The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-12 00:00:00

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T H rt' N 4)N 1)0N., WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH ]2,
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WARWICK RACES.—(This Day.)

DESTRUCTION OF COVENT-GARDEN
THEATRE.

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ritatu,:ss
this Jay.

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)

OFFICIAL INQUIRY.

The following appeared in our late edition last

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94 -

LATEST BETTING.-1
STEEPLECHASE.
100 to 30 agst Forest Queen
4to 1 agst any other
7to 4 agst Forest Queen and Odikam coupled
Oditiam is expected hortly.

night :
This afternoon, at three o'clock, Mr. Bcdfor3, the
coroner for 'Westminster, and a jury, assembled at the
Piazza Hotel, Covent-garden, to inquire into the cir-
cumstances attending the total destruction of Covent-
garden Theatre, by fire, on the morning of Wednesday
last.

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IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

Amongst those present we observed—Superintendent
Braidwood, of the Fire Brigade ; Mr. White, of the
County Fire Office ; Superintendent Durkin and Inipec-
tor Dodd ; C. J. Carttar, the Coroner for West Kent ;
most of the officers of the establishment, Mr. Anderson,
the Wizard, and nearly every one connected with the
management of the Theatre.
The preliminaries having been gono through,
The C_Toner said he did not think it was necessary
the jury should be troubled with viewing the premises.
The present inquiry was rather unusual, it was not
touching the death of any person ; but it was to ascer-
tain the cause of the late destruction, by fire, of Covent.
garden Theatre. The churchwarden's of the parish were
extremely anxious to have an inquiry in the late con.
flagration, and from the opportunities that had been
offered to him, he had determined to make a thorough
and searching investigation. The public were entitled
to have an inquiry openly and in a public room, espe-
cially as the most intense interest existed in the minds
of every person in the land, from the highest down to
the very lowest.
The first witness called was

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HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(This Day.)
The SPEAKER took the chair shortly after 12 o'clock.
The following bill,: were read a second time :—Aber-
deen, Peterhead, and Fraserburgh Railway, and Dee-
side and Alford Valley Railway.

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ABERDEEN AND SCOTTISH MIDLAND
JUNCTION, &c., BILL. _ _

On the motion of Mr. TtiOMf'SON, the order for the
second reading of the Aberdeen and Scottish Midland
Junction and Dundee and Arbroath Railway Companies
Bill was discharged, that the bill might be withdrawn.

