The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-30 00:00:00

130,533.1ERM1P.62!..,...151.2.-^rhid.... -
N DON G
No. 16,700.
LO, MONDAI
E

ARTISTS' GENERAL BENEVOLENT
INSTITUTION.
For the Relief of Decayed Artists, their Widows and Orphans.
Instituted 1814. Incorporated by Royal Charter 1842.
Under the Immediate Protection of her Most Excellent Majesty
THE QUEEN.
PATRON—His Royal Highness PRINCE ALBERT, 'E.G.
VICE-PATRONS.
His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, K.G.
His Grace the Duke of Devonshire, K.G.
His Grace the Duke of Sutherland, K.G.
Most Noble the Marquis of Lansdowne, B.G.
Right Hon. the Earl of Shrewsbury
Right Hon the Earl of Dartmouth
Right Hon. Earl de Grey
Right Hon. Lord Lyndhurst
•
Sir John Swinburee, Bart.
Sir Thomas Baring, Bart.
Sir George Philips, Bart.
Wm. J. Denison, Esq., M.P.
Joseph Neeld, Esq., M.P.
Jesse Watts Russell.
PRESIDENT—Sir MARTIN ARCHER SHEE, 2.11. A.
VICE-PRESIDENTS.
Sir Robert Smirke, ILA. Thomas Uwins, Esq., R.A.
Sir Richard Westmacott, R.I. B. Bond Cabbell, Esq.
C. R. Cockerell, Esq , R.O. William Briickendou, Esq.
George Jones, Esq., R.A. J. H. Mann, Esq.
J. P. Deering, F,sq., R.A. Sir William C. Ross, R.I.
The Nobility, Friends, and Subscribers are respectfully iniormed
that the THIRTY-FIRST ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL will be
celebrated in FREEMASONS' HALL, 011 SATURDAY, the 4th of
April next,
WILLIAM BICKFORD COLLETT, Esq., M.P., in the Chair.

OTERIRD/1.
E. J. Jones, Esq.
T. M. Joy, Esq,
Thomas Longman, Esq.
G. B. Lonsdale, Esq.
R. C. Lucas, Esq.
F. Newenham, Esq.
H. Wyndham Phillips, Esq.
Sydney Smirke, Esq.
W. B. Sarsfield Taylor, Esq.
Henry Wilkin, Esq.
r. Tickets 1/. Is. each, to be had
, Honorary Secretary, 60,
Secretary, 14, Osnaburgh-street,

Sir W. C. Ross, R.A.
Thomas Webster, Esq., R.I.
H. Tindal Atkinson, Esq,
Thomas Boys, Esq.,
Thos. Sydney Cooper, Esq., I.R.A.
N. J. Crowley, Esq., R.H.A.
Francis Hanby, Esq., O.R.J.
Henry Farrer, Esq.
James Holland, Esq.
Thomas H. Illidge, Esq.
Dinner on Table at Six precisel
of the Stewards ; of William Nic(
Pall-mall ; and of the Assistant
Regent's-park.

IN ROPER, Assistant-Secretary,

CAUTION TO PRINTERS.—AR persons
making use of conical rollers for printing in colours, or
otherwise infringing on Mr. THOMAS DE LA RUE'S Patent for
Improvements in Printing, are cautioned, that proceedings will bo
taken against all parties so infringing.
Licenses are granted by the Patentee, 110, Bunktll-row.

LITHOGRAPHY. 1
MESSRS. MACLURE, MACDONALD, and
MACGREGOR, General Lithographers, beg to call attention
to a peculiar feature In their system of conducting basiness, namely,
their having a large and permanent staff of Assistants, In all the
varied departments of the Art on the premises ; which arrangement,
they submit, gives a force and effect to immediate production, un-
attainable by other means, and which is obviously of great advantage
to those who may require their serviees, Independent altogether of
the excellency of their work.
London Establishnient, Saville •house, 6, Leicester-square ; Liver-
pool Establishment, Is, Penwiek-street ; Glasgow Establishment,
67, Buchanan-street.
Tacancies for two Pupils; one la the Writing, the ether in the
Artistical Department.

