The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-06 00:00:00

" But it is nbne the less true that really educated women,
possessed of a certain skill in music, drawing, and in modern
languages—ladies such as teach ladies in the profes-
sional and merchant classes—ask and get more than £5O a
&year as a general rule. The conclusion, therefore, to which
I have come is, that it is chiefly for young people living at
home with their parents, and for single women not possess-
ing a high stamp of education, and having only themselves
to support, that the semi-mechanical arts—such as that of
working the telegraph, printing, law-copying, managing
sewing-machines, &c.—are profitable, and will supply with
bread and meat and clothes; and that it is hardly desirable
to extend and encourage such occupation in every way,
taking great care in the formation of model classes, or new
businesses, to harmonise them as much as possible with
the physical and moral conditions of female workers. The
Society for Promoting the Employment of Women devotes
its energies to increasing this kind of occupation, and del
serves the active support of the public for its exertions, so
that it may gradually be enabled to extend them in new di-
rections, and offer fresh examples for the introduction of
women into hitherto unaccustomed businesses and trades.
" But for older and for highly-educated women—for those
to whom the keeping up of a social position has become
a moral necessity, and for those who have others dependent
on them—we surely ought to seek some employment which
will secure them a fair income, and not consign them to
simple trades, which, let them be ever so extended over
numbers, cannot be parallel to the professions which gen-
tlemen require, or to the commercial enterprise which they
carry on on a large scale.
" Now, there is work which really clever and energetic
women are wanted to perform, and which people are every-
where beginning to say they ought to perform; all work in-
volving moral superintendence over women and physical
care of the sick and infirm of both sexes. Mrs. Jameson
dwelt constantly of late years on this whole subject in her
writings and in her private conversation ; and Miss Night-
ingale has begun to organise the training of women for
the latter purpose, and nurses are also educated at It is to be regretted that the fire which broke out
several institutions under lay or church influence. But, in the extensive pianoforte manufactory belonging
as t• placing educated women to act as officials in chari- to Messrs. T. Chappell and Co., of 18, Phoenix-
table, industrial, penal, or reformatory establishments, street, Soho, on Monday morning, as reported in
I really think I may say that nothing is done or doing. V e this journal of yesterday, has been attended with
keep reiterating the need of them in each and all; but I do more disastrous consequences than was at first anti-
not see that we are nearer the realisation of our wish than cipated. Unfortunately the loss of property has
we were five years ago. been greater than even the firemen at first believed,
"Now, why is this ? I can supply one part of the answer and, to add to the t'hisfortnne, a loss of life has
from our own experience of the last year ; because the already taken place, and some 18 or 20 other per-
women who from natural ability might be disposed and com- sons have been more or less, and it is feared that
potent to undertake such posts with advantage to them- two or thre'e have been fata..ly, injured. This
selves and others do not ask for them, have little idea of seems a n",ost remarkable fact, for even the firemen
the kind of work and little desire for it, and would probably who were on duty at the time knew nothing, until
fail in doing it if they tried ; because they have had no host :•s after the fire was extinguished, of the melan-
training. e,'.aoly accident.
"Although I have seen many highly educated and refined In order to render the account intelligible, it is
women in want of employment during the last year, I have necessary to show how the fearful occurrence took
not seen half a dozen who were competent, by their own place. Messrs. Chappell, who are well known as
conviction, to take the responsibility of management on a music publishers to the Queen, &c., had warerooms
large scale ; the matronship of female emigrant ships, the at 49 and 50, New Bond-street, and 13, George-
control of a wild troop of reformatory girls, the overseership street, Hanover-square. The building in Phcenix-
of female factory operatives, or the female wards of a work- street belonged to the same firm, but the manufae -
house. turing portion of the works belonged to Mr. Smith,
"Now, Sisters of Charity abroad do all these things. The and as fast as he could finish the instruments they
popular notion of a Sister of Charity in England is, that she were taken by Messrs. Chappell and Co., and were
is always nursing the sick, or searching on a field of battle sold to the public by that firm. The factory was
for wounded men with a vestige of life in them, or visiting five floors, or four storeys high, was formed of 14-
the poor at their own houses—poetical and somewhat sha- inch brickwork; it was 44 feet. long at one side,
dowy Evangelines, with baskets on their arms. But in but being on the skew it was only 35 feet towards
good truth these are but a small part of their multifarious the end. Mr. Smith, well knowing the danger that
duties. They get through in separate divisions nearly all invariably existed where open fires were used for
the work performed (or unperformed) in our workhouses— heating the glue or drying the veneers, had each
they take, feed, clothe, and teach orphan and destitute chil- floor fitted up with iron pipes about six or seven
dren, and bring up the girls for service ; they take bodily inches in circumference. In order to afford a still
