The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-17 00:00:00

THE EXPLOSIONS IN THE WESTMI
STE_R-ROAD.-TIZE CORONER'S INVES-
TIGATION.

Yesterday, Mr. Sergeant Payne, coroner for the
city of London and Southwark, and a highly re-
spectaH,e jury, wsembled in the board-room of St.
George's Workhouse, to inquire into the circum-
stinces attending the death of Sarah Aun Vaughan
Williams and Caroline Bridges, who lost their lives
at iho late explosion of Madame boton's and Mr.
Gibson's firework manufactories in the Westmin-
ster-road.

The Coroner, in opening the case, alluded to an
old act of Parliament passed in the reign of William
111., and stated that it would be probable that
after hearing the evidence he might find it his duty
to charge the gentlemen of the jury to prefer a
charge of manslaughter against some [erson or
persons. There were other firework manufactories
in the neighbourhood where the explosion took

Owe, and he could assure them that the law was
quite ample, if properly carried out, quite as much
so as when the act was passed in the reign of Wil-
liam 111.

Willi un Holloway said—l am an engineer of the
Fire Brigade. I found the body of Sarah Ann
Williams at No. 1, Melina-place, Westminster-
road, the house of Mr. Gibson. The body
was dreadfully burned. The day previous there
had been an explosion at a firewc•rk manu-
factory opposite to Mr. Gibsou'F, atout forty feet
off. I cannot give an opinion as to the cause of the
explosion.

Valentine W. Vaughan-Williams identified the
I.ody of the deceased Sarah Ann Vaughan Wil-
liams, and stated Ler age to be 11. -
James Anderton Jones, No. 4, Charles-street,
Westminster-road, seaman, said—On Mondayafter-
noon last I was in the back yard. I could see the
back windows of the house where the first explo-
sion took place (Mme. Coton's). I all at once
heard rn explosion, and one of the windows was
blown oat. I then ran into the street, and the

first thing that took my attention was Mme. Coton
coming out of the house with her clothes on fire.
With assistance I got her into a cab, and sent her

,o the hospital. about ten minuies afterwards

there was a second explosion, mare violent than
the last, and fireworks flew about in all directions.

I then saw a rocket fiy through one of the windows
of Mr. Gibson, who is also a firework maker, and
w shortly afterwards that house also caught fire. ilme.
Coton's premises were nearly destroyed, and Mr.
Gibson's house was burnt. There were three ex-
plosions altogether, the whole of them at Madame
Co' on':;.

By a Juror—l to not know whether Mme. Coton
is a married woman, and that her husband's name is
Bennett.

Mr. Lewis here entered the court, and said that
he appeared to watch the proceedings on behalf of
Mr. Bennett, but
The Coroner requested him to withdraw, as
Mr. Bennett was riot present. _ _

\lr. Henry Gibson s-aid—l am a firework-maker,
and up to Monday last I resided at the corner of
Charles-street, Westminster-road. I know Mr.
Bennett. He is man ied, I belieue, to Mme. Cutcn,
and carried on the business of a firework-maker, al-
though the name of Cotcn was pllced over the door of
the house. On the Monday evening I observed some
smoke issuing from Mine. Cuton's, and I cl,..secl my
own shop. Soon afterwards two little boys came
out of the house with their arms slightly burnt,
avid on asking them how it bad happened they said
they had been charging some starlights. I was
standing at the door with my wife when the explo-
sion took place, and she was blown away some
yards and her clothes were set on fire. Directly
after that I observed that my own house was on
fire. I did not see the deceased girl Williams at that
time. There were several explosions altogether,
By a Juror-1 bad not more than 53. worth of
fireworks on my premises, which I kept for sam-
ples to show gentlemen. I had not more than a
quarter of a pound of gunp•Jwder in the house.
The goods in the shop window were all dummies,
merely being made of paper and stiing.
By tie Coroner—One of the little boys who came
out of Madame Coton's had a tool in his hand,
called a "former," used in charging cAoured
stars, which he said he bad been doing.
William Bray, a little boy, said—l am 13 years
of age, and reside at 4, Park-street, Kennington-
cross. On Monday last I was at work at Madame
Coton's. 1 believe her real name is Bennett. At
the time of the explosion I was in the house with
my brother David, Mis. Bennett, a boy named
Jack Watson, Mr. Bennett's mother, the servant,
and. a young girl working there.