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71 7i
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James Castles, fireman to Covent-garden Theatre.
He was employed by Mr. Robertson, as agent to the
proprietors. His duty was to attend to the general
safety of the theatre. There were four firemen engaged
in the duty, each having an equal share of duty over the
whole of the prerhises. He was in the theatre a few
minutes after one on Monday until after the fire took
place. The time that he supposed the fire occurred was
between 4 and 5 o'clock on Wednesday .morning, as
near as he could tell. He never left the theatre during
the whole time. Between 4 and 5, on the morning of
the fire, he was passing up to the flies where the ma-
chinery war, and returned to the stage, where it was
desirable that the fireman should be, in consequence
of the number of smokers, and then entered into a cen-
versation with Mr. Bryanstone and Mr. Palmer, the
foremen of the gas department, and asked him what
" battens" or border lights he would have left alight,
imagining that the people would go to work to remove
the fitting. He had jest spoke one word when he clasped
his hands, and said "Oh, my God, the theatre is on fire."
At that time he saw a glimmering light through the
floor of the carpenters' shop. At this time no fire had
fallen. He then met Butler, another fireman, and told
him the house was on fire, and they both rushed up t
the carpenters' shop. When they got to the door a gust
of black smoke struck them which issued from the shop.
A plea of the theatre was here put in.
Examination continued—The smoke) rushed out of
the door, which was open ; it was so dense that Butler
called to him to go on his hands and knees to endeavour
to get at the fire cock in the shop, and he supposed that
they got about midway, but he then got so giddy he was
obliged to return, but not before seeing that the fire was
on the left side of the shop. As soon as he got to.the
door he fall, but got up and ran to the fire cocks at the
end of the floor which was on fire. The fire mains were
charged for that place, but he was unable to find it. He
remained there until he heard some one call him. He
went to the flies and cut two or three ropes from the
windlasses, thinking they would stop the fire. He there
saw Mr. Lawrence and other firemen on the stage at
work at the fire-cocks. The engines were playing wLea
he left the building. There was a rule for the firemen :
it was to the effect that ono of the men was to go
round the buiPing every hour. Three men were on
duty at night, and one during the day. It was the
duty of each to make the rounds as ordered. Ha had
passed from the front of the theatre to the stage fre-
quently that day, and he had not smelt anything like
fire or gas in the carpenters' shop. He had frequently
smelt gas, but not more than might be expected from
wear and tear. The fire broke out by the side of the
carpenters' workshop. He did not think it could be
burning elsewhere. The " flies" were connected with
the carpenters' shop by a staircase. When he first went
to the "flies" he was about twenty feet from the car-
peeters' shop. lie thought the theatre was set on fire.
The smoke Ras not like wood smoke, and the time that
the fire broke out, when they were all engaged getting
the people out, favoured the supposition. It was
merely his impression that the fire had been wilfully
made. There were seine gas fittings in the carpenters'
shop, but they had not been used since Christmas. The
gas was turned cff from the pipes in question ire the car-
penters' shop. Any person could turn the cock with a
key. If the gas escaped from these pipes it would have
gone up the shaft of the chandelier, which was sus-
pended from the roof through the carpenters' shop. The
chandelier could not be taken into the shop, as it was a
fixture. The shaft was an open one, and like a large
funnel. The draught, for the escape of gas, was very
great. The chandelier was suspended by iron
gi-ders, which rested horizontally on the timber
supports, which were made fast to the floor of the
shop, which was the roof of the theatre. The supports
could be seen by any person in the carpenters' shop. The
distance from the chandelier to the floor of the carpenters'
shop was between 14 and 15 feet, and about 10 or 11
from tte gas when alight. He never knew the
heat from the chandelier to warm the floor of
the carpenters' shop. There were floes in the walls of
the buildings, which formed the boundaries of the car-
penters' shop, and on the night in question there were
several of the flues in use. There were about seventy
clues in the house, and daring the whole of the time
be had been on the establishment, and that extended
over some years. he never knew more than two or three
to take fire. The smoke he Lad mentioned in the
former part of his evidence smelt like fumes of charcoal,
not like burning wood.
By Mr. Clerk—There was no charcoal used in tl e car-
penters' shop, and nail the fire bra ke out he never
smelt anything burning. The reason he and his fellow-
servants were on the stage was to prevent accidents
arising from the visitors smoking. The carpenters' shop
he felt so certain was quite secure that he did not think
it requisite to visit it every hour. It was the duty of the
firemen to visit every part of the theatre every hour.
During the performance their duty was to look after the
safety of the theatre generally. There wire tell-tales
which would inform the proprietors whether they did
their duty or not, but it was not expected ti at they (tlle
firemen) should pull them every hour until the perfor-
mances were over.
By a Juror—He was in the lobbies of the boxes dur-
ing the night of the bal-masque. He was within 20 or
30 feet of the place where the fire broke out, but he
smelt nothing. He was perfectly ember during the whole
of the night.
By Mr. Soloinon—There hat not been any one at
work in the carpenters' shop to his knowledge during
that day. _ _

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A plan was here shown to the witness, and he marked
,he place where he first saw the fire break out.
By Mr. Lawrence—He tad never seen the iron of
,111 chandelier heated.