possesion of the old people and the cripples and tend them greater protection to the building, he had a small
in ether establishments—they distribute medicines and ma- circular tube inserted through the larger range of
nage most of the casual relief funds of foreign cities. They piping, so as to avoid the danger of the outer piping
also—and let me particularly draw your attention to this becoming so heated as to set fire to the timbers in
point—undertake the care of criminal and vagrant chil-
proximity with the steam apparatus. As a double se-
dren. I saw in the month of April last the great refer-
curity these pipes were held by iron stays to keep
watery in the Rue de Vanguard, in Paris, where 100 girls the pipes from either touching the flooring or ceil-
'of the lowest class—the majority actually prisoners and ings. For years these precautionary measures had
consigned there by Government—are under the care of
fia still greater prevention against worked most admirably, and
nst the outbreak of
what was considered
the sisters of Marie-Joseph. This establishment was , h
chimney was supplied with hot steam
do Lamartine, and it was shown to me by Madame Leche-
founded partly in consequence of the exertions of Madame ): e' each
pipes c
for the purpose of
h
eating the kettles of glue
valier, who actually holds the sa'aried post of Government used in the business. Although these precautionary
inspectress of the female'prisons of France. Why have not measures proved all that were expected of them in
we also an inspectress for our female prisons? Madame protecting the premises from the ravages of the
Leehevalier has often knocked up a prison at 11 o'clock at
flames a
most deadly character, and proved to be of
it seems a perfect
night when she suspected anything wrong; and I saw tained a y
strong hold the apparatuset when the fire commenced and had ob-
enough of her power of character, even during the few
miracle that the loss of life had not been far greater
hours I spent with her, to convince me that she was a
might be ex-
P been,
ly As mie
woman to hold a legion of female prisoners in awe. than it has unfortunate
" petted when the fire was at its height rising so high Sisters of Charity are also now in Franco trying to make
jute the air as it did, would naturally cause an im-
head against the evils of the factory system. I had not time
mense multitude of persons to assemble near the
when in Lyons last year, to travel 40 miles by railway to
scene of conflagration, which unfortunately pierce see M. Bonnart's factory, where they superintend the fe-
to be the case, and those who could not stand in
male workers ; but in the Revue des deux Measles for last
February the open thoroughfares took shelter in the various
is to be found a very interesting account of three
courts and by-streets near the place. One of those
establishments where the young girls are engaged in ma-
narrow alleys called Lloyd's-court, running at the
nufactures under the care of sisters—one at Jujurieu.x, for back of the factory, where, a good view of the raging
taffetas ; another at Tatars, for plush ; and the third at La
of the flames could be seen, was densely crowded
Seauve, for ribands. Young girls on entering sign an en- with human beings, including men, women, and
gagement for three years, and a month's trial is also re- children, some of very tender age, while each house
quired. Workwomen are also received, who enter into an in the court had its windows filled with the occu-
engagement for 18 months.
piers of the se-veral houses—being something like
" But all these duties require something more for their 35 or 40 fee'c from the burning property ; many
wise fulfilment than love and patience; they require energy, very natweally supposed that even if the walls
foresight, prudence, economy, and the habit of working in should tc,pple they would be out of the way of dan-
concert and subordination ; and, accordingly, we find the ger ; hut judge of the consternation of the occu-
women who are to fulfil them subjected to a severe and me-
pants of the court, when all of a sudden, whilst
thodical training. The Haim. Mere of the Sisters of Cha- eight or nine engines were in full play, and the
city of St.iVincent de Paul, in Rue de Bac at Paris, sends men who were hired to work the engines were sing-
out
500 trained women every year to all parts of the world. ing some lively airs, such as "Up she rises early in
" And we, if we wish to employ women successfully in the morning," and cries were reverberating from
works of benevolence and social economy, must find some the labourers of " Beer, oh ! beer, oh !" which nearly
way of training them for their duties, or we shall never drowned the voices of the officers of the brigade, an
achieve our wished for results. Here and there we may explosion of a terrible character took place, which
find one specially gifted, to whom order and activity come may be thus briefly described :
by right divine; but if you take the few women who are At No. 5, Lloyd's-court lived several families,
even now filling marked positions of public importance, and out of the number two females, named Ann
you will generally find they have received regular training Crow and Bridget Regan, were standing look-
in some way. Every one knows the severity of Miss ing out of the centre window of the centre
Nightingale's preliminary studies, and the ordeal she passed floor, watching the progress of the flames.
through in hospitals abroad. Miss Carpenter had concluded This window, it should be stated, consisted of
a long and honoured career as a teacher before she devoted three compartments, and well it was that each place
herself to criminal children. Elizabeth Blackwell is hardly was not filled with occupants, for it is impossible to
a case in point, as her possession of a degree involved her tell what might have been the extent of life lost.
