The Sun.
London, England, 1847-08-31 00:00:00

THE LATE FEARFUL STEAM

BoAr EXP OSION.

THE CORONE►t'S INQUEST.

(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
George Martin Young, house surgeon of Charing-
cross Hospital was next examined—The deceased
Thomas Shade was brought to the hospital, a .d ad-
mitted about half-past nine o'clock on Friday morn-
ing, but deceased was then in a state of collapse. lie
bore the marks of a flesh wound on his left cheek,
also a small cut on the top of his head. It was his opi-
nion from the symptoms presented that the deceased
had sustained a fracture of the skull. Every assist-
ance was afforded him. He rallied slightly, and died
about two o'clock of the same day. No post mortem
examination of the deceased had been made. He
believed that his death was attributable to a pressure
upon the brain. There were none of the deceased's
limbs broken, though his whole body exhibited the
malls of various contusions and bruises. _

—.
By a juror—He had no doubt but that the inju-
ries received had been the cause of death. .

..... .
The CORONER then directed a post mortem exami-
nation of the head of the deceased to be made previous
to burial.

Mr. Shade, the father of deceased, was then called,
and in answer to a question put by the Coroner, said
that he had no objection to the examination being
made.

Mr. Young then stated that George Shute, another
of the deceased, was brought to the hospital on Friday
morning with an extensive wound on the right side
of the head. He did not think, however, that the
wound was sufficient to cause death. He thought
that death might have ensued from drowning. He
was nut prepared to say that death was caused by
drowning. No post mortem examination had been
made.

Edward Maddox, of 47, Queen-street, Webber-
street, Blackfriars, a coal porter, deposed, that about
25 minutes past nine o'clock on Friday morning he
was at work, levelling the ground opposite Mr.
Reeve's wharf, when he saw the explosion of the
Cricket steam-boat, at the end of the Fox-under-the-
Hill Pier. He then ran into the water directly, seeing
a number of persons jumping overboard. He brought
out of the water one person with his mouth broken
in ; he was not dead. The next person whom he
picked up was a costermonger, who was dead. He
took both of them to the pay-office on the pier, from
which place he believed they were carried to the hos-
pital. About twenty minutes after he dragged out
of the water a gentlemanly-looking man, who had in
his pocket 1/. 10s. and some other money in silver,
also a watch and a letter. He was, to all appearance,
dead. He took him also to the pay-office, where he
left him.

Henry Rogers, 75 F, policeman, stated that he saw
the explosion of the Cricket while standing on Hun-
gerford-bridge, on Friday morning. He immediately
ran to render assistance, and got down to the pier.
The first person whom he assisted to the shore was
one whom he thought to be the engineer, who stated,
in answer to a question put to him by witness, that
he was not severely hurt, but was only shook. He
saw the call-boy taken out of the boat. He also saw
the last witness drag out of the water an elderly
gentleman, whom he assisted in carrying from the
pier to the workhouse. He had been since identified,
and he (witness) understood that his name was Lit-
tleton. He was dressed in fustian jacket and trow-
sers. After his return from the workhouse he saw
the last witness bring to the pier another person who
was quite dead, and who had since been identified.
He understood the name of that person to be Blunt.

By a juror—He assisted to bring the engineer on
shore. lie was standing when he saw him by the
paddle•box of the Cricket. His face appeared splashed
with marks of dirt and soot.

