The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-16 00:00:00

FIRE AND DEPLORABLE ACCI-

DENT AT AN IRON FOUNDRY.

Last night, shortly before ten o'clock, a frightful oc-
currence took place in the eixter sire iron foundry beloeg-
ine• to Messrs. Ainger and Co., Upper Ground-street,
Brack friars. It appears that a number of persons were
engaged in castings heavy piece of metal, and they had
just succeeded in filling a ran with molten iron, which
was attached to a crane. The weight of the iron was
upwards of seventy hundred pounds. The persons en-
gaged in the work had succeeded in shifting the hot
metal to about the middle of the spake between the fur-
nace and mould, when the ladle toppled over, and the
whole of the hot liquid iron was scattered over the floor
of the foundry, running amongst the men, and firing
sundry portions of the building, and then rushed through
the windows and &ors like a discharge of a thousand
rockets. For some time, the utmost excitement pre-
vailed in the neighbourhood, and it was feared that
every man on the premises had been burned to
death. Such was the power of the fire, that
no one could enter for some time to render assist-
ance, and intelligence was forthwith sent to the engine-
stations. In the course of a few minutes Mr. Connorton
reached the scene, with the West of England engine, and
was followed by Mr. Hambleton, with the Brigade en-
gine from Waterloo-road, and the escape belonging .to
the Royal Society for the Protection of Life from Fire.
With buckets of water the firemen succeeded in putting
the fire out, and the hot metal on the floors cooled, when
a dreadful sight presented itself. One of the workmen,
named George Richardson, was found in a corner of the
foundry, burnt in a most shocking manner. His shoes
and portions of his dress were stripped by the action of
the fire from his person, and the injuries he received
were of such a nature that no hopes were entertained of
his recovery. He was placed in a cab and removed to
the hospital. Two other persons, named Thomas Hobbe
and Martin Ryan, were also extensively burned about
their bodies, and were likewise obliged to be removed to
the hospital. Two children, belonging to Mr. Billing-
hurst, one of the partners, were also injured, but not to
any great extent. At eleven o'clock the fire was extin-
guished; but it was expected that one person, if not more,
would die during the night.

