The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-25 00:00:00

14 N N, MONDAY KV ENI NG, OCTOBER 25, 1847.

recognizances to appear and give evidence at the

trial.

The court was again this day densely crowded to
hear the decision of the magistrates, as a report had
been circulated that the prisoner would be dis-
charged, the inquest jury having given a verdict tan-
tamount to a declaration that they were of opinion
that the death of the woman was the result of natural
Causes.

CONFLAGRATION AT ANDOVER,

CAUSED BY A FIRE BALLOON.

On Friday evening an extensive fire took place at
the farm of Mr. Francis Russell Loscombe, one of
the board of guardians for the town of Andover. It
appears that a fire balloon had been inflated by spirit
at the house of Mr. Reynolds, a currier, for the pur-
pose of amusing his son. It ascended about seven
o'clock in the evening, at which time the wind was
blowing strongly from the north-west, and the
balloon was carried over the town, in the direction
of the new church, situate at the top of the High-
street. In passing over the tower of the church, it
seems that the balloon struck against one of the
pinnacles. It then turned over, and became a heap
of flames ; and in falling down alighted on one of
the barns upon Mr. Loscombe's premises, which are
situate within a few yards of the church. This
building was soon on fire, and the flames extended
with extraordinary rapidity to the adjoining stacks,
owing to the violence of the wind. As soon as it was
possible the engines arrived, and the utmost activity
was used by the firemen, assisted by the inhabitants,
to extinguish the devouring element, but before this
could be done the large barns adjoining the stack
yard, land the whole of the stabling were on fire. At
this juncture a heavy storm of rain descended,
which caused a temporary check to the fury of the
flames; but they soon broke out again with renewed
force from the lower part of a wheat rick, hitherto
untouched. A violent breeze then again sprung up,
and the fire extended to a large barley rick, pea rick,
and some outbuildings. It was evident little good
could be effected in saving this property, and the at-
tention of the firemen was directed to the cutting off
the communication with the neighbouring streets,
many of the houses in which are thatched. This
object was happily effected by pulling down some of
the smaller buildings, and the church, as well as the
adjoining houses, were saved. The flames were then
driven in the direction of a large rookery close to the
farm, where several fine elms were set on fire and
consumed. The trees having commenced burning,
the rooks who inhabited their tops were soon dis-
comfited, and flew about uttering discordant cries,
many of them falling dead in the flames. The danger
was at this time increased by the falling of the trees ;
but fortunately no lives were lost. By midnight the
further progress of the conflagration was checked.
The damage is calculated at several thousand pounds.
The following is the report of the agent at the
Farmers' Fire Office, in which establishment Mr.
Loscombe was insured :

" October 22, 1847.—Fire at seven A.M., at Mr.
Loscombe's farm, called the Wilderness, Andover.
Cause—descent of a fire-balloon upon a wheat stack.
Damage—Burned two large wheat ricks, one barley
rick (the produce of upwards of twenty acres), one
pea rick, very large), two double barns full of corn
(unthrashed), and about twenty quarters of thrashed
corn ; stabling, piggeries, and out-buildings con-
sumed. Live stock saved, but much injury is done
to thiJ surrounding property."

