The Sun.
London, England, 1847-09-14 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL, SEPT. 13.—A large brig, with both masts
gone, was seen on shore on the reef to the eastw,,rd o.
Grand Turk, July 24. The City of Derry, from Quebec
to London, went on shore on Biguette, 11th ult., and
was expected to become a wreck. The Mamionic.
Christianson, of and from New York to Liverpool, wee
capsized in a heavy gale on the 15th ult., in lat. 38, long.
67 ; 35 steerage passengers drowned, and 7 seamen also,
the remainder taken off the wreck, and landed at New
York. The Leila, Mc Donough, New York to Cork,
foundered on the sth ult., in lat. 41. long. 67 ; crew
saved. The William and Elizabeth, Filcher, from New
Orleans to this port, put into Halifax on the 21st ult.,
leaky, and with crew insubordinate.
GLASGOW, SEPT. 10.-1 he Favourite, Alexander,
which arrived from the Clyde at Valparaiso on the 14th
June, was chased, when in the latitude of Bahia, for a
day and a night by a slaver or pirate, who fired six
guns after her ; she escaped in the night.
PETERHEAD, SEPT, 11. The Sceptre, WlCeiver'
from Cronstadt, which arrived here Bth instant, is leakp
SHIELDS, SEPT. 11.—A boat, paiated black, about
llf feet long, was picked up 6th inst. off Scarborougl?.
STOCKTON.—Arrd. from 11th, Robert and Isabaith
Gordon, Quebec.

TilE LATE STEAM BOAT
EXPLOSION.

ADJOURNED INQUEST.—(THIS DAY)
The inquest on the bodies of the unfortunate per-
sons who lost their lives in the recent explosion of one
of the boilers of the Cricket, was resumed this morn-
ing, at 11 o'clock, before Mr. Bedford, the coroner,
in the board-room of St. Martin's Workhouse.
It will be recollected that the inquiry s'l9s au.
journed from Monday week until to-day,
that the engineers appointed by the Government_
might be enabled to make a survey of the vessel, and
frame a report of the result of their investigation for
the information of the jury. in order
the
The proceedings having been opened with
usual formalities,
The CORONER, said that he had nothing to state to
the jury except to request their continued attention
to the evidence which weuld be adduced to-day.
He
believed the examination of the boat bad beefnwco7-
pleted, with the exception of testing the iron o hi h
prior to that which had reference to the
it was constructed. He proposed to tasktaeteeviodfenthcee
would be any obstacle to the names of the pr
boat. lie wished first of all to know whethoeprritehtoerres
of the boat being put in evidence. ot the
Mr. M. Chambers, Q.C., said there was
be here 1"
slightest objection—a gentleman would
depose to the
half an hour who would be able to
names of the proprietors on oath.
o
Mr. James, the counsel, said, in point of form it
_.
would perhaps be right for him to state that_
la
e!..Fi.
peered on behalf of Messrs. Joyce and Co., th
the boat.
neers who constructed the machinery of rt
some fur'
The Learned Counsel was about to make
tiler observations, when he was interrupted b
s_
The CORONER, who said it would be unny
ceoe
for the Learned Counsel to offer any further obse
tions at this stage of the inquiry.
Mr. James said he was about to offer some Ogg"'
tion as to the course it would be advisable to
adopt
in proceeding with inquirde y. be
The CORONER—h tI
e mustdecide the course to
taken—that must be left to me.
Mr. James—l wish merely to state, on the paritieof
st
the engineers, that they are anxious to lay the ill
~,,
evidence before the jury with respect to the cnstru'
tion of the enn
The CORONER—es.
That evidence will be required,
whether the engineers attend to offer it or not.
e
P r ojTc
Jacob
od
bed
Edwards,a,tvtietrh.the shteokdrfioerr, tpsperwdeistiodaeninsdsgwthaes evidence w'w
verance-place, Ratcliffe Highway, at N°•
breer_sise
employed in the latter end of June, 1846, on bow-
the Cricket as a stoker; he joined the boat at Greel,-
weeks, since that period he had been
wich. He remained on board the Cricket about six
in the
again
' employ of the company on hoard the Cricket. Of
last period of his journey with her was in April las ,
and remained with her for about a month ; that Wl's
the last time he was employed on board. lie "nca.
sionally drove the engihe in the absence of the en;
gineer, but his general duties were those of a stoke •
It was during this latter employment that he drov
the engines. lie had been accustomed to_ the
gine-driving in boats ; he drove the engine oft. he
Ant boat, and acted as a stoker at the same
During the time that he was employed
Cricket, the engine was worked upon the high pres-
sure principle. Mr. Kent, the engineer of the boat!