career as a student ; and (I believe) Miss Dix and Mrs. Fry All of a sudden the persons in court heard a
forced their way by unusual energy, graduated themselves, kind of rumbling noise, and in an instant after-
so to speak ; but all the institutions for nurses presupposed wards a fearful explosion took place, when a piece
preliminary training. Miss Donee, the mistress of one of of the steam-piping, weighing about 56 lbs., was
the best private asylums in England, was regularly educated projected horizontally from the factory ; the pon-
under the leading physician who had devoted himself to derous piece of machinery, after knocking away a
ameliorating the condition of the insane ; and there are now portion of the arch of the side window broke off
several establishments under the direct sanction of the and stripped about 2 feet of the iron work below
Church of England, in which ladies are conducting refuges into the court, whilst the rerkiainder entered the
for their own sex, each undergoing a certain probationary window, tore away a portion of the ceiling, perfo-
discipline. rated the partition, and fell upon a bed in which a
" Thus we find in every department of benevolent exer- man was asleep, and actually fired the sheets of the
tion the want of efficient machinery for teaching those who bed. The heated piping was pulled off the man,
are to help others. And this knowledge is necessarily of two and he was rescued, much injured, but not fatally.
kinds-eintelleetual and practical. Books alone will not give The other portion of the iron piping, as before
it, nor will books and oral instruction combined suffice, stated, fell into the court amongst several scores of
Not only must the mind of the worker be furnished with persons. Tile first person it struck was a woman
all necessary knowledge, but the habits of the worker must named Pitt, whose husband worked in an adjoining
be trained in activity, prudence, and control. Such worker shop, and hearing of the fire, they hastened to see
can only be trained, in the works they are eventually to per- whether their own work was endangered, but find-
form, just as the swimmer can only be taught in water. In
ing such was not the case, they remained watching
religious communities this is effected by receiving beginners
the spread of the flames. With such force was
into the life of community; among us it can only be struck that she was prostrated,. and upon beings
effected by receiving female pupil teachers, as it were, into picked up by her husband was found, in his opinion,hte
all our institutions; and this can only bo done by the con-
to be mortally injured. He got her through
sent and co-operation, in many cases of Government, in all
to the
crowd the best way he could, had her placed
in a
cases of the men who control all our institutions in England.
fi. ens
" Tho pressure may ' come from without;' it has come.
hospital his worst fears were vericonveyance, but whilst
tdi her
atution. The
his presence before reaching the e accompanying as she died in
from without, and it only needs to give it a right direction,
pieces of
Moreover, almost all the best men )who are working in force of the explosion was so strong that
philanthropic reform say that they want female help to sthhoewpeiprinfg were projected
otd in all directions like a
grape shot, men, women, and children
carry out their purposes properly; but it will be of little were strucko
thean court where the explosion
good to ourselves, or to them, or to the poor, the ignorant,
the sick, or the criminal objects of their solicitude, if it is seemed to have spent itself. A boy named Matthews
desultory and untrained. We must appeal to men to give had his head cut open, and was conveyed to Ring's
us the necessary opportunity of learning—in fact, to help College Hospital with the blood running from the
us to help them.
wounds down his face. He was attended to by the
"On one more subject I desire to suggest"ln attention. for his home last night, consequently nothing fatal
achieved useful in his case need be apprehended. A woman named
careers Mrs. Chisholm must not be forgotten; and in that
Mary Sullivan, who used to sell oysters about the
connexion she is doubly to be remembered. While ended-
neighbourhood, had both her shoulders laid open,
Touring to relieve the strain of female necessities, we must
and the sister of the unfortunate lad, Matthews,
not forget that our colonies are eminently in want of women
who had only been confined three days, was obliged
of every rank, and that they are the natural destination of
to be pulled out of bed with her infant in the cold.
the great surplus which exists in England. If it were
pos • They were removed to the house of a neighbour.
Bible to plant those who are suffering and struggling at home
Some 18 or 20 other persons were also struck down
—with problems which at the best- are very hard for most and more or less injured ; some returned to their
women to solve practically—in useful independence or own houses, having cut heads, and others serious,
happy marriage over the broad fields of Australia and New but it is understood not fatal, injuries.
Zealand, who among us but would say that it was by far AlevisCriutd themeber,thrueinsusryveesytoerrdtaoythaenPdhaeploni; i Fire-
the best solution of our difficulty? office,
"But before educated women would emigrate in any num- Mr. Fogo, the chief officer of the fire brigade of the
ber the way must be made safe and respectable. They !13 division, and engineer Flynn, made a strict in-
must find shelter and assistance on the other side of quirt' as to the cause of the disastrous event. The
tho ocean ; a regular organisation must b„reated, i manager of the works informed those officers that
and competent female officials appointed to the emis i all the fires in the furnaces bad been raked out,
extinguished, before the factory was
grant ships in which they are to sail, and others be and properly
ready to receive them on landing. We have tried this closed at six o'clock on Saturday night. There were
year to induce several ladies to take advantage of the assisted 40 gas-burners on the premises, but he believed the
passages granted to Canterbury, in New Zealand, the only gas was turned off from them- This is unques-
place to which assisted passages are granted for educated tenably the fact, as not the least appearance of the
women; but we found none willing to start, even of thole smell of gas could be detected by the firemen during
of the fire. The explosion, it is believed,
who would otherwise have liked ~o emigrate, becausooftthe raging
on the other side; Was caused in this manner :—The fires in the fur-
vague uncertainty which awaited there
and assist , mtees having
no committee to put them iiete deeteat lodgings, been extinguished, the steam in the