The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-15 00:00:00

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THE DREADFUL CATASTROPHE
IN PIMLICO. •
INQUEST ON THE BODIES.—(THIS DAY)
The inquest on the bodies of the unfortunate men
who met their death by entering the foul sewer in
Warwick-street, Pimlico, was held this afternoon at
the Clarendon Tavern, Pimlico, before Mr. Bedford,
the Coroner for Westminster, and a jury of respect-
able householders residing in the immediate neigh-
bourhood of the occurrence. The inquiry naturally
attracted a large concourse of people to the tavern,
but a strong body of police were in attendance to
preserve order, and none but those who were engaged
on the inquisition or] in some way connected with
the deceased individuals, were allowed to enter the
room where the investigation was gone into.
Shortly after one o'clock, twenty.four gentlemen
were summoned and sworn on the jury, to inquire
how and by what means Henry Wells, John Walsh,
Thomas Gee, Daniel Peart, and John Attwoodi came
by their deaths.
Mr. Davies having been unanimously chosen
foreman,ithe jury at once proceeded to view the bodies;

after which
Mr. William Richard Wells, chemist and druggist,
of 31, London-street, Fitzroy-square, identified the
first body as that of his brother, who was a surgecn,
33 years of age.
Mr. Inspector Russell, of the B division, identified
the second as being the body of police-constable 169,
who was only 21 years of age when
of fe
entered
Morris Kholer, labourer, of 6, Compton street,
div
the force in June last.
Soho, identified the third as the body of a carpenter,
aged 34, who had been a fellow-labourer of his in the
employ of the Commissioners.
Daniel Peart, a cordwainer, identified the fourth
body as that of his son, aged 22, who bad been a
flushing labourer.
George Attwood, fireman, of 26, Wilton-streets
identified the fifth and last body as that of his sons
also a flushing labourer, aged 29.
Morris Kholer, a flushing labourer, was then called
and sworn. He stated that he saw Gee, Peart, and
Attwood enter the sewer in Warwick-street on Friday
morning about half-past five. They appeared to him
to be in perfect health, and quite sober. They had a
lantern with them, and in answer to a question he
put to them, they said they hoped to complete their
work in the course of the day. He was:a fewer watch-
man, in the employ of Mr. Humphries, of Chelsea, the
contractor of the:Pimlico sewers' work. He was re-
lieved at six o'clock on Friday morning by a day
watchman, and he had not seen the men who entered
the sewer since the time he had mentioned.
Edward Jordan, a sewer labourer, residing in
Bloomsbury-market, deposed to the opening of the
sewer, in Warwick-street, on Thursday evening,
about six o'clock, but he could not smell anything.
He did not go down, but on looking into the sewer
he saw that there was about a foot and a half of water
in it. Gee, Peart, and Attwood were engaged with him
on the work, and on examining the sewer they deter-
mined not to go down that evening. Soon afterwards
he was relieved by the last witness, and he saw no
more of the sewer till the next morning at about ten
minutes past six, when he again went on duty. He
asked the last witness, who had been on night duty,
if the men had gone down, and wag told that
they had been down since ten minutes past
five. Accordingly at breakfast time he hol-
loaed down to them to come up, but he
could get no answer, and therefore he went to
a neighbouring grating and again holloaed out
Hill ; still there was no answer, and becoming rather
alarmed be went to Christmas, the bricklayer en-
gaged on the work, and told him the men had been
down since half-past five and had not been up again.
At half-past one he was joined by a fellow-labourer,
to whom he observed, " These men have
been down since half-past five o'clock and
have not been up again. It is rather
strange, as this is pay-day.". was done
till about half-past three, when he was joined by
Magrath, another labourer, and a wide grating or
entrance to the sewer was opened, On looking in he
saw the clothes of the men, but it being his duty to
watch the opening in Warwick-street, he returned to
that spot. About five o'clock Carter, the time-
keeper,; came to him. He said, " This is a very
serious thing, there has been three men down
since five o'clock this morning, and they have not
been up since. lam only a labouring man, and I
don't know how to act in the matter." Carter replied,
" Well, I should advise you to keep the hole open, as
Christmas is coming." While they were talking in
his way Christmas, the bricklayer, and Farmer, his
man, came up, and went down the hole. They were
down about an hour, when they returned to the hole
and called out,." Don't make a noise:; don't create any
alarm ; we have got our hands on the dead bodies.'