DESTRUCTIVE ACCIDENT AT
THE ALBION MILLS.
On Thursday morning last, an accident, by which for-
tunately no personal injury was caused, occurred at the
Albion Mills, Gaythorn, which see- now worked under
the int,pectorship of Mr. Miarsden; 'Mr. Glasgow, and
Mr. Peet, as inspectors for the estate of the late Mr.
Thomas Gough. About ten minutes before eight o'clock
that tn. orning, the main upright shaft, in thoeseeond or
ground finite of the mill, brake in two at the neck, close
to the collar ; and the steam-engine 'being; thus freed
from the whole weight of the nittehieery which it has to
keep in motion, the large fly-wheel, which is sbout seven
yards in diameter, began to revolve with immense velo-
city. The rim of this wheel consists of eight cast-iron
segments of a circle, each nbsut eight or nine feet in
length, twelve inches broad, and six inches in thickness,
and weighing about half a ton. These were *firmly
bolted tog,ther, and stayed with very strong thick east-
iron spokes. Such, however, was the velocity with
which this great bulk and weieht of iron was made to
revolve, that, by centrifugal force, the segments were
torn asunder, and thrown outwards with terrific force.
They tore away portions of the brickwork surrounding
the wheel ; and one of them was hurled upwards, and,
striking the main steam pipe in its course, broke it in
two, and thus fortunately cut off the source of motion.
It then passed through the stair window, a height of 16
or 18 feet from the floor, and fell outside in Trumpet-
street. Fortunately no one was passing at the time, or
this heavy projectile, striking them, must have caused
instant death. Another of the tegments struck a corner
of the wall which divides the engine-house from the
boiler-house, with such force that, although it is a four
teen inch wall, of great solidity, it was rent in several
directions, and fissures are visible on the opposite side.
The other segments struck varioue:parts of the engine.
house, and made its • interior a ceteplete wreck. TWo
cast-iron pillars, of considerable ,thickness, which sup-
port the engine, were both-, I.e.'eri:eleel:ally broken in two,
at diffsietit "heights ; and the spring beam s;rii. also
broken. Some of the stone stairs, leading to the upper
part of the boiler-house, were tern from their setting,
and broken in pieces. No one was in the engine house
at the time ; the engineer having gone to the boiler-
house. Had he been in the engine-house, it is possible
that he might have shut off the steam, and so have pre-
vented the destructive consequences ; but, had he failed
to do this, and remained in the engine-house, he must
inevitable have been killed. With the exception of the
parts mentioned, it is not believed that the engine is
very materially injured ; but when we visited the place
the cylinder was still too hot to allow of internal exami-
nation.' The main beam of the engine is not broken;
and the boiler is perfectly sound. It was fortunate that
there was a strong cross-beam between the middle and
upper floors of the engine-house, which supported the
supporting beam of the engine, otherwise, when the two
upright pillars were broken, the whole of .that part of
the building must have fallen. It is stated that the
whole of the mischief, from the breaking of the shaft
to the stopping of the engine, was done in two minutes
or less. Of course, as soon as the steam-pipe was
broken, the engine diminished its speed of working, and
soon stopped altogetln r.
This untoward accident immediately brought the
whole of the operations of the mill to a close; and, till
the damage is repaired, which cannot be done in less
than a fortnight, or probably three weeks, upwards of
360 hands are thrown out of employment.
We have not been able to ascertain what was the
immediate cause of the breaking of the shaft. It is
nine inches in diameter, of east-iron, and we under-
stand that the shaft add boxing were put, new into
the mill about four years ago. Mr. William Bowman
has examined the iron at the fracture, and he states
that it has every appearance of good sound iron.
The engine, which is of seventy-five horses' power, and
which was made by Messrs. Bothwell and Hick, of
Bolton, in 1817, was working as usual from six o'clock
in the morning, and there was nothing unusual observed
before the breaking of the shaft. The fracture shows a
bright and granular appearance ; so that there is no
reason to suppose that it was in part an old fracture ;
nor is there appearance, so far as we could see, of any
flaw in the metal. It has been suggested that if there
had been an extra governor, it would have instantly shut
off the steam on the weight of the machinery being re-
moved, and that the great mischief would then have
been prevented. It is at present impossible to ascertain
exactly the amount of damage done to the action parts
of the engine. The most remarkable thing, under the
circumstances, and what strikes every one who has seen
the place, is, that so much destruction of property
should have been the work of a few seconds, and that
not the slightest injury to limb or life should have been
caused by such a terrific outbreak of mechanical force.
On inquiry last evening, we learned that the interior
of the cylinder had not been examined ; but there was
no reason to anticipate that any damage had been sus-
tained by the engine beyond that noticed above. We
also learn that
the engineer, at the moment when the
shaft broke, was in the fire place, and, seeing the engine
working at so furious It rate, he dared not venture into

Titetr:nmrirrnlnEt `;4-utastanee,C6lfibined witn
the segment of the fly wheel going through the window,
it was at first supposed in the neighbourhood that it was
a boiler explosion.—Manchester Guardian.