Butler, another fireman of the theatre, eta' ed
he went on duty on the night previous to the fire, at
nine o'clock, and remained so till the fire WAS discovered.
He was on the stage when the alarm was given. He saw
nothing of the fire until he enteral the carpenters' shop
with Castles. The smoke was so dense it was impossible
to get at the fire cocks under the cistern. He had not
been higher than the top flies on Tuesday night, and
at twelve o'clock there was no fire that he could
discover. At tLree o'clock on the morning of
the fire he met Mr. Sloman's brother on the first fly
and from him he learned the hour of the mornii g.
After Mr. Sloman left him he (witness) proceeded up
stairs and found everything in the top flies was perfectly
safe, and nothing like fire was perceptible. On re-
turning down stairs lie entered the flies at the promp
side, and crossed to the 0. P. side, and then he returned
to the ball-room to prevent the gentlemen from smoking,
and remained there until the alarm. Castles came to
him, and said there was something " wrong up-stairs,"
and they immediately ran up-stairs to the carpenters'
shop. There was a heap of wood in the shop floor on
fire, as much as would half fill a cart. The fire
had spread considerably, and the floor in one
part had fallen through. The flooring of the
shop was very thick and strong. Tnere was no.
thin.. on fire below the carpenters' shop when
the alarm was first given. He did not think the fire was
occasioned by the gas, as if such had been the case the
flooring would have been on fire underneath, instead of
the top, as was the case when the fire was first disco-
vered. There was a consiiierable quantity of
loose stuff lying about the carpenters' shop.
Any person could enter the shop, as it was open. The
gas was first fitted in the carpenters' shop to bring out
the pantomime, but it had been shut off since, and no
gas had been used in the shop since Christmas. On
Tuesday morning he was up is the shop with a lantern,
but it was enclosed with glass, and was termed a safety
lamp.
By the Foreman—lf there had been fire smoldering
In the carpenters' shop he thought be must have smelt
it. When he entered the shop he did not smell any•
thing extraordinary about the smoke; it was just like
the ordinary smoke.
James Bryanstone, sen., fireman, stated he was in
the theatre the whole of the night of the fire, and never
left it for a moment. Shortly before 5 o'clock he saw
fire fall from the roof of the theatre. He immediately
ran to the carpenters' shop to turn the water on, but the
smoke was so great that it was impossible to get to it.
He got into the shop about a yard, but he could not
proceed any further. He could see a heap of wood, as
much as would fill half a cart. He was not in the ro,m
when Castles gave his evidence. He could not form
any idea how the fire occurred.
By a Juror- The wood he saw on fire was about 16
feet from the door. The bits of wood were thrown
where they were in clearing the carpenters' shop. Dar-
ing the performance the firemen go over the house to
examine it. After the performance was over, it was
their duty to go over the house every hour. He did not
think the fire was occasioned by the heat from the
chandelier ; far when M. Jullien had the theatre there
were 12 additional ones hung around the large one,
and no accident occurred. The burners of the chande-
lier had not been enlarged. The heap of burning wood
was about 30 feet from the opening of the chandelier.
John Drake Palmer, gas-fitter—He was employed by
the proprietors as general manager of thegas-fittings of the
theatre. The last time he did anything to the fittings
was to erect those that had keatt spoken about in the

carpenters' shop. He fitted some piping from the
painting raom to the six benches in that shop. A valve
at the back of the stage must be turned on before gas
can be supplied to the painting room or carpenters'
shop, and when it is iequired assistants or some of
his men turn it on. The large cocks are never turned
on by any but the gasmen. He had not had the chan-
delier down since the m'ddle of the last season, and then
it was only to dust it. Tf•ere are about 800 burners in
it, but they were not all fishtail burners, and they
were all in thorough repair. The witness here
explained the mode in which the chandelier was
fixed. The gas fur the chandelier was regulated
by a dial-plate in the prompt box. If the gas was
turned full on some of the burners would not
go higher than an inch and a half. The heat from it would
warm the ceiling, but it would be impossible for the ceil-
ing to take fire from it. The chandelier was first lit at
about a quarter to 12 on Monday morning,
and was never turned off till the fire
took place. It had been turned down, but
not put out. The burners were lit with a long bamboo
rod, with three feet of wile at the end. The men satu-
rated the cotton ball at the end of the wire with spirts of
wine. They place the ball in the spirit bottle which they
carry with them. The ball was always brought back after
it had been used at the chandelier. At a quarter to five
he was speaking to Mr. Anderson with his back to the
greee-room, and as he was giving orders which
battens were to be left burning he saw the fire
through the cracks of the shop. Mr. Anderson
exclaimed, " Hush," and then he looked up and
said " Good God, the 'house is on fire, get out for your
lives." He (witness) then ran to the gas regulators and
very gently turned the whole of the gas off. It was
totally impossible for the lights or gas from the chandelier
to have caused ',he fire. The draught was too great to allow
any gas to remain. He could not form any opinion as
to the origin of the fire.
By a Juror—He had known the chandelier to have
been alight for a whole fortnight during the decoration
of the house.

Mr. Henry Sloman, the machinist and carpenter of
the establishment, was last on the premises about half-
past 11 on Tuesday night. He had not been in the
carpenters' shop since Friday last, when ho went to see
if it had been properly cleared up. Tile centre of the
floor was quite clear. There was a large quantity of
wood and properties at the sides, but not heaped about
the shop. It did not occur to him that anything
but the escape of gas caused the fire. The escape of gas was
very great, so great indeed that he had frequently called
the attention of the authorities, the gasmen and firemen, to
the circumstance, and he had frequently said that if the
escape of gas was not seen to the theatre would be
burnt down. Since the gas had been supplied by
the London Gas Company the pressure had
been three times as much as it used to be.
He was certain there was not sufficient wood to fill half
a cart lying about the carpenters' shop.
By a Juror--He thought the gas must have exploded,
and therefore caused the fire. There had not been a
light in the carpenters' shop since Christmas.
At this point the inquiry was adjourned until Satur-
day next at three o'clock.

M 9.RKET NEWS.—(This Day.)