WilliamV Chappell, residing at No. 34, Caro-
line street, waterman, stated that between nine
and ten o'clock on Friday morning, while
he was standing on Somerset-house causeway,
he saw the explosion of the Cricket steamer ; he with
his mates immediately manned the boat and pro-
ceeded to the scene of the explosion ; during their
passage they picked up nine hats, and shortly after
picked up the body of Littleton, with which they rowed
nearly ashore, and Maddox (the last witness but one)
then took the body from the head of the boat up to
the pay-office on the pier. 'Witness immediately
jumped out of the boat on to the pier, where he
saw a surgeon, who stated that the body was dead.
He then returned to the boat, and just at " flood" he,
with his, mate, by the use of the grappling irons,
found the body of a person quite dead, since iden-
tified as the body of Mr. Blunt. Witness took
charge of the property of deceased, which amounted
to thirty shillings in gold, ten shillings in silver, a
silver watch, gold chain, and penknife.
William Chapman, residing at Ilungerford-mar-
ket, greengrocer, stated that at about ten o'clock on
Friday morning, while endeavouring to pass a rope
under the paddle•box of the Cricket he felt some
resistance to it, which proved to be the body of a man
who was dead, and lying close against the paddle-
box under the wheel. He hauled the body ashore,
and gave it in charge of Policeman 138, after which
period he had not seen anything of the body.
John Silk, living at the Farmhouse, Mint, Borough,
said that between ten and eleven o'clock on Saturday
morning he saw a man lying in the wake of t!.e fourth
pier of Waterloo-bridge on the Surrey side of the
river. The man was dressed, Ms clothes were torn.

Ile ran into the water, and, having procured some as-
sistance, he carried the body ashore, when it was put
into a shell, and carried to St. John's Church,
Waterloo-road. The right thigh of deceased was
broken, he was also much scalded, and his nose very
much chafed and bruised.
The CORONER stated that he had received a coin •
munication from Mr. Carter, the Coroner of Surrey,
stating that as there was no doubt but that the body
of the deceased was one of the sufferers by the late
accident, he requested him (Mr. Bedford), in order
to avoid unnecessary expense and trouble, to take
charge of the body. Under all the circumstances, he
(Mr. Bedford) had thought it advisable to do so, and
the body had accordingly been sent over to this
workhouse for the purposes of this inquiry.
John Watson, porter to the workhouse, proved the
receipt of the body of Buckley, the person found by
the last witness.
John Nathan Bainbridge, surgeon, of St. Martin's
Workhouse, stated that the bodies of Littleton and
Blunt were brought to the workhouse shortly af er
nine o'clock. He saw them soon after their arrival.
He examined the bodies externally, and he could
find no material marks of violence on the body of
Blu
a slight abrasion of the skin on
the however, sufficient to
cause death, and be believed that the deceased came
:iitd.e
o Therefthe was
nose,
nothing, _
drowning. e presented all the
who had died by that means.
appearancesby
ofrom
f a person H
The body of Mr. Littleton showed a considerable
wound on the right side of the temple, about an inch
and a half long and deep ; there was also some
bruises and abrasions of the skin on the arms, but
not sufficient to produce death ; and he could not
state, without a post mortem examination, whether
the wound on the temple was of itself sufficient to
produce death. With respect to the deceased Buck-
ley, he had examined him, and found that his thigh
was broken, which must have happened before death,
as the muscles had contracted to the extent of about
three inches. There were also marks of injury on
the forehead and the nose. It would be necessary to
have a post mortem examination, in order to ascer-
tain whether the deceased had come by his death by
the effects of injuries received, or by drowning.
This concluded the whole of the evidence of to-day.
Mr. Montague Chambers then stated that the cap-
tain, the engineer, and the stoker, and also the super-
intendent, were in attendance, and were ready to give
any information that might be required.
The CORONER suggested that the better course
would be to have the boat and all the parts of the
machinery examined by a competent engineer before
any further proceedings should be taken.
A juror suggested the name of Sir J. Rennie.
The CORONER thought that the appointment would
he better to be left entirely in his hands. It would
be sufficient that a person of eminence would be ap-
pointed. Probably the Secretary of State himself
would appoint some person to examine the whole of
the machinery.
The inquest was then adjourned till eleven:o'clock
on Monday.
In answer to a question by the Coroner, Mr. M.
Chambers said that the proprietors were anxious that
the vessel should be placed in the hands of the police,
or some independent party. It was at present in the
charge of the proprietors.
The vessel was then ordered to be placed in the
hands and under the care of the Thames Police, with
orders not to admit any person on board, or near the
machinery, without an order from the Coroner, or some
other person of authority.
A gentleman from Mr. Joyce's, the builder of the
engines, thought that it would be desirable that, should
an inspection of the vessel take place by a third party,
Mr. Joyce should be in attendance at the same
time.
Mr. M. Chambers also suggested the propriety of
the attendance of an engineer on the part of the
company.
It was then ordered that a professional person for
the company,
and also for Mr. Joyce, should be in at-
tendance during the inquisition.
The inquest was then adjourned till eleven o'clock
on Monday next, the 6th of September.
The jury then arranged to meet to-morrow at
the pay-office on the pier, at the Fox-under-the-Hill,
at twelve o'clock, for the purpose of viewing the boat
and machinery, in order, as they stated, to afford
them a key to the evidence which would be furnished
by the professional examination on Monday next.

