The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-16 00:00:00

HADLEY AND COALPORT.

On Tuesday the first sod of this undertaking was
cut in a field in the vicinity of Hadley, Shropshire.
This line, which is better known as the Shropshire
Canal Conversion, beim-cgs to the London and
North-Western Rail Way Company, and is 77,- miles
in length. From the character of the district a
very considerable amount of passenger and mineral
traffic is expected. The first sod was turned, amid
loud cheers, by Mr. J. E. Errington, the engineer.
Refreshments were handed round to the company,
and the proceedings terminated.

THE FATAL PANIC AT SHEFFIELD.-
THE INQUEST.

An inquest on the bodies of the persons killed in
the crush which took place at the Surrey Music
Hall, Sheffield, on Monday night, was opened at
the Surrey Music Hall on Tuesday evening, before
Mr. T. Badger, the coroner, and Mr. H. P. Badger,
deputy coroner.

The jury proceeded to view the several bodies,
after which evidence was taken as to their identity.
W. H. Greaves, of Redhill, edge-tool fitter, said
—I am 19 years of age, and came the Surrey Music
Hall last night abOut a quarter to seven o'clock. I
sat on the bottom seat in the lower gallery, and
about two yards from one of the glass chandeliers.
Finding a bit of cigar in my pocket, I said to my
next neighbour, Wilfred Ledger, " I'll have a
smoke." I got a match from my pocket, and whilst
turning my head to Thos. Child, the brother of one
of the deceased, I struck it. on the ledge or board
in front of the seats on which the drinking glasses
are put. An explosion of gas took place. imme-
diately I struck the match. That was about five
minutes past eight o'clock. I know it was gas, be-
cause I had smelt it escape the whole evening, and
one of Mr. Youdan's men had been twice and put
some white lead on the top of the chandelier pipe.
I told the man that the gas smelt very strong where
I sat, but he would not take any notice. I said,
" Bring the paste here, and put it to some of these
nicks," but he did not appear to hear me. The re-
port of the explosion was very loud and burnt my
right hand, and it gave me such a shock that I
thought my arm was off. Immediately after the
explosion I looked round for Ledger, and found
him gone. At the same moment I saw a young
man jump from the gallery on the stage, and in de-
scending his arm struck and,broke one of the glass
chandeliers. Seeing the whole place in a state of
alarm and rushing to the staircase, I ran there and
tried also to escape. There was a great crush on the
stairs, and a man's head pressed on my shoulder, so
that I was nearly suffocated. I became insensible,
and the next thing I remember was finding myself
in bed at four this morning. I saw no firearms ;
but when the explosion took place I thought I was
shot, but on turning to Leger, found that a board
in front of the seat had been blown off, and then it
struck me that there had been an explosion of gas.
I had left the gallery before Mr. Youdan came on
the stage. I was about ten. minutes on the stairs
before I became unconscious from pressure on the
chest and stomach. ' Wilfred Ledger and Alfred
Moss were nearest to me when I struck the match.
Cigars are sold and smoking is allowed during the
performances at the Surrey Music Hall.
The jury proceeded with the witness to. the part
of the gallery where he stated the explosion to
have occurred. It was within a yard of the spot
pointed out as that from whence the pistol spoken
of by other parties was alleged to have been fired.
On inquiry of the gas fitter, it was found that, after
the confusion consequent on the catastrophe, a
board in front of the spot indicated by Greaves was
found loose, and was replaced. Another boy,
named Wilfred Ledger, came forward and confirmed
Greaves's statement as to the striking of the match
and explosion, adding that the board, on being
blown from its place, struck him on the chest.
The idea as to the alarm having originated with
the firing of a pistol had been so generally received,
that some of the jury did not appear to have
accepted the witness Greaves's explanation in the
first instance. They asked if there were any marks
of burning at the spot indicated, but none were
found, Greaves explaining that the explosion was
only like a flash, which scorched his hand and
singed his eyebrow 3, but did not scorch. the youths
Ledger, who sat next him: Having returned to
the inquest room,
Wilfred Ledger, of West John-street, aged 18,
razor maker, confirmed Greaves's statement. .

Inspector Linley—ln consequence of information
brought to me about 8 o'clock last night, that the
Casino was on fire, I sent some men there, and
shortly afterwards went myself, along with detec-
tive officer Brayshaw. I found people going into
the hall as usual. I went towards the lower gal-
lery, and when I got to the first landing. on the
staircase I heard the cry of " Fire," arid immedi-
ately a great number of persons rushed down the
stairs. The deceased Philip Child was one of the
foremost. He slipped, and fell with his head on
the stairs. I tried to gather him up, when a female,
named Taylor, fell down the stairs and knocked me
down, and. I fell into a corner. I got up as soon as
I could. I then got hold of a child, who was under-
neath several other persons, and I extricated him,
and gave him to some other persons. He was then
dead, having, I believe, been suffocated by the
number of persons that fell upon him. A young
woman (Ellen Staley) fell over the people coming
down stairs, and before I could pick her up several
persons, forced on by the pressure behind, had
trampled upon her. - I got her up as soon as I
could, and passed her to others. She-groaned at
the time. lmmediately after that I picked up Fre-
derick Morton, who had fallen down in the same
way as Staley. I saw Alfred Dale fall head fore-
most on the second landing. He moaned and said,
" Oh, dear." Several persons passed over his body.
I got him up, and handed him forwards as soon as
I could ; and also two other persons who were
severely injured. Many persons were trampled
upon. I caught a child, which had come over the
people's heads, and which appeared to have been
thrown down stairs. Several persons in falling clown
stairs turned summersajts. A quarter of an hour
elapsed from the ti me when information of "fire" was
brought to me at the Town-hall to the time I heard
the cry of " fire" in the Casino.
The inquiry was then adjourned to Wednesday
week, the 23d, and the coroner, at the request of
the jury, undertook to obtain the evidence of a
as to whether it was possible for
of has gas to have taken, place as alleged
without leaving
further traces of damage behind it.
tshcieen explosion witness
jury separated, at half-past eight, the
Mr. You an has announeed his intention to defray
and to keep his place
bodiAfetserwtehree
the funerals,
the expenses of
removed to the homes of their relatives.
have interred.
all the deceased- will
of entertainment closed till
.been Friday, by which time