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

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, Gsythorn, which are no* worked under
the inspectorship of Mr. Marsden, Mr: Glasgow, .and
Mr. Peet, as inspectors for _the estate of the late 'Mr.
Thomas Gough. About ten minutes before eight o'clock
that-morning, the main upright shaft, in the se'ond or
groUnd floor of the mill, broke in two at the neck, close
to the -collar ; and the steam•engine being thus freed
from the whole weight of the machinery which it hes to
keep in motion, the large fly-wheel. which is about seven
yards in diameter, began to revolve with immense velo-
city. The rim of this wheel consists (,f eight eastiron
segments of a circle, each about eight er nine feet in
length, twelve inches broad, and six holes in thickne,•.,7,
and weighing about half a ton. These Were fire*:
bolted together, and stayed with very strung thick ces'-
'iron spokes. Such, however, was the velocity with
which this great bulk and weight of iron was matle.to
revolve,- that, by ter trifugal force, the segments were
torn asunder, and thrown outwards with terrific force.

They tore away portions of the brickwork surroUndirg
the wheel ; and one of them was buried upwards, and,
striking the main steam pipe in its c,:urse, broke it in
two, and thus fortunately cut off the source of motion.
It then passed through the stair window, a height of It;
or 18 feet from the floor, aid All outside in Trumpet-
street. Fortunately no one was passing at the time, or
this heavy projectile, stiking them, must have .causal
instant death. Another of the ser.,tnents struck a corner
of the well which divide:: the engine-house from thie
boiler•;touse, with such force that, although it is a four-

teen ia h wall, of great solidity, it was rent in several
direct e,s, and fissures are visible on the opposite side.
The 0: er segments :truck various parts of theengine-
house, and made its interior a complete wreedei --Two
cast-iron pillars, of considerable- thickness, which sup-
port the engine, were both horizontally broken in two,
at different heights ; and the spring beam was alse
broken. Some of the stone stairs, leading to the upper
part of the boiler-house, \sere tern from their settiug,
and broken in pieces. No one was in the engine house
at Vee 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 consrquences ; 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 ti-,at the engine is
very materially injured; but when we eis.itedahe 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 crossbeam hetiveen the middle and
' upper floors of the engine-house, WWII supported the
supporting beam of the engine, othervviSe :When the two
upright pillars were broken, the whole 'Orthat 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 minntes .
or less. Of course, as anon as the steam•pipe was -e
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 t 0 a close; and; till
the damage is repaired, which cannot b 6 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 and 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. Rothwell 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 hasi 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 a rate, he dared not venthre into
the engine-house, but ran into the boiler-house, and blew
off the steam; from which circumstance, combined with
the segment of the fly- wheel going through the window,
it was at. first supposed in the neighbourhood that-it was
a boiler explosion.—Manclester Guardian.

DREADFUL AFFAIR at RUNCORN.
'On Tuesday, the 17th instant, a dreadful accident occurred
at the limeworks of Mr. John Tomkinson, the eminent con •
.tractor, which are situated near the Pool, Runcorn. From
the best evidence obtained on the spot the misfortune hap-
pened under the following circumstances:— William Edwards
had the entire management of the kilns. which are five in
number, they are each covered over by a large brick chim-
ney, commonly called "the funnel," which rises above the
bead about 45 feet, and is constructed for the aurpose of
carrying off the smoke and sulphur, to prevent annoyance to
the inhabitants in the immediate neighbourhood. At the
bottom of the funnel every kils has a doorway thronah
which it is supplied with stone and coke, and a sttme or .
platform connects all together. The manager lived at a
cottage in the vard, and was assisted by his son and
two youths. About four o'clock in the afternoon he went
into his house to tea, the centre kiln being on a red glow
with heat.. He and the others had previously been
"tiring up," and they left a barrowful of broken stones on
the stage at the doorway, ready to be added to the burn-
ing mass as soon as the fire had got through its pre- -
sent covering. One of the youths, }tamed John Car-
ruthers, was left on the stage, and Edwards desired him
not to do anything to the kiln till he had finished tea.
Whilst he was sitting at it with his wife and family, his son,
who, as previously stated, worked on the premises, ran in to
say that, missing Carruthers from the stage, he called, and
received no answer, he went up, and found him burning in
the kiln; Edwards ran with a short ladder to deceased to
snatch him from .the burning flames, the workpeople assist-
ing. In this humane act poor Edwards was unsuccessful,
for, graSping Carruthers with oue hand, he tried to ascend the
ladder; but, himself being dreadfully burnt, the sulphur and
fumes overpowered him, and he fell with his dyinr, burden
into the awful abyss. Assistance being not collected, prin-
cipally by the appalling screams of the awe-stricken spccta •
tors, a man who worked at the eoapery of Messrs. Johnson,
named Levi Knowles, generously volunteered to go down, by
having a ropelastened round his middle, and to tie the one
or other of the sufferers, and so by that means to have them
dragged out. He boldly sprang in, and a few seconds of
breathless anxiety elapsed before the signal was given
to haul up, but the flames had consumed the rope and
it snapped, the greatest difficulty being experienced to
get Knowles out alive. Richard Linaker, with a chain, at-
tempted then, but the sulphurous smoke and stench soon
caused him to become insensible. David Carruthers, father
of the youth John Carruthers, and foreman at Mr. Tomkin-
son's quarries called " the Duke's," at Runcorn, arrived, and
the scene, which before was dreadful, now became more so,
frOm the force required to prevent Carruthers from jumping
inheadlong for the young man. • All hope of getting either
of the sufferers out 'alive being now at art end, drags were
thrown in, and the remains of poor Edwards and the youth
Carruthers were pulled out, two scorched, blackened, lifeless
cinders. Knowles and Linaker still continued in a very pre-
carious state, but through the medical assistance of Mr.
Wilson, surgeon, who was early on the spot, and the kind-
ness of the neighbours, they partially recovered so as to be
able to get home with help. It is not known how Carru-
thers fell in, but it is generally supposed, whilst eating a lit-
tle meat while the two others were at tea, he must have set
on the barrow, and either fallen asleep or the barrow cap-
sized. Edwards was a steady man, and had been in the em-
ploy of Mr. Tomkinson 22 years. Ile has left a widow and
numerous family.
On Thursday last an inquiry into the cause of the distress-
ing catastroplie was held before Mr. J. Caldwell, coroner of
Halton Fee,- and after a patient investigation of the melana
' choly facts, the jury brought in a verdict of " Accidental
death fromburning.;''
Mr. Tomkinson arrived at Runcorn on Friday, and marked
the manner he appreciated poor Edwards' faithful and long
servitude by soothing the widow's sorrows, and substantially
her present distress. The Rev. James Cox, incum-
bent of Holy Trinity, has also with others been unremitting
C,.!.ir attention and kindness to the bereaved families.

