The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-15 00:00:00

CORONER'S INQUEST.

THE MARGATE SEA-BATEING INFIRMARY.-An in-
quest was commenced before Mr. Mills, on Wednesday,
the 30th September, at the Red House, College-street,
Chelsea, on the body of Elizabeth Cotton, aged 15,
daughter of Mr. Cotton, oilman, Chelsea, who died on
September 25th. The statements made on that occasion
involving certain charges against the treatment which
the deceased had received in the Royal Margate Sea-
bathing Infirmary, from whence she had been brought
shortly before her death, the inquest was adjourned for
the attendance of Mr. Field, the surgeon of that esta-
blishment.
Yesterday, at ten o'clock, the jury were re-assembled,
and the inquiry proceeded, Mr. Field, a nurse, and the
secretary of the infirmary, being present.
Mr. Cotton, oilman, 3, College-terrace, Chelsea, stated
that *deceased had been ill for a long time, and had been
sent to St. George's and the Wesminster Hospitals, and
Mr. Goodrich, surgeon, of Chelsea, recommended him
to get her admitted into the Margate Sea-bathing In-
firmary. His daughter was suffering from curved spine
and scrofulous habit. Witness obtained the admission
to the infirmary by a letter from the Duchess of Kent,
and paid ss. 9d. a week for expenses. Deceased re-
mained there till the 16th of September, when, as she
did not improve, she was brought home. The next day
after her return his wife told him she had discovered the
existence of a dreadful sore in her daughter's back, and
Mr. Goodrich was sent for to see her. After being at
home a week she sunk rapidly, and died on the 25th.
Mr. Francis Goodrich, surgeon, stated that on visiting
the deceased, on her return from Margate, she com-
plained of sores on her back, which she said arose in
consequence of a " bed-pan" being left under her for
three days and nights, being removed night and morn-
ing, and then replaced, while she was ill with diarrhoea,
notwithstanding that finding her back sore from the
pressure she had applied for its removal.
CORONER—This is not legal evidence unless the girl
knew she was dying.
Mr. Goodrich—I believe that was her firm impres-
sion, sir.
Mr. Goodrich read a statement (signed by himself
and Mr. Warder, another surgeon), stating, that on
post mortern examination they found all the organs of the
body perfectly healthy, and giving in detail the horrible
appearance of the sores. They considered the sores the
cause of death.
Mr. Alfred George Field, resident surgeon of the in-
firmary, stated that the deceased was admitted into the
establishment having curvature of the spine, with para-
lysis of the lower extremities. She was ordered a course
of bathing and tonics, and his attention was called to her
daily. Only knew of the sore existing a few days before
she left, and attributed it to the effects of her disease.
There is a water-bed in their establishment, but it is not
used. There is no air-bed. The mattresses are of straw ;
for as it is a summer establishment, their object is to
keep the patients cool.
Sarah Fagg, a nurse, stated that she acted under Mrs.
Perry, the head nurse. Remembered the deceased being
confined to her bed. She bad herself asked witness for
the bed-pan. This was placed in her bed, but was only
there twenty-four hours, during which time it was
moved two or three times. Witness covered the edges
of it with a linen cloth. At the end of the twenty-four
hours, observing a red mark on the girl's body, she re-
moved it, though against the wishes of deceased.
Mr. Mills, addressing the jury, observed upon the
very conflicting nature of the testimony. It was for the
jury to decide whether the sores were the cause of
death, and also whether they believed that they arose
from improper treatment.
The jury retired to consider their verdict, and in half
an hour returned the following :—" We find the cause
of death arose from the injudicious use of a bed-pan in
the Royal Margate sea bathing Infirmary, and we are
farther of opinion that there has been gross neglect on
to part of the surgeon and nurses of this institution."

