The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-15 00:00:00

DREADFUL BOILER EXPLOSION.

Balm', DEC. 13.—A fatal boiler explosion took
place yesterday afternoon at the Sound well Lower
Pit, Kingswood, near this city, the property of Mr.
Whittuck. One man named Thomas 'Waller, was
killed on the spot, and others were severely injured.
The boiler, it seems, had been at work for some four
or five years, and just before the accident the engine,
which is of 20-horse power, and had been examined
only the previous day, had hauled up " a journey" of
men and sent down a cart of timber. The men at
the bottom of the pit were engaged in taking this out
when the accident occurred, and it being pay-day, a
large number had also congregated round the mouth
of the pit. The noise of the explosion of course
created the utmost alarm among them, the engine-
house being completely shattered to pieces and the
bricks scattered in every direction. Besides this up-
wards of twenty feet of the chimney stack was knocked
to atoms, and the boiler itself, weighing many tons,
was projected to a distance exceeding 100 feet, com-
pletely ploughing up the portion of the field in which it
fell. The engineer, George Bush, escaped unhurt. The
deceased man Waller occupied the post of " ranger" at
the pit, and at the time of the accidenthe was attending to
the fire. Another man, named Francis Fowler, was
so severely scalded that he was compelled to be taken
to the Bristol Royal Infirmary. From inquiry made
to-day we ascertain that he is progressing favourably.
Another individual, John Palmer, was also severely
scalded, and compelled to be sent home. The de-
ceased man Waller was frightfully injured, both his
legs and arms being broken ; he died while being re-
moved to his own residence. The proprietor, Mr.
Whittuck, at the time of the explosion was in the
counting-house waiting to pay the men. Three of
the windows were completely knocked to pieces. The
poor fellow Waller was a married man, and has left
five children to deplore their loss. Fowler is a single
man, and Palmer married, with seven children. It
would perhaps be premature till the inquest has been
held to state the immediate cause of the explosion, but
from the icquiries on the spot made by our corre-
spondent he has little reason to doubt that it vas
mainly attributable to a deficiency of water in the
boiler. The affair has excited the greatest interest
in the neighbourhood, and the scene of the accident
was to-day visited by many people. The distanee to
which the boiler was carried was the subject of much
comment.

BRIDGE-HO USE ESTATES COMMITTEE

On Friday evening the members of the Bridge-
house Estates Committee, connected with the Corpo-
ration of the city of London, held their annual meeting
at Gerard's Hall; Mr. 11. L. Taylor, Esq., presided.
Subsequently the gentlemen present dined together,
the chairman being supported upon the occasion by
the Lord Mayor, Mr. Alderman Humphery, M.P.,
Edward Lawes, EN. (chairman of the Metropolitan
Commission of Sewers), Ferdinand Brand, Esq.
(chairman of the Bridge•house Estates), Thomas
Rowley, Esq., Thomas Macgregor, Esq , William
Marden, Esq., William Sanderson, Esq., Julius Va-
lery, Esq., H. Lies, &c. After the usual loyal toasts
had been given and heartily responded to, " The
health of the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor" was given,
to which his Lordship briefly but effectively replied.
Upon that of the chairman (11. L. Taylor, Esq.) being
given, the chairman said that it gave him much plea-
sure upon that occasion, it being the termination of
his year of office in that capacity, while returning
thanks for the honour they had done him in drink-
ing his health, to propose that of Edward Lawes,
Esq., chairman of the Metropolitan Sewers Commis-
sion. He (Mr. Taylor) felt great pleasure in seeing
that gentleman present as the guest of a committee
of the corporation of the city of London, as he (Mr.
Taylor) had, from his connexion with the Metropoli-
tan Commission, ample opportunities of knowing the
kindly feelings that existed on the part of the West-
end Commission towards the corporation of London.
—(Hear.) Mr. Lawes, in return, remarked that he
could assure the gentlemen present that he, and he
might say his brother commissioners, reciprocated all
that had been said by his friend, the respected chair-
man of the Bridge-house Estates Committee, a
as re-
garded the anxious wish of the Metropolitan c
missioners to co-operate with the City
authoritiesointo-
do all in their power in reference to the great question
of drainage, and the sanitary improvement of the
entire metropolis. He also expatiated largely upon
the great advantages arising from municipal govern-
ment,_ of which he considered the corporation of the
city of London to form an admirable example. The
party then proceeded to view the beautiful crypt be-
neath Cierard's•hall, one of the finest specimens of