The Sun.
London, England, 1851-05-20 00:00:00

N°.18,301
r
LONDON, TITESDAIL.
,
„
• • . MAY 20. 1851.
•,. 7

NATIONAL LOAN FUND LIFE AND
EQUITABLE FIRE INSURANCE COMPANIES
26, CORNIIILL, LONDON.

f*T. LAMIE MURRAY, Eaq., Chairman.
*W. A. R. Bennett, Esq. • *John Eawson, Esq.
•Hugh Croft, Esq. *John Shaw, Esq.
tElliotson, M.D„ f*Edmund S. Symes, Esq.
*Ralph Gough, Esq. t*Clement Tabor, Esq.
*M C. Maher, Esq. f Joaeph Thompson, Esq.
*John Moes, Esq. t*Augustus Vigne, Esq•
AUDITOR.
fProkssor Wheat, tone, F.A.S.
PHYSICIAN.
jJ. Ellotson, M.D„ F.R.S„ 37, Conduit-street.
susami.
t6E. S. Symes, Esq., 77, Grosvenor-street, Grosvenor-square.
ACTUARY.
t*R. S. B. Woolhouse, Esq., F.R.A.S., &O.
SECRETAJ3.Y.
*D. T. Lyons Clanchy, Esq.
SUPERINTENDENT.
*W. A. Hawkins, Eaq.
BANMEES.

t4mes3rs. Glyn, Hallif.ix, Mills, and Co., 67, Lombard-street.

SOLICITORS,

•Aresurs. Su,ton, Evens, Omni:Laney and Prudence, 6, Basinghall•
street.
*W. Tatham, Esq., 22, Throgmorton-street.
NATIONAL LOAN FUND LIFE OFFICE.
CAfITAL-500,000/.

The WITHDRAWAL TABLE of the Society affords to the As-
sured the greatest possible present and prospective advantages that
can be conferred by Life Assurance. On this Table the Assured is
entitled, at any time, to receive at interest an immediate advance,
to the extent of one-half the amount of tho paid annual Premiums,
without security, personal liability, or deposit of the Policy, but by
simple endorsement thereon ; or the half Premium may be with-
held during the whole continuance of the Policy. Also, in the
event of the Assured at any time not requiring to continue the
Policy, on its surrender one-half of the annual payments will be
returned by the Society.
Lapsed Policies may be renewed without fine, on proof of health
and payment of arrears of Premium without interest.
Notices of Assignment of Policies registered and acknowledged,
so as to make them available as securities in the hands of
third 'parties.
Pico Entrance Fees or any other charge beyond the Policy Stamp.
The present nnual income of the Society from Premiums is
63,0001.; toe amount covered by the Policies of the Society is
1,781,5801.; and the reserved profit, applicable to future bonus to
the Assured, amounts to 82,4541. ss. 6d. At the last annual inves-
tigation, reported in May, 1850, the bonuses declared to the As-
sured were, the option of a return of 15 per cent. on their Premiums
In cash, or a reversionary addition to the original sum assured by
each Policy varying from 20 to 63 per cent.
EXAMPLES OF BONUSES ALREADY DECLARED.

NEW WOIIK ON STRICTURE AND SPERMATORRIBEA.
Just published, Svo., in cloth, price Is. 6d., by post (free), 45.,
A TREATISE on the CURE of STRICTURE
rik. of the URETHRA. ; containing the True Reasons why that
Diseas,, so often assumes such an intractable character; with Rules
and Instructions for the successful Treatment of every Form of
Urethral Contraction, based on the results of extensive and pro-
longed experience. To which is added, Practical Observations on
the Treatment of Spermatorrheea by Cauterization.
By F. B. COURTENAY,
"Those who complain most loudly are those only who know not
how to use the common instruments. . • • • The prac-
tice of surgeons has been marked with all kinds of violenea, and in-
difference about the simple cure of diseases, and a passion for
operations, and all the excesses and horror of surgery."—John Bell.
11. Bailliere, 219, Regent-street, London.

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:I 1:1 811 4 4
Colchestbr • 21 43 236 43 24 200
Harwich • -41 i 15 1049
Leigh 3l7j 9 I 38 10
11aleton

THE FATAL CATASTROPHE IN GRACE.