A BOILER EXPLOSION—FOUR
PERSONS KILLED.
A fearful boiler explosion, which has already re-
sulted in the deaths of four persons, and so severely
scalded four others that but slight hopes are enter-
tained of their recovery, occurred on Thursday
morning last, at New Hey, near Twe Bridges, about
three miles from Rochdale.
The premises in connexion with which this acci-
dent has taken place are known as the new Hey
Mills, and are at pre3ent oceupied by Mr. Samuel
Berry, as a woollen manufactory. They are three
storeys high, and consist of two portions, known as
the old and new ends or mills, extending in all
about forty yards in length, the former portion being
about twelve and the latter thirteen yards wide. Both
steam and water power are employed to drive the
machinery. The driving power of the water is applied
by means of a wheel of about three and a half or four-
horse power, at the end of the old mill ; while the
steam-engine of about sixteen-horse power, is situated
at the other extremity of the building. These build-
ings formed three sides of a square, the fourth being
the end of the new mill, into which a door opened
from the enclosure thus formed. This space, being
almost wholly covered by a roof, supported by pillars,
formed a favourite place of congregation for the
children of the mill, during their leisure time ; and
here, on Thursday morning about half-past eight,
some six or seven of them were engaged at play.
About that time, the breakfast hour being over, the
water wheel had been set in motion, and the engineer,
Robert Booth, was on his way from the warehouse to
the engine house with some tallow preparatory to
starting the engine, when suddenly the boiler ex-
ploded, reducing the whole of the out• premises to a
heap of ruins. The children in the court or yard
immediately rushed to the door before spoken of,
in order to escape!, into the mill; but by the
force of the explosion, this door was so forcibly
driven inwards, that the strong iron latch by which
it was fastened had been bent so as to render their
efforts to open it altogether futile; and it was not until
, who happened to be near at
a large hammer forced up the
escape from the fiercely scalding
steam.tthh ee
latch, time,t
manager
lt' hht hea adody of the
could
beingmid opened, five children rushed
into the mill, all most dreadfully scalded; they were
immediately conveyed to some of the adjacent houses,
medical aid was obtained as soon' as possible, and
every attention was paid to them. Search being
made as soon as the escape of the steam would permit,
another child was found in a recess just outside the
door, into which he appears to have run for shelter;
he was also much scalded, and was instantly re-
moved. On proceeding further, John Leach, a
scourer, was found in or near the fire-hole, in the
engine-house; he was much crushed and scalded,
and
a dying state. Some children
of
assert that on the explosion taking
the villageo ved
place they saw the boiler high in the air; but from
all appearances, there can be no doubt that the boiler
was e m
itself passed under the cistern before alluded to, de-
stroying the drying room and the outer wall, and
ploughing up the field in its passage ; while the end,
with the man stay which passed through the boiler
attached to it, passed over the yard or open space,
going under and demolishing the joiners' shop, and
then destroying the gas works and gasometer. With
regard to the cause of the explosion, nothing certain
can of course be known prior to the holding of the
inquest ; but no doubt the primary cause was defi-
ciency of water. The boiler presents, generally, an
old appearance, being patched in one or more places.
It was worked at low pressure. The engineer, Booth,
is a young man, not more than twenty years of age,
and has driven the engine at New Hey Mills but a i
short time, but he s well spoken of as to his general
ability and care. The mill has fortunately escaped
wholly uninjured. About eighty hands were em-
ployed in the mill, and the stoppage of the machinery,
consequent upon the accident, will, on the whole,
throw about 120 persons out of work. 01 the par-
ties injured by the explosion, John Leach, aged 56, a
scourer, survived but for two hours; Jane Taylor,
aged 14, expired late on Thursday night ; Thomas
Clegg, 11, about half-past nine yesterday (Friday)
morning ; and Thomas Sutcliffe, 10, about noon.
Edwin Clegg, James \Volfenden, and Ann Platt,
each aged about 13 years, are so severely scalded that
but slight hopes of their recovery are entertained ;
while John Belfield, a spinner, aged 43, although
much injured, it is thought, may recover. Leach
was a widower, but his children are all grown up.
Belfield has a wife, and, it is said, six children.—
Manchester Guardian.
An inquest was opened on Saturday, before Mr.
Dearden, the Coroner for the district, which, after
hearing some routine evidence, adjourned to Thurs-
day next.

[ADVERTISEMBNT.—A DISEASE OF THE CHEST
AND A LONG-STANDING COLD CURED BY HOLLOWAY'S
OINTMENT AND PILLS.—Mr. James Kilroe, clerl to Mr.
Maclaughlin, proprietor of the Castlecoote mills, Ros-
common, caught a most dreadful cold, from which he
suffered for several months, and though he received the
best medical advice, yet nothing prescribed afforded him
any relief, and fears were entertained that the disease
was terminating in a confirmed affection of the lungs,
whereupon he resolved to try Holloway's Pills and Oint-
ment, and those unparalleled medicines for the cure of
coughs, colds, and asthmas, shortly effected a perfect
cure, after so many othr emeans had failed.--Sold by all
druggists, and at Professor Holloway's establishment,
244, Strand, London.

THE MONETARY CRISIS IN SOUTHAMPTON.—It is
but just to the large mercantile and trading firms of
Southampton, that we should notice the mischievous,
though happily unfounded, reports that have crept into
circulation affecting the stability of establishments of long
standing, and of individuals of abundant means to meet
their engagements three-fold. The banks of the town have
acted with considerable liberality wherever required—
but in no case have their judicious and valuable services
been improperly asked for; and we believe we may point
to Southampton as singularly favoured at this extraordi.
nary period of monetary pressure. Business seems to
have been conducted with a provident forethought
which has rendered the storm that has shattered so many
old-established houses in London and other ports corn-
paratively innocuous at Southampton.—liampshire Ad• I
vertiser.

THE IRON GIRDER COM MISSION.—A correspon-
of the Builder states, that the Commissioners appointed
to inquire into the construction of iron girders, having
sent to the engineers of various railways for returns of
information, a counter circular has issued from the Insti-
tution of Civil Engineers, urging them to refuse.