* A double return.

MEMBERS RETURNED.

Liberals ...
Peelites ...

Protectionist•

... 333
... 110
... 213

LLYNVI VALLEY RAILWAY.

• - -
The second hale-yearly ordinary general meeting of
this company, was held yesterday at the offi(les, 449,
West Strand ; Dr. Bowring, ALP., in the chair.
The advertisement convening the meeting having
been read, and the seal of the company affixed to the
register of proprietors,
The SECRETARY read a report, of which the fol-
lowing is an abstract:— _

" Tlie directors congratulate the proprietors on the
complete success which has attended their proceedings
from the date of the report of the 10th December, 1816.
" That reprt referred to an agreement then entered
into with the Duffryn, Llynvi, and Forth Cawl Com-
pany, for the purpose of consolidating the two under-
takings. The directors have now the satisfaction of
stating that the agreement has been confirmed by Par-
liament, and that the Act, authorising the union, has re-
ceived the royal assent.
" By this Act, the property and powers of the Duffryn,
Llynvi, and Porth Cawl Company, are vested in the
Llynvi Valley Railway Company, the capital of the
Duffryn, Llynvi, and Forth Cawl Company, is declared
to be part of the capital of the Llynvi Valley Railway
Company, the proprietors of the former company re-
ceiving stock of the new company equivalent to their
shares in the Duffryn, Llynvi, and Forth Cawl Company,
with the same privilege as the holders of existing shares.
" From the nature of the above, and the provisions of
the Act, the proprietors cannot fail to perceive that the
whole arrangement between the old and the new com-
pany, has been based upon fair and liberal terms, and
are such as will, in the judgment of your directors, pro
duce a most satisfactory result to the proprietors of both
ca's' t
eTI companies..
lAc
v e twafo rt o
thAenrs4oi authorisingey..atlo:s the
town,
nts,htaohnret,
parchEt h tyecn
asoinfonnostf from
New-
castle, has received
regard this short extension as a most important accession
to the powers possessed by this company.
" The directors have only been put into possession of
the Duffryn, Llynvi, and Forth Cawl line, within a very
recent period, and therefore they are not able at this
meeting to afford the proprietors any precise informa-
tion as to the adoption of various suggestions which
have been made to them for the improvement of the old
line; but they trust, by the next half-yearly meeting, to
be in a position to lay before the proprietors a statement
of the results of their plan of working it during the con-
struction of the new line."

The accounts showed the receipts up to the 30th of
June to have been 19,226/. 10s. ld., and the expendi-
ture 11,8701. 3s. ld., leaving a balance in hand of
7,3561. 7s.
Tne CHAIRMAN having briefly addressed the meet-
ing, the report was received and adopted, and a vote
of thanks having been passed to the Chairman and
directors, the meeting separated.

It is stated that the committee of Spanish bond-
holders have made arrangements for the return of Mr.
Henderson from Madrid, and that a general congress of
the English, French, Dutch, Belgian, and German cre-
ditors or Spain is to be held in that city next month.
The mission from England is to he composed of a Mem-
ber of Parliament, who has undertaken its mans,,,,e-
ment, accompanied by a deputation from the committee,
to whom the especial support of our Government is
understood to have been promised.
g Notwthstanding the decline in the corn-market S. PKTIIRSBURGII, AUG. 17.—Count Tschernit
yesterday, as eumpared with Monday last, of from ss. to schen, who has just returned from his furlough, has,
6. business passed off without the announcement of by command of his Majesty, spirt undertaken the
any further failures, dePutlant Ailoister of War.