A CHILD DROWNED IN A WASHING-TUB.—Yester.
day fbrenoon, an inquest was held before Mr. Wm.
Carter, at the Pitt's Head. Tavern, Grange-road, Ber-
mondsey, on the body of Samuel Robert Hodgkins, aged
eight months, whose friends reside at No. 10, Diamond-
street, Grange-road. It appeared from the evidence that
the pArents of the deceased were destitute. The de-
ceased, who was in good health, was left on the morning
of Monday on the bed, by its mother, while she went
out of the room, and on her return soon afterwards she
discovered the deceased lying head downwards in a
washing-tub, containing some dirty water, which had
beer carelessly left by the bedside. She raised the de-
ceas, ed up, but life was apparently extinct. A surgeon
was also called in, but all efforts to restore animation
were of no avail. The supposition is that the deceased
rolled off the bed while the mother was absent. The
jurv, after a few remarks in reference to the careless-
nest ; of the mother, returned a verdict of "Accidental
dea th."
A l POLICEMAN DANGEROUSLY STABBED ET MS
WII ,E.—Yesterday, shortly before two o'clock, Benjamin
Wood, City police constable 526, was sitting at dinner
witl i his wife, at their lodgings, Talbot-court, Grace-
chtn-ch-street, when some words arose between
them , which ended in the wife throwing with great
violence a sharply pointed table-knife, which struck
him in the neck, beneath the right ear. The
blood gushed forth profusely from the wound, and
the ,poor fellow rushed out to Mr. Smith's, surgeon,
to whom he stated that he had been stabbed by his wife.
Mr. Smith, finding that the wound was nearly an inch and
a half deep, and that the carotid artery had been in-
jured, instantly forwarded him to St. Thomas's Hos-
pital, where he now remains in an almost hopeless state,
arising chiefly from the loss of blood, as well as from
the dangerous nature of the wound, owing to the great
difficulty of uniting the artery. Immediately after the
occurrence the wife gave herself up at the station-house
Garlick-bill. Benjamin Wood is a mild inoffensive man,
and is deemed a very excellent officer ; he has been
ihd, and
at-
tachedse to the
washighly
force al
spmorseteeveetea both
ever since it
bywashis p
fi rssuteesrtiaobr;
well as his brother officers.

as . .• , . RE CONVICTS FOE VAN DIEMEN'S LAND..--The
M Government transport, has refitted at Dept-
'ling.-yard, and is ordered to drop down to
Dept-
Arabian,.dbViainelua- ' ' I)ockytud, Woolwich, t 0 receive 300 con-
her Majest3's •-
Clary, for a poop O• ,
' q will lie sent down from thi reniten-
victs on board, wu,
+ ' Van Diemen's Land.

'

THE SUPPLY OF C I
The prospect of the supply of cotton 's'
excite great interest and some anxiety in L
turing districts. The ground of this anxiet34l-§,ThittVa*-10
consumption of the article has been increasing more
rapidly than its production for the last three years, not-
withstanding the enormous crop. of 1844, and that there
is danger that the production will before long be insuffi-
cient to meet the present rate of consumption. Should
that prove to be the case, prices will of course rise until
the proper proportion between supply and demand has
been re-established.

On examining the return of the imports, exports, and
the consumption of all hinds of cotton in the port of
Liverpool, in the years 1844, 1845, and 1846, the follow-
ing are found to be the results:—
Import of cotton into Liverpool from the Ist January,
1844, to the 10th October, 1846:-
1844 1,490,968 bales
1845 1,650,763 „
1846 (to October 10) 1,051,348 „

Total import 4,193,079 „
Exports of cotton from Liverpool the same period:-
1844 84,200 bales
1845 82,500 „
1846 115,230 „

1844-
1845-
1846-

Total exports 281,930 „
Consumption in same period:-
1,311,088 bales
1,432,363 „
1,180,400 „

---
Total consumption 3,923,851
From total import 4,193,079 bls.
Deduct total c0n5umpti0n...3,923,851
Total export ......... 281,930

Excess of consumption and export
over import

4,205,181 „

12,102 ”

