The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-19 00:00:00

at work he was close to Lenning. He never saw any vitriol
in the theatre.

The Coroner wished to ask Mr. Anderson a question
respecting the vitriol.
Mr. Anderson, in answer, stated thmt at the Lyceum
Theatre he had the electric light on the pediment of the
theatre, and the company applied for permission to exhi-
bit the light on the top of Covent-garden. Sulphuric
acid was used in the production of the light, but it had
not been used since the second cireek of the
pantomime. He never saw the sulphuric acid in the
theatre. Every article belonging to the company ought
to have been removed from the theatre at the expiration
of the time for which the engagement had been entered
into. He did not how the sulphuric acid was used. If
any tackle had been necessary to convey the acid
to any part of the theatre it would have been
the duty of Mr. S!oman to erect it. His servants had
nothing at all to do with the electric light. He did not
even know in what part of the theatre the gas for the
electric light was generated. The gas was removed
from the prosceneuin to make way for his galvanic bat-
tery. The wires used by him in his experiments were
removed before the ball.

The Coroner asked whether any directions bad been
given about lamps?
Mr. A.nderston stated that no directions were given
by him. person was under contract to supply every
lamp that was required, at a weekly contract.
Mr. Sloman, recalled—The electric light was on the
portico in Bow-street. He did nothing to that ; it was
done by Mr. Anderson's carpenter. He had nothing to
do with raising the carboys, neither had any of his men.
The firemen knew that the vitriol was going to be used,
as they went to Mr. Surman and told him about it.
The witness here again repeated his evidence respcting
the first outbreak of the fire.
By a Juror—When the electric light was done with
he saw the men removing the things, but he did not
know whether they removed the whole of the articles.
William Harrison recalled, and in answer to questions
said he recollected some carboys being pulled up from
the outside to the top of the theatre on the
day before Christmas day. They were brought in a
waggon. The carboys contained sulphuric and nitric
acid. As near as he could recollect there was about
half-a-dozen carboys. They were placed on the leads at
the top of the house, against the wall of the top flies.
He was sure the top of the house was clear of the car-
boys in a few days after the arrangements with the
company terminated. He never knew the carboys
taken to the carpenters' shop. The carboys were taken
to the top of the house from the outside. They were
never iu the inside of the house. The wires from the
outside of the theatre had no communication with them
of the interior. They never had more than a Canter,
bury quarter of sulphuric acid in store for magical expo-
rinlentP.

Castles was again called, and stated the carboy were
taken to the top of the theatre from the outside. lie did
not sea them taken up, but he saw the whole of the car-
boys taken away. Alter the waggon bad left the
theatre be examined the roof, and found it quite clear.
Ha had seen a carboy in the hall of the theatre ; but he
was told it was empty. It had no cork in it, and had
best, taken away soon after the others had been re-
moved.

Mr. Thomas Grieve, the scene-painter, residing at
Palace-road, knew well the construction of the theatre.
He had been engaged in the theatre nearly 30 years.
He always considered the" little property-shop highly
dangerous. On one occasion he returned to the theatre
atter a short absence, he fcrund a little heap of rubbish in
the shop, which he ordered to be removed. When it was
being cleared away the heap began to smoke ; it was
composed of the sweepings of the painting room.
Mr. James Braidwood, superintendent of the London
Fire Brigade, stated that he had inspected the ruins, and
could gain no knowledge as to the cause of the fire.
He bad heard all the evidence that had been adduced.
He thought that the firemen having been engaged con-
tinously for forty hours, was too long a time for men to
be so long engaged, and without imputing drunkenness,
or any other improper act, it was certain that persons so
occupied were not capable of carefully watching pro-
perty. The fire could be supposed to have
occurred in two or three ways. It might have been
occasioned by spontaneous combustion. If such had
been the case there would have been no smoke with the
flame. If the gas bad escaped in the manner in which it
had been described it would have escaped up the venti-
lating shaft. He believed the gas had nothing to do
with the fire, further than helping it on. He had been
over Drury-lane Theatre, and from inspecting the battens
he should think that the supposition of Dallastoa as to
the fire being caused by the " battens" was the correct
one.

By a Juror—He did not believe the candle which had
been spoken about caused the mischief.
By a Juror—Suppose, Mr. Braidwood, you were
asked the cause of the fire ?

Mr. Braidwood—l should say it arose from sponta•
neous combustion, and my opinion is that the whale of
the people engaged in the theatre were so worn out that
they did not know what they were about.

Th&Coroner said that that was the whole of the evi-
dence. They had met for the purpose of ascertaining
the origin of the fire, and it would be for the jury to
say from the evidence that had been placed before
them whether they could arrive at any satisfactory con-
clusion. He thought that the inquiry had been conducted
in a very able manner by the pariah and police authori-
ties, and also that it was one of a very proper descrip-
tion.

The jury then deliberated for a short time, and re-
turned a verdict to the following effect :
"That there was no evidence to show how the fire
originated."
The proceedings did Not terminate till a quarter past
six o'clock.