They then came up and having procured assistance
they began digging in different parts of the sewer,
but it was not until four o'clock the next morning
that the bodies were got out: He then saw the bodies
of George Peart and Attwood brought up through
the second hole that had been dug and carried to the
Clarendon Tavern, where they were undressed and
washed. He did not smell anything offensive at any
of the holes.
By the Jury—He_ was not employed by the
Commissioners of Sewers, but by 111 r. Humphries,
their contractor. Christmas was a bricklayer in
the employ of Humphries. Christmas and Turner
were the first who went down the sewer after the
alarm had been given. It was about five o'clock on
Friday afternoon. They were down about an hour,
when they came back and said they bad put their
hands on the dead bodies.
William Christmas, bricklayer, of 6, Portland-
street, Wandsworth-road, stated that he had recently
been in the employ of Humphries and Co., contractors of
Chelsea, and frequently had been employed in opening
all sorts of sewers. Some of them were very foul
indeed, containing a large amount of deposit, but
although he had beard a good deal of the danger of
opening those sewers, he had never felt any fear at
engaging in the work. On Thursday evening he saw
Gee, Peart, and Attwood at the hole they had opened
in Warwick street ; Gee wanted to :go down,
but the others thought it had better be delayec
till the following morning, and they went away home.
On the Tuesday morning, about eight o'clock, he
was near the spot again, when Jordan, the last wit-
ness, told him that the men were down, and in the
course of the day he received toe.)ititorma-tion that
they bad not come up from time to time,
bat he was not surprised at this, as on
the previous day he had heard the men
say that the work in the sewer would
occupy them till: four o'clock. Towards five
o'clock the became somewhat alarmed, and finding
that Jordan fancying that the men might have got out
at some other entrance, was about to fill up the hole
in Warwick-street, he told him not to do so. Soon
afterwards he was joined by Christmas, and
having received lamps, they went down the
sewer. They passed along the various branch-
ing sewers, and saw by the chalk marks. and
splashes on the wall that the men had
passed that way. There was about two feet of
deposit in the sewer. Resuming their search they
at length came to one of the bodies. Ile thought it
was Gee. Looking farther on they saw a second.
They were lying in the sewer with their faces down-
wards. On discovering this they returned to the
hole in Warwick-street and told Jordan not to make
a noise, but to get them a rope, adding that they had
seen the bodies. The bodies were lying about
200 or 300 feet from the hole in Warwick-
street, but he could perceive no bad
smell. On their return to the hole they found Mr.
Wells, the surgeon, and others, waiting ; and after
consulting together, they set to work making an
opening in another part of the sewer. When the
opening was effected the doctor was sent for, and he
immediately came. The doctor, a man named Allsop,
and himself, agreed to go down. Allsop went first,
the doctor afterwards, and he followed. When they
had got about 100 yards in, Allsop called out that he
could go no further, and they turned round to get out
again. Immediately afterwards the doctor fell down
en his face, and on looking back he saw Alsop hur-
riedly crossing the body of the doctor. Alsop rushed
by him, saying he could stand it no longer, and he
turned round with the intention of lifting the doctor
vp, but no sooner had he done so than he fell down,
and from that time he remembered nothing till he
came to after being rescued.
By the Jury—The bodies were about fifty yards
from the opening. Their heads were towards the
opening, and from that circumstance he concluded
that the men were returning when they fell. There
was nothing unusual in the smell of the sewer. He
had repeatedly been down sewers before, and the
that
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smell of these was like that he had experienced before.
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men who have been in a sewer all day," and being
urged by motives of curiosity he repaired to the spot
He found the last witness and others in consultation
about the matter, but they appeared all at a loss what
to do. A little boy, however, who was standing by
said he knew where the outlet of the sewer was in the
fields, as he remembered its being bnilt, and if they
would go with him he would point out the
spot. They accordingly went, and the sewer
was broken open, but the stench emitted
was so horrible that they could not go near the spot.
When the smell had partially subsided Mr. Wells, the
surgeon, said he would go in search for the poor
fel.ows, and if there was a spark of life in them he
would bring them out, and apply his luncet to them.
Alsop then entered the sewer, followed by Wells, who
bad borrowed a boy's cap), and Christmas, but
they bad scarcely been in three minutes before he
heard a splash. Allsop then came back and said