The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-06 00:00:00

TEE FATAL CATASTROPHE IN LITTLE

S WAN-ALLEY.

INQUEST ON THE BODIES.

The following appeared in successive editicns of Th
San of yesterday.

Yesterday morning Mr. W. Payne, deputy-coroner for
the City of London, opened an inquiry at St. Barth°lo-
/new's Hospital, relative to the melancholy and lament-
able deaths of Thomas Palmer, and Elizabeth Pullen,
Thomas Pullen, and James Pullen, his step-children,
occasioned by the fall of the house No. 9, Little Swan-
alley, Moorgate-street, on the morning of Wednesday
last.

Previous to the jury assembling at the hospital, they
met the coroner in Little Swan•alley, and examined the

ruins.

Mr. W. Jones, ward clerk of Coleman-street Ward,
in which district the house was situated, attended and
watched the proceedings, accompanied by several of the
members of the Common Council, Commissioners of
Sewers, and vestrymen of St. Stephen's parish. Mr.
Woodthorpe, the district surveyor, was present with
plans of the premises.
The jury was a highly respectable one, comprising
the principal tradesmen of the parish in which
the dreadful calamity occurred. Mr. Perkins, of Cole-
man-street, a member of the Common Council, was
appointed foreman.
The jury having viewed the bodies (that of Elizabeth
Pullen having been removed from St. Stephen's dead-
house to the dead-house of the hospital), considerable
delay occurred in commencing the inquiry from the want
of accommodation for the jury, and the proceedings had
to be conducted without tables for the jury to write on
and take notes of the evidence.
The jury having been sworn,

The Coroner said that, as the inquiry was one of con-
siderable importance, he proposed first to take evidence
identifying the bodies, then medical evidence as to the
nature of the injuries from which the deceased persons
died of, and then such evidence as would show how and
why the building in question fell, and ascertain thereby
if any blame attached to any person.
Elizabeth Pullen deposed that she lived with Palmer,
the deceased, who was a labourer, about 31 years of age,
at No. 9, Little Swan-alley. The three children now
dead were hers, and resided with her and Palmer in
Little Swan-alley, at the time of the accident. She had
resided in the house on two occasions. She had been
back the last time about three or four months, and
occupied the first floor back. The front room of the
first floor was occupied by other persons. The Kings
occupied a room above. About four months ago she
lived in the room of a Mrs. Marsh, at 2s. a-week, and
continued her tenant till about six weeks since, when
Mr. Crane became the landlord of the premises, and she
had since that paid the rent to him. She had complained
to Mrs. Marsh of the state of the house. There was
only one room on the ground floor ; the floor
of the room underneath that she occupied had been
taken away. Last Saturday night week she com-
plained to Mr. Crane, when she paid him her rent, of
the state of the floor, and pointed out the broken state of
the flooring near the fire place. The wood was much
decayed. As he stood at the door he looked at the
place, and said he would look to it. He did not call
again until Sunday last, when he came for his rent.
On Sunday last she paid him again her rent, but nothing
had occurred then to excite her alarm. In the course
of the evening she fancied she heard a cracking noise,
and noticed it to Mrs. King and deceased, Palmer, and
said she should soon get out of the house.
By the Foreman—Mrs. King said at the time that she
had heard strange sounds, and that they had better get
out as soon as possible.

Witness continued—About nine o'clock on Tuesday
night she heard a cracking noise near the fire
place. It appeared to 'be in the same place
she had heard it before. She and deceased,
Palmer, had not then retired. All the family slept in the
same room, but in different beds. The children slept in
a bed under the place where she heard the noise. Her-
self, Palmer, and the baby slept in one bed, and the
three children new dead in the other. About 10 o'clock
they retired to rest, and about minutes past 12 she
was awoke by her child. She got out of bed to give him
something, and walked the room with him for a short
time. She then heard a fearful cracking again. Her
hushing the child did not shake the room. The room
began to shake very much, and she awoke Palmer and
desired him to get up, as the house was falling. He got
up and went to the children, and she opened her room
door and alarmed the other inmates (the Kings, who
were over her head). Whilst standing on the top stair,
outside her room door, one half of the floor of
the room gave way, the window fell, and was
smashed all to pieces, as was also the fire•
place; hearing the crash she tried to run down
stairs, and the shaking of the house threw down the
stairs, and she and her baby were thrown into the
street ; but how it happened she had no recollection.
She had made no complaints to the ward beadle or any
other person. She had not seen any of them round that
neighbourhood. She believed her mother, who lived in
the house before her, had complained of the state of the
house to a lady who visited the neighbourhood to distri-
bute charity amongst the poor occupants of the neigh-
bourhood. Crane accepted her as a tenant from Mrs.
Marsh, about 6 or 7 weeks ago.
By the Jury—Last week she experienced difficulty in
closing the door, but it did not create alarm in her mind
as to the state of the house.

