before Mr. Bedford, the coroner for Westminster.
Mr. Goldsworthy Gurney, living in Cornwall, said
he was a medical man. Had particularly directed
his attention to the condition and ventilation of
sewers. He had examined the sewer in
question, and analysed a portion of the
gaseous matter which it contained. There
was nothing remarkable in it, and the gases
were precisely similar to those found in all sewers.
He had examined the bodies of the three labourers,
and from the peculiar colour of the bodies it was his
opinion that they died from inhaling sulphuretted
hydrogen. He had also seen the bodies of Mr.
Wells, the surgeon, and Walsh, the policeman,
but the colour of their bodies was quite different
from that of the others, and it was therefore his opinion
that they died from the effects of chalk damp, a mix-
ture of carbonic acid and nitrogen. In the first in.
stance the men died immediately that they came within
the influence of the gas ; but in the case of the two
latter individuals death was not so sudden. The
sulphuretted hydrogen gases were not produced in
the manner described by Dr. Ure, but by the putre-
faction of the deposit in the sewer, and had the sewer
been properly ventilated the poisonous vapours would
have escaped. He was, however, of opinion that the
noxious gases of all sewers could be de-
stroyed by a simple process, and he had
repeatedly disclosed-that process to Sir George Grey
and Lord Ebrington. The existence of these gases
could not be tested by a lamp or a light. His ex-
perience had convinced him that a light afforded no
admonition at all, and the conclusion he had come to,
after careful: examination and collecting information
from parties for whom he had the highest respect,
was that nothing could be used as a means of testing
the existence of gases in sewers, and the only thing
to be done before men went into a suspected sewer
was to pass a current of air, obtained from the at-
mosphere, through it at the rate of three feet per
second. Many deaths had come under his observa-
tion resulting from similar causes to those existing
in this case ; and therefore, without going into
the special cause suggested by Dr. Ure, he
had no hesitation in stating his opinion
that the men died from the effect of the gases pro-
duced by the decomposed deposit in the sewer itself.
These gases existed in all sewers to a more or less
extent, and in his opinion the only means of destroy-
ing them was by having recourse to a strong current
of air, heated at a temperature of 600 degrees, and
conveyed into the sewer through the medium of a
valve.

CORONER—Is it your opinion, Mr. Gurney, that
where there is no ventilation these gases escape, by
means of the drains, into the dwelling-houses adjacent
to the sewer ? Witness—ln some instances it may,
but 1 would rather not go into that question.
A Juror—You state, Mr. Gurney, that Wells and
Walsh died from the effects of chalk-damp. Witness
—Yes.
A Juror—Now if the sewer had been opened at the
Warwick-street end, and in the fields, it might have
been entered with safety ? Witness—Yes ; I think
the undulations of the atmosphere would have so dis-
sipated the poisonous gases, and purified the sewer,
that the men might have pursued their work without
danger.
A Juror—And you are of opinion that all sewers
ought to be ventilated. Witness—Certainly; before
they are entered.
Mr. William Allen Miller, professor of chemistry,
of King's College, stated that he had examined the
sewer in question, and the earthy matter with which
it was covered. He bad found two beds of lime
deposit over the sewer, one eight inches and the other
ten inches above the crown, from which he had
extracted portions for the purposes of analytical
examination, and while engaged in his inspection this
morning he had closely examined the brickwork of
the roof of the sewer. It was quite dry, and was free
from anything indicating percolation. Some of the
mud and sewerage fluid formed in the sewer had been
collected and analysed under his inspection at King's
College. It contained the ordinary gases produced
by decomposed sewerage deposits, such as sulphu-
retted hydrogen, but nothing to induce a belief that
it was impregnated by the poisons of the gas lime
The gas lime had also been analysed. It contained
carbonate of lime, hydro-sulphate of lime, and some
cyanic acid compounds, but the latter in such minute
quantities that it could hardly be calculated. It pre-
vailed to the extent of about one pound to ten tons,
and even allowing that it had perforated the sewer, it
would be like a drop of water put into the ocean.
The witness was cross-examined by Mr. Hopgood
on behalf of Mr. Thomas Cubitt, and he gave it as
his decided opinion that the gases existing in the
sewer were not produced by the lime refuse; but, at
all events, he could find no evidence of it in the
sewerage matter itself.