on boarrthe
told him it was a high pressure engine, and cautioned
him against meddling in any way with the machinery
in his absence. While he was employed he did net
see anything which led him to believe that the en'
pines and boilers were not of the best construction;
the machinery worked well, and the boat always k,eP
up her speed. Mr. Kent was superseded in his 1:11'ee
as engine-driver by Mr. Thomas Clarke, in the be'
ginning of last April. After Clarke had been therhe
a few days, the boat began to lose speed very
He could not account for that loss of speed, except'
arose from the very great escape of steam from tee
" trunnion." This escape of steam arose from inat"
tention to the packing round the joints.
were frequent complaints by the captain ee thie
change in the speed of the boat. In order to rem
this, Clarke, about the middle of April, ti
both the levers of the safety valves down. Be 13,11,
him tie them down by a piece of span' 341--
attached to the ends of the weights, brought down
the front of the boiler, and made fast to two nails in
the beam on the larboard side of the vessel. W,heurie
so tied it was impossible for the valves to act. -1":
valves were in that condition for upwards of a for''
night continually. Occasionally, when alongside the
pier, the valves were allowed to be lifted, but never
when under weigh. When Clarke's back was turned
he had himself frequently, when alongside the piety
set the valves at liberty. So soon as Clarke cause
would, upon hearing the rush of the steam, tie the
valves down again, and reprove him for letting them
loose. Witness had frequently cautioned the engine
driver of the danger that would arise from tylo
down the valve. Upon such occasion he (witness
had been told to mind his own business, for he
knew nothing at all about it." He frequently nib.;
served a noise in the boiler, and very frequently
in
engine would get so but that she could not tekehea
her water to condense the steam. The engine, w the
under weigh, never became hot, except when aa
valves were made fast. He accounted for the engloo
becoming so hot by the valves being closed' one
spoke to the captain on the subject, and upon daY
occasion he told him that there would be ()need in
some serious accident if the course was pereever,„ tie
by Clarke. He never saw any one but ChirTed.
down the valves in the manner he had descr
One Sunday in the month of April lest', ,Vier,
the boat was lying alongside the Adel Phi drthe
with about 400 persons on board, he observe
noise
valves to be fastened as before, and heard somtine no of
in the boiler, to which he called the attensa he
Clarke, and begged of him to let the valves got do so,
feared there would be danger. He refused t"..,eyer,
and witness let them go himself. Clarke, hn"stesta
tied them up again immediately. There was %foe
e
gauge connected with the machinery, for the FeliZere-
of showing the pressure of the steam. Il that,
quently noticed that gauge, and be had see„ water
directly after the valves were tied down, tee
quite
would get mixed with the mercury, and it Was
impossible to tell what amount of pressure w:e3.,e1.,„0
on. The highest point he ever SaW 4:11;'
the gauge was 44 deg.; above that pointHlte did Dot
possible to tell the amount of steam.
know what amount of pressure could be apps about
safety. lie believed that the pressure 9
rise sliu
forty pounds, and as soon as the gauge Bbl:owed
amount of pressure, the safety valves won ,„ being
let the steam off, if they were not preventedh ".Y ,t,
ther e
fastened down. He was not certain se y tom.
six
d 1 the
valves would act with a pressure of thirty- own
xi'
He had seen Clarke, in addition to tying ~.0
weights of the lever of the valves, plale bo
lever
weighing about fourteen pounds, across a
tween the spindle of the valve up
Which
the lever, and by moving , newer
wards and forwards, the amount of
acting upon the lever could be regulated. ",.„:6,,t of
frequently quarrelled with Clarke upon the9llu.'
:the ebt7ck.
told tc
tying down the valves, and was invariably;inr wtifi;
" mind his own business, that he (the ens et," kr
employed to make her go, and go she mug
was discharged from the company, as he was
_tfdide' on
consequence of "an oration" that he had itn:wn the
board the Cricket on the subject of tying u.e in tile
valves. He had frequently seen Dlr. Jos', nt. and
engine-room examining the valves of the
Bee, upon which he was also employe
fall
By a Juror—He never knew the engineW,
h e
w the
short of wa ; she fed extremely well. ieben pr
valves wereter not tied down the fire-bar he
spoken of would act as a prevention to thriala"
action
cif
left
the valves.
Examined by Mr. M. Chambers—Sin
the Cricket he had been employed on t
0.5-rbeett
running between Dieppe and Harwich ; h
OP nl6
from all, but not from any misconduct
were the
in three different vessels, and had been dic.ll.arpargea.
The vessels he had been employed !la. ge 015
Mountaineer, the Magnet, and the Carol
uarrel wit!!
not discharged in consequence of any v
genero
Mr. Poletti, the superintendent. it assn
the valved'
practice to tie down the valves. Thep
deck could see the strings att to
twoso each Puy'
There were four safety valves, r
lve vn
two of them wait screw valves. One leve 0115
am gauge tad
each boiler was tied down. The ate
numbered up assgers ea
to hut after tire toerogu