The estimated stock of cotton on hand was—
On the Ist Jan~ 1844
Ditto on Oct. 10, 1846
From the above figures it will be seen that the impor-
tation of cotton into Liverpool in the years 1844 and
1845, and, so far as it has gone, 1846, was not equal to
the consumption and export in the same period, although
the import of 1845 was the largest ever known, and that
we should now have been without any supply of cotton
in this port if it had not been for the remains of the great
American crop of 1843, which reached 2,379,000 bales,
or 279,000 bales more than the crop of 1845. The
general expectation is, that the stock on hand will be
considerably less at Christmas ; so that for the first time
since 1842 we are likely to commence the new year with
a stock of less than half a million bales. The stocks in
Liverpool at the close of each year, from 1841 inclusive,
have been-
-1841
1842
1843

1844
1845
_ _

It will be seen from the above figures that the con-
sumption in this and other countries is gaining very
rapidly on the production, and that without a decrease
of the former or an increase of the latter, the stocks will
be reduced to the lowest point before the end of 1847.
Under these circumstances every account of the pro-
bable yield of the present year's crop is looked for with
the greatest interest, and from the unfavourable tenour
of the accounts hitherto, with much anxiety.—Liverpool

DREADFUL EXPLOSION and LOSS

OF LIFE AT WALKER IRON WORKS.

NEWCASTLE- uroN. TYNE, T lIE SDAY.—A dreadful ex-
plosion occurred last night at the extensive iron works
of Messrs. Losh, Wilson, and Bell, situated on the
river Tyne, at Walker, about three miles below New-
castle. Three persons were killed, one by the force of
the explosion, and the other two by inhaling the impure
air before the explosion took place, and several others
have been seriously injured. The Walker iron works
are the most extensive in this district, and give employ-
ment to upwards of a thousand men. They comprise
the various processes of manufacture from the iron stone,
whence the ore is extracted, to the completion of the
mechanism for which it is designed. Two blast fur-
naces and four refineries are in continual operation. The
blast is produced by an air pump, worked by a steam-
engine of one hundred and twenty horse power, pump-
ing on an average 14,000 cubic feet of air per minute.
The blast is conducted from the blowing cylinder in
metal pipes to the various furnaces, the feeding pipe
being about six feet in diameter, and connected with
others of smaller dimensions, from which branch pipes of
still smaller bore extend to the fires. In order to
regulate the blast, a large receiver is placed in the
line of these pipes, which being filled with highly
condensed air, operates in producing a uni-
formity of action in the blast pipe during the return
stroke of the air-pump. There are two air-pumps on
the premises, one on the east and the other on the west
side of the boiler, and both communicating with it, but
for some time the pump on the west side has not been
worked, the other one, which has recently been erected,
being larger, and capable of doing all the work required.
The works cover fourteen or fifteen acres of ground, and
the pipes, therefore, are of considerable length. The
escape valve opens into a drain, communicating with the
river, as does also the privy for the use of the workmen,
the latter being in that part of the works west of the
reservoir above described. The accident appears
to have arisen from an accumulation of foul air in the
reservoir, and the pipes to the westward of it. It appears
that about six o'clock yesterday evening the men in the
works were alarmed by hearing groans issuing from the
privy, and one of the boys went down to see what was
the matter, when he was heard to utter a loud scream,
and fall down, almost immediately on reaching the bottom
of the stairs. This alarming circumstance brought
several of the workmen to the spot, and with much diffi-
culty the boy was dragged out, in a state of insensibility,
from which he was with difficulty recovered. A lamp
having been procured, it was ascertained that a man and
a boy were in the privy, and no doubt the groaning that
was heard proceeded from them. With great difficulty
both were drawn out, and the usual restoratives applied,
but without effect, as they were both dead. It was
judged that the impure air had proceeded from the
drain, into which it might have passed from the
blast pipes after having been generated in the furnace.
The pipes were accordingly examined. One branch
pipe that had been plugged was found with the plug out,
and the blast escaping from the orifice. The men tried
to close this opening, but they were not able on account
of the strength of the blast. Robert Rogers and Wil-
liam Short, two of the overseers, then caused the pump-
ing engine to be stopped, and they proceeded to the
reservoir in order to close the orifice of the pipe leading
from it to that portion of the works where the privy is
situated. They opened the man hole of the reservoir,
and Rogers was in the act of looking in, when a tre-
mendous explosion took place, the force of which carried
poor Rogers into the air, the height of nearly fifty feet,
and landed him on an eminence about twenty yards from
the place. He was literally shattered to pieces. His arm
was blown off, his head and face flattened, and dreadfully
disfigured ; and when gathered up, his body presented a
horrible mass of mutilated remains. Short was blown
some distance from the spot, and also much injured, but
he fortunately escaped the direct action of the explosion
The reservoir, which was of plate metal, three-six-
teenths of an inch in thickness, was blown to frag-
ments, which were sent with tremendous violence
in every direction, through the roofs of adjacent
buildings, knocking down walls, and everything
that obstructed their progress. One large piece of
metal plate was driven at least three hundred yards from
the place, and the windows in nearly every house in the
vicinity of the explosion were broken. The inhabitants
of the cottages adjoining the works, on hearing the
noise, rushed out of their houses, and a group had as-
sembled near some palings, where they stood a few mo-
ments surveying the scene of the disaster at the distance
of about 150 yards, when suddenly a massive metal plate
descended within a few feet of them on to one
,of the
posts of the paling with such violence that the wooden
post actually pierced the plate, which came to rest about
a foot from the ground, supported by. the fragments of
broken palings, and with the post sticking through it.
The men had no light near the reservoir, nor was there
any fire seen at the time of the explosion, which seems
to have issued from the orifice of the blast pipe as from
the mouth of a cannon. The end of the blowing cy-
linder was carried over the heads of the workmen in the
rolling mill to the opposite side of the building, where
it struck a man and broke his leg. Another fragment
struck a youth, and injured him severely. The rest
seem to have fortunately escaped. It is conjectured
that the explosion arose from the cause above described
—namely, the ignition of inflammable air in the pipes,
which it is supposed arose from the furnace, but that
has not yet been satisfactorily ascertained.
inquestas ea
oopnveid ofthewis ra
tahfetabodaioens,
and wasofthejar
unfortunateadoned
sufferersAn
was
day.

