The Sun.
London, England, 1840-09-19 00:00:00

FIRE ESCAPES.

The Police Com:nittee of the Corporation of London
met on Thursday at the Guildhall, for the purpose of
taking into consideration the reference made to teem

by tic Court of Common Council, upon the motion of
Mr. Lott," to consider the best means of providing es-
cape from fire," in consequence of the late numerous
dreadful calamities.

Deputy Hicks was in the chair. The Commissioner
of the City Police was present, and the Committee
was else attended by Mr. Lott, the mover of the refe-
rence, and a great many respectable persons, who had
bumenely devoted their time and talents to the inven-
doe of machines calculated to effect so highly desirable
an object. The names of the individuals who exhibited
these designs and models are Mr. Lloyd, Mr..Steill,
Mr. Baddeley, Mr. Harris. Mr. Hancock, Mr. Don-
ington, Mr. Wright, Mr. Winsor, Mr. Hudson, Mr.
Wincell, Mr. Baylis, Mr. Smith, Mr. Noe, Mr. Hall,
Mr. Hodd, Mr. Davies, Mr. Hampton, Mr. Grant,
Mr. Gregory, Mr. Jennings, Mr. Bambcr, Mr. 'fates,
Me. Ibblewhite, and Mr. Londe,ll.
The ingenious invention of Mr. Foote, of Favers-
ham, called " th; Fire Detector," was also exhibited,
being an apparatus appicable to a common
clock, to make an alarm by the. ringing of a
hell set in motion by the increase of temperature.
This invention is said to be remarkable alone tor sim-
plicity of construction, and fur the impossibility of
failure in its application, being operated upon by nit
ral causes, without an intervening medium. The sus-
ceptibility of the engine is staied to be so delicate, its
mode of action being thermometrical, that the heat con-
tained in a volume of smoke arising from the burning
of the smallest piece of furniture will instantly cause it
to give the alarm, nor will it relapse into inactivity until
the works are destroyed. It may either be attached to
a clock or it may stand alone and in either case it can
he made to communicate, by means of wires and cranks,
with any number of clocks in near or remote parts of
the building. It can also be connected in a similar way
with a large alarm-bell, such as is seen in the exterior
of old mansions, and this will rouse a whole neighbour-
hood. The apparatus excited a great deal of curiosity.
Many of the designs developed much skill, and in the
opinion of the Committee were highly creditable to the
inventors ; but 115 the Committee were occupied during
the whole day in the investigation, and did not come to
any determination as to the plan they would finally re-
commend for adoption, it was not considered by them
an act of justice to the parties to particularize the nature
of their inventions.
The Committee took great interest in the proceed-
ings, as evinced by the questions put by them to the
various exhibitors, to elucidate the principles of their
inventions. Simplicity of design in its ready adaptation
to the various and sudden emergencies, combined with
safety in the descent, appear to be the great requisites;
and it is fairly hoped that the Corporation will succeed
in accomplishing an object of such paramount import-
ance, and thus entitle themselves to the most grateful
thanks of their fellow-citizens.
It is to be hoped that the Directors of the Fire-offices
will attend to this subject. The Committee will meet
on Tuesday next, and a deputation will proceed to the
Society of Arts, to view the models there. The Com-
mittee, who will spare no pains, will alto meet other
parties who have models to exhibit.

TRIAL OF MADAME LAFFARGE

The Court did not sit this morning. till ten o'clock
and then M. Paillet announced that Madame. Marie

Laffarge was too ill lo make her appearance ; he there-
fore prayed that the hearing might be adjourned till the
afternoon. To this the Court assented, and conse-
quently the hearing was postponed till one o'clock.
We leam, however, that there is nothing alarming
in the state of Madame Laffarge, and that there is
every reason to hope that she will be able to sustain till
the List the arduous task she has yet to undergo. At
half-past one the hearing was resumed, and she took her
scat, attended by Dr. Yentejou, her physician. She
was pale, and suffering from a violent pain in her head,
to which she repeatedly applied her hand, but she ne-
vertheless retained all her calmness and self-possession.
The President delivered over to the Advocate-Ge-
neral some accounts given in by M. Buffieres, showing
the application made of 9.3,000 francs of the money
which M. Laffrarge had procured on the signature of
his wife. _ _ _

The Advocate• General commenced by asking the
prisoner whether she recollected having put anything
into the loft de polde and toast and water of her hus-

band ?

Madame Marie Laffrarge replied that she recollected
putting in some gum. She could not specify what
packet she took it from, as she had several.
The box delivered in by Mademoiselle Pouthier was
shown to her, and she acknowledged it to be hers.
Mademoiselle Pouthier also recognised the box, and
Fleigniat the packet of powder delivered over by him.
Mademoiselle Punchier, on a question From one of
the jurymen, said she believed the powder in the box to
be the same as when she took it. M. Deigniat also
believed the powder in the packet to be the same as
that which he saw on the night of the death of M.
Laffrarge, when his eyes were weak and his mind dis-
tressed.