_____—_— - ----,---
pieces most applauded were
GOTT-lA.—The Duke of Coburg's (brother of Prince
Albert) opera of Zaire, founded on Voltaire's tragedy, has
Zaire, the duo between Zaire and
The
anc in
theim l t
it
nwt i
wai t,oht 1 greatt i
oisl
fua csoc r
oeos
fss .7 n
the first act, and the finale of
the second and third nets, both being encored. .
elN'ilh tilleUllY EVENING.--It is now expected,
i were received at the Castle this morning
frontrNn V
itown, c°thtißoat au important change has taken place in the arrange-
ments which had been previously determined upon with reference to
the accouehement of her Majesty. it is now stated, however, to be
the general impression that her Majesty has revolved upon remaining
at Buckingham Pa'acc,
THE ARMY.—The augmentation of the 10th Hussars
instead of Windsor, during that period.
has been completed, and the gallant regiment will proceed to our
()dental dominions with a considerable additional strength. The sth
Dragoons arrived at York on Wednesday, relieving the 10th Hussars,
who proceeded to Canterbury en route to Gravesend, for embarka-
tion. The 17th Lancers relieved the sth at Nottingham, and it is
understood that the 11th Hussars, ou their arrival in England, will
move to the latter town, when the 17th will proceed to Ireland.
Thenni etraledon, on account of his late marriage, has retired from
the Coldstream Guards, which he joined in 1533. Lord Dunkellin,
uis of Clauriearde, has joined this corps. Ne
Sim c. NArmit's ARMY.—From Lower Scinde we
learn that the 12th Bombay Infantry, with Forster's and Brett's
eldestis bu but nineteen ot
efe then y . earslin rqvf age.
le dteries, nod some European sappers stud ?dinars, marched from
i.t,,terabad on the morning of the IWI of January, and expected to
reach hopes about the Ist of February. Important dispat,hcs f.,:at
the Governor-General to Sir Charles Nal.!er lanai throu;4ll il;-(terA-
lot Oil the night of the 13th. Per Majesty's 17111 Foot, art t the lith
Bomb.iy Infantry, had marched front 3: urrachee ; :Ind the :id and
4th regiments were hourly expected there. The at CjillerS l'Ot limo].
Ito llo:Wgil without Cyril putting their tires cut. The Lower `troll,'
force, now on the move upwards, eonist Of Capt. Rowland's troop CI
florse Artillery, with Brett's, Forstees, and (laterite's it and ti-poun-

. •
der batteries, besides the heavy guns (10 ail IS-P,Aulder% two 8-
inch howitzers, with mortars, &r.), her Majist3's 17th and sGth
Foot, and the ith, 12111, 13.1, 171 h, and 18th 'Regiments lionihay
Native Infantry, to which it is said the 00111 Rifles and -Bombay
Fusileers will shortly he added. it is now pretty well known
at Slikkur that the Gth and 7th Light Cavalry, the 21 liuropeaus, the
15th and 69th Native Infantry, Nth h all the Ar.illery ibenth :nett,
will join the Lower Sinde for.:c at liorcc f.", ,m Sukkur and Shikar-
pore, and make the army nearer 15,0011 than 10,000 men. The Gth
LiAlit Cavalry reached in one day from Shikarpore, and proceeded
at once to cross the river ()tithe 20th of January. The 15th were to
cross on the 21st, and the,2d Entopeans on the 92(1.• The head-
quarters of her Majesty's 86th root (moving up by steam) were ex-
pected aboatt the 28th (this day).
has boon appointed field engineer‘-ilvV'otrht%aint,iteht= osfiGr lcmhteeio,6
Napier was net to leave Karrachee till the 25th. Jt was also known
at Sukkur, that the 4th Bengal Native Infantry and Captain Smith's
Battery were still halted at Suhzulkote, and had on the 18th been
joined by Captain Jacob's Sinde Horse. We are happy to learn that
it was not an European ofilccr who was killed at the attack of the
baggage boats of the 14th, but t 1 Subadar, witti4icSepoY. The num-
ber of boats captured is stated to have been six. FouV escaped. A
report prevailed at Sukkur that the Governor of :NI ooltan bad sent In
offers of submission, but we arc inclined not to trust in its authen-
tieity.--Del/a Gazele, J 1 u. 31.