'WHY ARE NOT OUR RAILWAY CARRIAGES
WARMED?—It is now nearly two years since this ques-
tion was first propounded. Since that time railway
carriages in America have been heated; and during this
winter some of the Belgian and French companies have
also adopted means to warm their carriages. Have any
English companies taken up the scheme? No, not one
that we know of. Some may ask, is the thing practi-
cable? or will it pay? It is easily practicable, and it
will pay better than any other outlay on any line adopt-
ing the plan. The swift boats on the several canals have
long had the scheme in operatien—to warm their best
cabins. Copper tubes, about four feet long and six in-
ches in diameter, are filled with hot air, and laid
on the cabin floor; these will preserve and give
out heat quite sufficient for comfortable warmth
during a space of five or six hours. Indeed
we have travelled with one for eight hours, the
water unchanged, and there was a comfortable heat at
the end of the journey. How, you may say, can this
plan be applied to carriages ? Nothing easier. In all
carriages a narrow recess or box may be made across
and under the floor where the passengers feet rest,
betwixt the seats, but parallel with them ; and if the
make of the carriage frame will allow of an outside
opening to put the hot-water tubes, they may be fitted
with doors. If this is not practicable, let the door be in
the floor, and be perforated, shutting over the door, and
then covered with the mat or carpet ; this will equalise
and diffuse the heat. One or two stations will require a
boiler to heat the water ; there must be tubes to hold it,
and the present staff of porters would place them in the
carriages in a few moments, even in the,longest train:
Think of going to London, or elsewhere, this cold
weather, 'w arm all the way, and warm feet at the end.
Reader, would )ou give an extra shilling for such a
luxury ?—Liverpool ✓'ournal.
It is stated by one of our contemporaries that the
French Government is about to take into consideration a
project which Napoleon intended to execute for establishing
a iliac of signals along the whole of the French coast, so as
to put them all in immediate communication with each other
Galignani.
THE ARMY.—DUELIN, JAN. 14.—Major-General
his Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge, K.G., has
arrived in Dublin, and assumed the command of the troops
in the Dublin district, :n succession to Lieutenant-General
Wyndham. Captain the lion. J. W. B. Macdonald, aide-
de-camp to his Royal Highness, has also arrived in Dublin.
MR. LAING, TUE EX-MAGISTRATE.—It is stated
that Mr. Laing has been appointed magistrate for Australia,
and that he leaves England next week to assume his ap-
pointment in that distant colony.
Sir John Forbes, Bart., late of Fintray House,
and Craigievar Castle, Aberdeen, N. 8., had made his will in
November, 1844; having well provided for Lady Forbes,
his two sons, and five daughters : his wife with a jointure of
750/. a year, his daughters also with a provision under the
same contract, as well as a legacy under the will, the eldest
son succeeding to the estates of Fintray and Craigievar, and
the youngest to the Corse estate; and has left all other his
property to his eldest son. The acting executor is John
Angus, Esq., advocate, Aberdeen.
REPRESENTATION OF TIIE TOWN OF GALWAY.—
The Limerick Chronicle says :—" The reports of theretirement
of Sir Valentine Blake, M P., for Galway, are very current
' in that town, and that Mr. Solicitor-General Monahan is to
succeed him in the represehtation."
A ocuiain-vr AT rziß LiveiarooL AarpmermEATEE.,
—On Monday night, a man in the gallery of the Amphi-
theatre, who had left his place during one oi the acts, missed
his footing while endeavouring to spring into his former seat,
was precipitated over the railing into the pit, a depth of at
least thirty feet, and fell upon two ladies. The bench upon
which they were sitting was split, but marvellous to relate,
with the exception of a few bruises, the man and the ladies
were, we believe, uninjured.—Liverpool tlfetcury,