The box and packet were then delivered to the che-
mists, who retired to ascertain the nature of their con-
tents ; and M. Dupuytren afterwards reported, in the
name of the commission, that they had dissolved a part
of the powder of the box in boiling water. When the
gum it contained was dissolved, they perceived a sedi-
ment of white powder at the bottom of the vessel, which
remained indissoluble. This solution was put into
Marsh's apparatus, and produced numerous metallic
arsenical incrustations, which were collected on a cap-
sule of porcelain, and which they now delivered over to
the Court. This solution had been treated with re-
actives, and manifested the presence of arsenical acid.
M. Dubois, on a question from theAdvocate-General,
whether the administration of peroxyde of iron would
absorb and neutralize arsenic in the stomach, replied
that it would depend on the degree of oxydation of the
oxyde employed. Since their report, they had learned
there was administered as an antidote some colchotard
by calcining to a red heat pure sulphate of iron. It
was possible that this oxyde of iron, which would be in
a state of peroxyde, might have become combined
th
the arsenical acid, and have formed an arseniate of iron,
insolluble and undecomposable by Marsh's apparatus.
In order to found their conviction on more certain bases
they had repeated upon the carbonated residium which
remained from their filtration all possible experiments,
but had not obtained any result.
Madamoiselle Pouthier was examined again at consi-
derable length.
Counsel on either side then addressed the Court,
after which,
Madame de Nicolai was called.
The Advocate-Genet al.—We now proceed to another
order of facts—the theft. of the diamonds imputed to the
prisoner.
Madame de. Nicolai (in a loud and sonorous voice)—
Gentleman, I have a very bad cold ; I fear I shall not
be heard.—(A laugh.) My daughter and I have been
summoned, and from respect for justice we have thoy-,;iit
it our duty to attend. Oa the other hand, it gas been
said that the defenders of Madame LafFa-rge intended
and I request leave
.3tnei
_ajoet
uimoadi,gehe dasat;oe withdraw.tpaarny
to produce here overwhelming prer.‘Ss against us. We
think we ought not to be called upon to give evidence,
formerly
ad ,
finere nf (ulos
ic:ddaer cft
de that,ete_
as
se
nAi\cite'at,edsraiwirnea
ewr dadsse
expense of the decree of the Court.
Madame do Nicolai then withdrew, and the Court
adjourned to the following day.
There are only twelve witnesses more to be beard for
the prosecution.
Baron Gantt has published a letter contradictine; the
statement that M. Foy, the matrimonial agent, had any-
thing whatever to do with bringing about the marriage
between Mademoiselle Marie Capelle and M. Laffarge,
who was. introduced to the Baron by a person holding a
distinguished station in society.

We have received a report of another day's proceed-
ings of the trial of Madame Laffarge, which is not yet
concluded. We can find room for no more than the
following paragraph :
A letter from Tulle of the 14th, at nine in the morn-
ing, says—" It is generally thought that nothing will
result from the experiments of Messrs. Orfila, Bussey,
and Oilivier (d'Angers). The skill of Messrs. Dubois and
Dupuytren,and the great care with which they condtyL;ei
their operations, seem to have removed all (1:2-,;nt. The
only thing which appears possible that arsenic may
Pr',-.-oxide of iron which was
be found on decomposing the
in the stomach of M. L?fiarge, but this is not con-
sidered probable. Mad acne Laffarge awaits with calm-
ness the result of tb-; experiments. The Lunilies of
oT't3'....d have left for Brives, where they
will remain
andaiti
o Lnti.
the trial for the diamonds, which had
;or the '2oth of this month ; but which can-
not been n
ov
fixed
.take place beforo December, in consequence of
the appeal to the Court of Cassation against the judg-
ment of the Tribunal of Tulle."

IRON STEAMERS.—Another iron steam-vessel
we understand is now nearly ready for launching at the
Iron Ship-building and Boilcr-rnsitine• Establishment of
length is I
Summers, Groves, and Day, at Northam; her
artistes,"lls feet between the perpendiculars, and 125 feet over all,
16 feet in beam, and 7 feet 9 inches in depth. The
beauty of her model is acknowledged by many
who have inspected her, and equally Si for her seagoing
appearance. The engines of 40. horse power, on the
oseellating principle, are nearly completed by the same
enterprising firm. We understand she is intended fcr the
passage between Southampton, the Isle of Wight, and
Portsmouth, and we prophecy may defy competition in
speed to any now afloat in the Southampton waters.
WORCESTER HOPS, SEPT. 16.—The first new
hops were offered in this market on Saturday, at 161. per
cwt., and fur which 131. was refused. The market was
dull, and a reduction was made upon the previous week.
Weighed—old, 37 pockets; new, 1. During the -.reek,
47. Th:ro are ofkrs against the duty paying 2001. I'rice.s
are about—for 1839'5, 112 s. to Si.; choice, 9/ —lB37's,
903. to 120 s. ; choice, 1235,—.4836's and 1835'5, 565. to
955.; choice, loos.