ALARMIN RISE.—We already knew the Duke of
Wellington was dear to his country. but we never ex-
Rented he would rise to such " a very large figure—
P. unch.
RAPID PASSAGE. ...The splendid iron clipper
schooner Prince of Wales, which left London on Friday
o'clock n Sunday v
morning,oc oat seven oe'celo:ikng,
,rtehaucshepderLfoeritmh arinhgtbhoeupraastsasgize
(a distance of nearly 500 miles) in the remarkably short
space of 47 hours.
The celebrated Greek General Kalergi, who so
admirably conducted the movement at Athens on the
15th of September, 1843, arrived in town on th© 10th
instant.
THE PROJECTOR or SOCIALISM.—Robert Owen
bus, returned again to the United States, having crossed
the Atlantic four times in less than six months Though
upwards of seventy-five years old, he is still as'enthll.
siastic as ever in the pursuit of his plans of reform.—
New York Tribune.
THE MODEL PRISON, CLERHENWELL.—This pri-
son, intended as a house of detention for untried_persons,
is to be ready for use by the commencement of the next
year.

NARROW ESCAPE.—Yesterday afternoon, as a
sailing barge named the Sarah Ann, William Jackson,
master, was proceeding down the river, and when off
the Parliament Houses, one of the crew named John
Keep fell overboard. The master instantly seized a
hitcher, and succeeded in catching hold of Keep, and
pulled him into the barge. It was found, however, that
the point of the hitcher had entered his shoulder,
inflicting a severe wound. He was conveyed 'ashore
in the boat, and from thence to the hospital, suffering
great pain. .
NEW RAILWAY PROJECT.—We understand thf,
surveys are about to be commenced of a proposed rail-
way from Colchester, by way of Nayland, Sudbury, and
Haverhill, to Cambridge,—Bury Herald.