By the Foreman—Her other son, who was about 15
years of age, had not returned from his work when the
accident occurred. She saw him in the court shortly
after the house fell. She did not know where Crane lived.
She believed in Charles-place, Bell-alley. The boards in
front of the fire-place were all broken away and decayed.
There were no nails in them, and after sweeping the
floor she had frequently to put the boards in order the
best way she could.

James Frederick King deposed that he was a book-
binder. He occupied the top floor back, over that of
the last witness. The other room on that floor was
unoccupied. He had lived in No. 9 about seven months,
always occupying the same room. During that time he
had complained of the state of the house. A week
before the house fell he complained to Crane of the dila-
pidated state of the house, particularly the state of the
a indow of the room ; it had a frame, but most of the
glass was broken. On complaining of it to Crane,
he said they might put in the glass themselves if
they wanted it. He paid Crane is. 6A. p( r
week rent. When he took the room of Mrs. Marsh the
glass was then broken, but being unable to buy glass he
patched it up the best way he could. The fbor of his
room was " thoroughly rotten and eaten away." He
showed it to Crane, who said, "Oh, you must make the
best of it." On Sunday morning last Crane called for
the rent. He was unable to pay him, and again com•
plained of the state of the house, to which Crane replied
" If you don't pay you know the consequences," and he
Is`4en left. On Tuesday night he was engaged preparing
his work for the following day. About ten minutes to
12 ho and his wife retired to rest ; a few minutes after
he was aroused by a sound, and he said " Hark, how its
bailing." His wife said it was no such thing for the stars
were shining. He and his wife, and his wife's sister
and four children slept on the floor, having no beds ;
shortly after hearing the sound he found himself below ;
the floors appeared to Lave " fallen in all of a lump
together ;" there was only a shop on the ground floor ;
the cellars went down a few steps ; he did not think any
of the ground floor had been cut away ; he had never
complained of the state of the house to any one but
Crane ; he believed the house bad not been examined
by any one ; he had never seen a surveyor there ; Crane,
the landlord, lives at 19, Little Bell-alley ; he is a mes-
senger in some office in the City.
Mrs. King, who walked home, and appeared to be
suffering from the injuries received on Tuesday night,
deposed that about three months ago a person inspected
the house, and ordered the rooms to be whitewashed.
He inquired who was the landlord, and said the house
appeared in a very bad state. From the manner in
which the person alluded to came, she thought he must
have come from the Board of Health. She had long
noticed the dilapidated state of the house. Pieces of
mortar used to fall from the ceiling. On Friday night
she and her sister awoke by a sound like the "unloading
of a cart-load of bricks." The noise appeared to pro-
ceed from between the two houses. She got up and
procured a light, but could not see that anything had
fallen. She did not mention it to any one the following
day, because Mr. Crane was very hard upon them,
and she thought if she did he would think it
was done to get out of the place. On Sun-
day Seibert, who occupied the room adjoining Palmer's,
was hammering all day, putting a lock on to his door.
Mrs. Palmer said, " I don't thi❑k any of us will want
locks or bolts long for I don't think the house will stand
long." Witness then corroborated her husband's evi-
dence with regard to the noise on Tuesday night. She
got up with her baby, and saw in the fire-place a light
which came from below, and she said to her husband
she thought the house was on fire, and whilst saying
that she fell through the floor. She saw the crack the
side of the room nearest No. 8, from whence
the noise appeared to come. Mr. Reynolds and Mr.
Cox looked at the house in the spring of the year, but
she did not know their object.
By the Foreman--Oa Friday night she and her eider

considered the house was unsafe. She made no attemp
to leave or make any complaint of the state of the house.