CHURCH-STREET.
Early yesterday morning the Commissioners of the
City Police received instructions from the legal officers
of the Corporation to take possession of the ruins, and
the remaining standing portion of Messrs. Bell and Cur-
bet's premises in Gracechurch-street, until they had
undergone thorough inspection by surveyors and other
competent persons appointed for the purpose. This
order was immediately carried into effect. A body
of constables cleared every person off the property; all
access to it was closed, and no one was permitted beyond
the barriers under any circumstances, except those in-
structed to inquire into the cause of the accident.

At three o'clock in the afternoon the inquiry com-
menced. There were present Mr. Alderman Lawrence,
a builder; Mr. Cubitt, M.P., the newly elected alderman
for Langbourne Ward; Mr. Montague, the City sur-
veyor; Mr. Woodthorpe, Mr. Stephens, the district sur-
veyor; Mr. Tress, and several others. There were also
present Mr. Bell, of Pope's Head-alley, one of the
proprietors of the property ; his assistant architect;
and the superintendent of the works. From a
plan of the various floors and the works in general
much information was gleaned regarding the true de-
scription and character of the building. As the public
are cognizant of the magnitude of the erection, it is ne-
cessary to state that there was not a wooden beam in the
whole structure. Each of the 140 apartments in the
place was made fireproof, the flooring and ceiling being
composed of twelve inches work of solid cement. These
were supported by iron joists, or girders, each 16 feet
long, and nearly 40 cwt. in weight. There could not
have been less than 3,000 of them, besides other girders
of almost three times their weight, imbedded in the
walls, on which the smaller were tied or secured. These
large beams were " locked" to the main walls by bolts
running through and rivetted on the outer side. Con-
sequently, the whole fabric may be said to have been
tied together like a spider's cobweb. Many expressed
surprise that the entire place was not dragged to the
ground, but the only portion that fell was the centre
(about fifty feet by forty);, the frontage in Gracechurch-
street, and the portion abutting on Ball's-court, Lein-
bard-street, remaining entire. The frontage has not
bulged out as represented; the surveyors, it is said, con-
sider it perfectly safe. Along the whole length of the
four floors ran passages, the doors to the chambers being
on each side of them. These were gained by two flights
of stairs, one about the centre of ithe building, and the
other at the western extremity.
It was in the centre one where the mischief com-
menced. Here were four immense girders, each two
tons weight, nearly twenty fest long, fixed across the
staircase, opening on a well-hole, on each of the four
floors, the ends bearing in the walls, and lockei to the
longitudinal girders. They were intended to support
the stone steps and part of the flooring of the passages;
but this part of the work had not been commenced. Tee
one that broke, and produced the fearful cansequences
so much lamented, was the uppermost on the fourth
floor. It had been fixed some days, and the walls had
been carried up to tho height required to receive the
roof. According to Mr. Bell's statement to the City
surveyors he saw it perfect on Saturday morning, when
he went over the works with Mr. King, the superin-
tendent, and found everything apparently safe and pro-
gressing to his satisfaction.
An attempt was made to discover the cause of the
girder breaking. This was found impracticable, as the
broken fragments lay embedded in the ruins. The
people employed on the works say they are confluent
there was no weight on the girder to cause it to break,
and express an opinion that it must have arisen from
a flew in the casting. It seems that Messrs. Bell and
Corbet possess certificates, showing that the whole of the
iron joists and girders employed in the building were
properlei tested and warranted.

- At Clate hour the surveyors retired from the ruins
to, es we understood, draw up a report to present at
the coroner's inquest, which is fixed for ten o'clock this
day (Teesday) at the London Tavern.
We are desired to contradict the statement made in
yesterday's paper, of two more bodies having been dug
out of the ruins, after the finding of the remains of
Matthew Cromer. Such is not the case. Another death,
however, was announced to the police authorities yes-
terday. It was that of a labourer named Timothy
Donohoe, aged 42. He was supposed by his comrades
not to have been on the building at the time of the acci-
dent, but it appears he was on the top, and was one of
the unfortunate creatures who wore precipitated to the
ground with the walls and floor when they fell. He
was got out by some strangers, and taken to 6t.
.Bartho-
lomew's Hospital, where he died almost immediately.
The other sufferers (four in number dead) are Martin
Cromer, James Horrogan, Matthew Cromer, and Joseph
Hanky.
Those lying at St. Thomas's Hospital, with the ex-
ception of ono, Timothy Sullivan (whose case is pro-
nounced by the medical officers hopeless) are going on
favourably. Most of them were married, and their
families are in want of relief.