EXTRAORDINARY RENCONTRi.---The quid nuns of
an ancient town in Derbyshire that has figured rather con-
spicuously in our columns of late, were on the 13th instant
thrown into a high state of excitement by a rencontre in the
public market-place of a somewhat extraordinary character.
It appears that for some time past squibs, composed of very
combustible materials, have been flying about the town, to
the annoyance of some parties, and the amusement of others;
and an explosion of a rather ludicrous nature has at length
taken place, which our faithful chronicler thus graphically
narrates :—Between the hours of twelve and one o'clock on
the day above-named, two highly respectable parties,—one
a gallant lieutenant in her Majesty's navy, the other a son
of an indefatigable and very useful Member of the House of
Commons—happened to meet in the market-place, and mu-
tually suspecting each other of being the author of certain
printed cards, letters, handbills, &c., words ensued, and they
challenged each other with the fact. From words they
speedily came to blows, which resulted in a gallant contest for
the victory. Round one—the combatants closed in, " pitched"
right and left with determined fierceness, each bent on doing
great execution, and bringing the battle to a climax ; chances
about even, but the " young 'un " rather the best of it. Round
second: fiercely contested, science at a discount, with both,
passion getting the better of judgment; the " young 'un "
pitched into his opponent's " bread- basket," who, in return,
struck at the visage of his antagonist, neither doing any
execution. Several rounds followed in succession, and a
crowd having collected round the combatants, a friend of •
one of the parties interfered. The Gallant Lieutenant was
dragged from the scene into a shop by a chivalrous lady, and
the young esquire was forcibly held by the bystanders, and
prevented pursuing his antagonist, and taking the full
amount of his injuries—real or imagined--out in " kind."
The former, says our chronicler, showed marks about the
eyes, and blood was seen at intervals to trickle from the
mouth of the esquire. Of course the conflict caused a great
sensation in the" ancient and loyal" town, and it will serve
the quid nuncs to talk about for many a day to come. We
insert these particulars in the hope that their publication
will tame these fiery spirits, and bring them back to a pro-
per state of mind. Those who play at bowls must expect
rubbers • and if either, or both parties, are guilty of the con-
duct which they impute to each other, we would advise them
to .fight the battle out with ink, and most religiously eschew
a contest with clenched fists.—From the Second Edition of
the Derby Reporter.
•
At the meeting of the Royal Humane Society, on
Tuesday, a silver medal was unanimously voted to Com-
mander J. W. Finch (then Lieutenant of the Victory), for
saving the life of a seaman by jumping overboard through a
port-hole after him, from the Naiad, in July last, during -
very rough weather. This is the second occasion of Com-
mander Finch receiving a testimonial from the same society
—the former was for saving lives during a storm, from a
wreck.
THE HYDROPATHIC SYSTEM.—Yesterday, at twelve
o'clock, an inquiry, which was commenced on Wednesday
before Mr. Higgs, coroner for the Duchy of Lancaster, was
resumed at the Crown and Three Horse-shoes, Enfield Chase,
on view of the body of Martha Hobbs, aged 20, whose death
was alleged to have been the effect of the hydropathic treat-
ment. Dr. Lovell, who had attended deceased as her me-
dical adviser, and who is a practitioner cf the hydropathic
system, was present, with a solicitor to watch the proceed- -
ings, and the inquest-room was crowded. Eliza Ronsell, ser-
vant to Mr. Swanwick, boarding-house-keeper. Chase Side,
Enfield, said that the deceased was in the same servicsein?
to Monday week. She had not been in good healttlll
laste
September. She was able to go about her work
she had a
Thursday fortnight, when she complained On the
of delirium.
cold. On Monday she was in a state of day she was
following day she was worse. Tilechas
Chase Side. Erysipelas
re-
moved to her aunt's,
e to
fßaniceetedtsaPinedinet,healsiiddestoaft e
dher that head.she
appearance nac;
ir
Deceased its
an
wou
some
mn oet
ohttersm
whoed medical treatmentere
examined, as - more. This
describedTh i witness,
t
and
'on of baths which the deceased had been treated
sZctbefsastlid stated that she had shown symptoms of erysipelas
in her head. Mr. T. Ashberry, surgeon, Enfield, and medi-
cal officer of the union, stated that by direction of the
coroner he made a post mortem examination of the body of
the deceased, which he did in conjunction with Mr. Taylor
hteheirapmereicadiardteiuemaus, tehoef
edreaaethhh wt
eas
membrane,th e recen
andinfie Mr.
at ion.
he .
eTf
and the pia mater, together with congestion of the brain,
brought on by the transfer of a chronic constitutional disease
of the skin to the internAl membranes and organs, ending in
acute disease and death. The transfer was facilitated by the
continual application of cold. By a juror—l saw no appear-
ance of the existence of erysipelas. Dr. Lovell defended his
mode of treatment, observing that it existed from the time of
the creation, and had been carried into practice by many
eminent men. The Coroner said it depended on the consti-
tution of the patient as to the propriety of the treatment.
The jury, after above two hours' consultation, returned a
verdict of " Manslaughter against Dr. Lovell, as principal,
and Anne Betts., as accessory." The inquiry lasted seven
hours.
GAME PRESERVING.—On some occasions of late
there have been more than 50 night watchers employed to
protect the game on the preserves of the Duke of Buehing-
barn at and around Wotton.
CAMBRIDGE B.A. EXAMINATION.—The examina-
tion of the candidates for honours at the University of Cam-
bridge for the year 1847 commenced on Wednesday week.
The betting, and there is betting even on the race for ho-
nours, is not very animated. There is not much uncertainty
with regard to the senior wrangler. It is the general
opinion that St. John's College will have the first four
wranglers. The examination lasts six days.—Doncaster Ga•
zette.
WESTMINSTER COURT OF SEWERS. A general
Court of the Commissioners of Sewers for the city and liberty
of Westminster was held yesterday at the Sewers Court,
_
Greeks-street, Solio-4quaie, CaptainGeOrgs Bague, RN.,
in the chair. There was a very full attendance of com-
missioners.