A Juror—Was it possible for the poison of the lime
to perforate the sewer ? Witness—lt certainly was.
A Juror—And would it have increased the deadly
influence of the gases in the sewer ? Witness—lt
would mix with them, of course, but I can find no
evidence of its existence in the sewer.
The CORONER—Do you think the fact of the sewer
having been some time opened to the atmosphere,
before you examined it, may have so altered the cir-
cumstances as to render it difficult, if not impossible,
to discover the existence of the lime refuse poison ?
Witness—That certainly is an important considera-
tion, but still I can only repeat that none of the lime
refuse, or any of its ingredients, was found in the
sewer itself.
Mr. Hopgood—Do you think, Mr. Miller, that the
gases which killed these men were produced by the
fluid that percolated the sewer ? Witness —My
examination does not lead me to that conclusion.
Mr. Hopgood—Then will you just give me shortly
the result of your inquiries and analysis ? Witness—
The sewer must have contained sulphuretted hydro-
gen and hydro-sulphate of ammonia in large quantities.
The deaths were caused by the snlpheretted hydrogen
gas, generated by the decomposed animal and vege-
table matter found in the sewer, and confined there by
the absence of atmospheric air.
Mr. Hopgood—ls it your opinion that the lime-
waste had anything to do with the accident? Wit-
ness—No, it is not.
Mr. James Phillips, another chemist, confirmed the
testimony of the last witness, having taking part in
the analytical examination of? the fluid and matter
extracted from the sewer, and stated that so far from
the rain water having percolated the sewer, he had
tested the soil immediately below the first layer of
lime refuse, and could discover no traces of its having
been impregnated by water: passing from the gas
lime.

Mr. Hopgood—Do you gather from your exami-
nation, Mr. Phillips, that the gas lime had any effect
whatever uponithe contents of the sewer ? Witness—
I have no doubt whatever that it had not.
Mr. Hopgood—Were these deaths in any way
connected with the gas lime ? Witness—Not in the
slightest.
Dr. Dougall Campbell, Demonstrator of Chemistry
in University College, who had also assisted in the
experiments undertaken by,Mr. Miller, gave similar
evidence. He had also tested some specimens of the
fluid and matter taken from the sewer, but could
detect the presence of nothing to indicate a belief
that the rain water passing through the gas lime had
percolated the sewer.
Mr. Hopgood—Do you think the gas lime had any
effect upon the sewer ? Witness—The result of my
experiment leads me to think not.
The CoitoNEß—Did you hear the evidence of Dr.
Ure ? Witness—l have read it.
The CORONER—And you do not agree with it?
'Witness---No.
Mr. Hopgood—Migbt not some of the gas lime
have dropped into the sewer since it has been opened?
Witn
The CORONER—And might not the sewer being
opened and exposed to the atmosphere have dissipated
the particles you would expect to find ? Witness—l
think not.
Mr. William Orde, a former witness, was recalled,
and stated that on Saturday morning, between two
and three o'clock,
and thet e some shavings and straw were burnt
over
aperture of the sewer in Kenilworth street,
fire attracted sulP huretted hydrogen gas
towards it. It had the appearance of a furnace
throwing up the gas from the sewer. The gas
burnt green, and had a very offensive
smell. This
experiment proved, beyond
all doubt, that sulphu-
retted hydrogen gas still existed in the sewer to a
large extent.
The jury at this point of the proceeding retired
for half an hour, to partake of refreshment. On their
re-asc,ern Wing,
Dr. Lvoe Playfair, of Barnes, chemist to her Ma-
jesty's Commissioners of Woods and Forests, and'
Doe or or Philosophy, was called in and examined. He
St ted that haling been requested by the Commissioners
of Sewers to examine this sewer, he had been several
times down into it. He had obtained specimens of
the fluid and matter in the sewer, of the gas lime
refuse wi.h which the sewer was covered, and of the
brickwork which composed it, taking care that the
brickwork was selected from a part of the sewer which
had not been exposed to the atmosphere. He had
examined the sewer itself, and found it covered,
first, with a clay containing iron substances,
then with the gas lime already spoken of, then with
clay and sand, and then with a second layer of gas
lime. In the last layer he found a solution of sul-
phate, along with other substances, but the other
di ..1 not contain sulphate, or anything injurious to
life, but the layer nearest the surface of the street,
besides the sulphate, contained some cyanic com-