Sarah Parry, who formerly occupied rooms in the
house, deposed—That about three years ago rho noticed
the dilapidated state of the premises. The plaster from
the ceiling near the window, and the bricks from the fire
place began first to fall. She was a tenant to Mrs.
Marsh, and on complaining to her she had it repaired.
About the same time one of the steps of the stairs gave
way from decay. The summer before last while whitey,
washing the room some of the plaster fell down, and she
could see through. She was sister to Mrs. Pullen, and her
mother occupied the house for a long time. From her
observations she was satisfied the house was in a very
bad state. Mr. Horton, Mr. Reddington, and others
called some months since and looked at the exteriors of
the houses. They said they wished the houses were all
down, and asked the occupants why they did not leave.
They said the parish wished to have the houses down.
Mr. Reddington did not go into the house because he
was afraid to go over the stairs.
Mr. E. Woodthorpe, district surveyor, deposed that
he knew the premises in question and produced plans he
had made of them. About 18 months ago, when be was
condemning houses in Sun•court, adjoining Little Swan-
alley, he found from observation, before his notice
had been called to it, the property in a dilapidated
r tate. He condemned the property in Sun -court
under the old building act, which vested these powers
in the Court of Aldermen ; those houses were pulled
down. At that time he examined the exterior walls of
the building in question. He had no power to enter
the premises and survey them. He had to take care that
no danger was likely to occur from old buildings to pas
sengers and the adjoining property. By the new act the
occupiers of houses were pro ected as much as passen-
gers, &c. Under the old act, and on a certain process
being gone through, he had power to survey—without
it he could not enter premises for that purpose ; the In-
spector of Pavements gave him notice of any houses
being dangerous, and on receiving it he applied to the
Court of Sewers for authority to act. He was
not aware if Little Swan-alley was in the dis-
trict of the Inspector of Pavements. If he saw
danger he should move in the matter without
notice ; and report to the Commissioners of Sewers.
There was nothing definite in the act to compel sur-
veyors to walk round their districts like policemen, and
examine the dwellings, but it was the spirit of the act.
He had condemned a whole street on his own observa-
tion, and without his attention having been called to it.
The removal of the houses in Sun-court had not affected
the stability of the house in Little Swan-alley. These
houses were from 150 to 200 years old. The wood work
was all worm eaten. He had examined the premises
since the accident. In his judgment the interior of the
house fell bodily from decay of the ends of the rafters
and wood work generally being worm-eaten, and, falling
in this manner, the outer walls were forced over a shed
into an adjoining.court. The weight of the people in the
house was more than the floors could bear, and that was
the cause of their giving way. The exterior settlements
of the house were not so serious as many in the neigh-
bourhood. The house in question showed less exterior
indications of falling than the houses Nos. 10, 11, and 12
now standing. Similar defective action was going on in
them, and that of No. 9. About ten or twelve years
ago he believed the house was prescribed by the Wood
inquest. He had since taken measures for securing the
whole of the adjoining property. Unless there were
some exterior indication of danger he should not ask to
go inside. The only way to have known the state of the
floors would have been by taking stp the boarding and
examining the bearings.
A Juror handed to the witness a presentment relative
to the buildings in question dated 1845, and asked whose
duty it was to take proceedings under it?

Witness said he believed it was referred to a select
committee of the Court of Aldermen.
The Foreman said that he was the foreman of the in-
quest referred to, which was presented to the Court of
Aldermen, who referred it to a select committee of the
Aldermen of the ward through the City solicitor, with
power to take the necessary steps for putting them in a
proper state of repair. From his own knowledge he
could state that the repairs required were attended to.
By a Juror—He had no doubt the surveyor at that
time had the repairs done.
In answer to a question from Mr. Waddington, one
of the jury,
Mr. Woodthorpe said that he took the opportunity of
going into the houses Nos. 8, 10, 11, and 12, a day or
two since, and he found the interiors of them in au un-
sound state. He had since obtained the necessary au-
thority, and had condemned them this day. The most
dangerous part of these houses arose from the chimney
shafts, which, owing to the excavations of the cellars,
were now supported by the joists of the building only.
These old chimney shafts were three times the weight of
modern shafts. Surreptitious repairs to houses were
frequently done, the surveyors knowing nothing of them,
and great injury was frequently done to houses by sink-
ing the cellars 12 or 18 inches deeper than they ought
to be, and it was generally done without the knowledge
of the surveyor. He considered his duties to be, that,
on seeing a building in a ruinous and dangerous state,
to give notice to the Commissioners of Sewers, and when
en his rounds to look out and examine buildings
externally, and see if there were any dangerous or ruinous
indications. He made periodical visits, but at no speci-
fied time, such as once or twice a-year.
By Mr. Bennett (juryman)—Have not the state of
these houses come under your especial notice since yen
condemned the houses in the neighbourhood about 21
years since!
Mr. Woodthorpe—There have been no external indi-
cations of danger.

By Mr. Bennett—Did you take no means to survey
these houses when in the neighbourhood about three
weeks since ?

Mr. Woodthorpe—l did not examine them specifically,
but only in a casual way with other buildings.
In answer to a question from another juryman, Mr.
Woodthorpe said he did not know before the accident
that these houses were condemned in 1845. The duties
of the surveyor were defined in the old act, but had not
been inserted in the new act.

By Mr. Jones (Ward Clerk)—He believed the indica-
tions of decay in these houses have been going on ever
since they had been built. The walls and cL'mney.i were
from 1 foot to 18 inches out of the perpendicular. The
houses 10, 11, and 12, were kept back in their position
by being tied with iron rods.
Mr. Perkins, the foreman, was then examintal relative
to the presentment of the house to the Court of Alder-
men in 1845, and added that as the landlord paid atten-
tion to the summons, the repairs were done without the
further interference of the Court of Aldermen.

Mr. Bennett proposed to examine Mr. Perkins relative
to the actual execution of the repairs, but he was inter-
rupted by
The Coroner, who said it was not necessary to go
into that. They need not be so particular, because that
was merely a Court of Inquiry.
Mr. Bennett said he thought the jury should examine
into it, because if the Corporation failed to do their duty
in 1845 they were to blame.
The Coroner said they had nothing to do with that
now. It was a question for their consideration when
they deliberated.
After some further discussion,
The Coroner said it had been shown that repairs were
ordered and executed.

A Juryman said he thought the question arose
whether the City surveyor of 1845 did his duty on the
presentment made.
The Coroner said that was not a question then before
them.

Mr. Peikins said that repairs were done to the
house at the time, which satisfied the gentleman who
represented the property.
John Thomas Hopkinson, sanitary inspector, and in
Spector of pavements, deposed that he was appointed to
those offices by the Commissioner 4 of Sewe,s for the
North Middle district, in which Little Swan-alley is
situate. When he saw a dilapidated building, it was
his duty to give notice to the district surveyor in writing.
A. 3 a sanitary officer he examined premises internally
and externally. He was appointed to his office in
April, 1856, and he inspected the house in question on
the 23d of May last for sanitary purposes. The state of
the houses he reports to the medical officers, who report
to the Commissioners, who then order the issue of the
proper notices. The house then only appeared to want
the plaster made good and cleaning. If he had noticed
anything out of the usual course he should have reported
it to the surveyor. He considered he was empowered,
as inspector of pavements, to enter any house he thought
ruinous or dangerous. lie was through Little Swan-
alley four times last week, but did not notice any
indications of danger from the house. The district sur-
veyor always attended promptly to his reports. He
had examined many houses, especially in Golden-lane,
in worse condition than those were. He served Mr.
Crane with the proper notice to lime white and plaster,
and the repairs were done. He did not notice if the
staircase was broken, or that the boards of the floor
were loose. The cellar was uninhabited ; he did not
inspect it.

Mr. Randall, of No. 4, Sandell terrace, Poplar, owned
the property in question up to about four years since.
During the time he bad it the City authorities complained
of its state, and gave him notice to repair, which he at-
tended to. He thought the notice was served on him
about ten years since. He disposed of the property,
about eight or nine houses, to Mr. Crane. It was held
under a lease on the life of an old lady, of Greenwich,
who died about five weeks sinco.

By a Juryman--He could not recollect the amount of
repairs done to the house, in consequence of the notice
served on them. All was done to the satisfaction of the
authorities. Crane acted as his agent for the collection
of the rents previous to his purchasing witness's interest
in them.

Mr. Crane, the person above referred to as the holder
of the property, deposed that he resided in Little Bell-
alley, and was a messenger at Messrs. Morrish and Ca.'s,
Gresham-street. When he took the property Nos. 8 and
9 were rented by Mrs. Marsh, who let out N 0.9 to weekly
tenants. Marsh left the premises about 4 ors weeks since.
He used to go to No. 9 to collect his rents, and went
into the rooms. He saw on those occasions the tenants.
On Saturday fortnight Airs. Pullen called his attention
to a board that walloose in the floor near the Ore.