CorOner=bo you kuvf the cause of the explo-
sion ?

Witness—Some red fire caught alight in the back
kitchen. I was there by myself filling some fire-
works called asteroids. ThEre were three colours
—purple, red, and green. The red and the green
were in the lids of the canisters, and the pur-
ple iii a plate. Mrs. Bennett and the boy, Jack
Watson, and my brother were in the middle
room at the time. The red-fire caught light, but
I cannot say bow, as there was no light in the
room. Mrs. Bennett bad told me that the
coloured fire would light by itself. I called out
to Mrs. Bennett that the coloured fire was alight,
and ran out, fellowed by my brother and the
bDy Watson. I only had my hair singed and a
sight burn on the elbow. Ido not know how
Mrs. Bennett got out. The canisters were nearly
full of coloured fire.

The Coroner then said that the jury must pro-
ceed to Guy's Hospital. Whit he would propose
was, tlim the inquiry should be ultimately ad-
journed ; and as it might probably turn out a case
of manslaughter, he would not advise' a short ad-
journment, which might send the case to the assizes,
which commence on the 2d of August, and would
en'ail great expense. He would propose adjourn-
ing to the Otb.
The jury then adjourned to Guy's Hospital, with
a conoitiou that they should re-assemble at two
o'clock.
INQUEST ON THE BODY OF CAROLINE BRIDGES AT
GUY'S HOSPITAL.

The jury re-assembled at two o'clock, when after
the ordinary obserra,tious,
George Pike, L 93, proved the finding of tha
body of the deceased, who was blown across the

road towards Mr. Gibson's house. Did not see
what struck her, but had no doubt the injuries
were occasioned by the explosion at Mine. Coton's.
He picked up the child, and finding it much burnt,
took it to the hospital.
Mr. Bridges, the father of the child, identified
the body as that of his daughter. She was about
11 years of ago.
Mr. W. Venour, house surgeon of Guy's Hospi-
tal, deposed to the fact that the deceased Caroline
Bridges was received into the hospital on Monday
evening, about a quarter to seven. She was se-
verely burnt about the arms, neck, and legs. After
she was received into the hospital she appealed to
rally, but afterwards relapsed. There was no doubt
she died from the effects of burns.
The Coroner, to Mr. Bridges—Was your daughter
a healthy girl /
Mr. Bridges said before this accident she was a
very healthy girl.
A juror desired to know whether the coroner
could not prevent the rebuilding of the premises
if the inquiry was adjourned ?
The Coroner said he had no such power.
Mr. Clothier, churchwarden, asked whether it
would affect the inqury if the pari h authorities
applied to the Secretary of State to prevent the
manufacture of fireworks in so crowded a neigh-
bourhood
The Coroner said, certainly not; he was of opin-
ion that the law was strong enough, if those whose
duty it was would put in motion, to prevent a re-
petition of such accidents.
After a lengthened conversation,
The Coroner advised an adjournment, as it was
ptobable they might come to the conclusion of a
verdict of manslaughter, to such a day that it
would pass over the assizes. He would therefore
propose that, as the assizes would take place on
the 2d of August, they should adjourn until the
Gth of August.
The, inquiry was accordingly adjourned until that
day.
Mr. Venour, the house surgeon, in reply to a
juror, said that Mrs. Bennett (Magame Coon) was
still alive, but in a mist dangerous state, in fact,
he considered her recovery hopeless.
The other sufferers. in St. Thomas and Guy's
Hospitals are pi ogressiug favourably.

THE EXPLOSIONS IN TUE WESTMINSTER ROAD.—i
PUBLIC MEETING.—A meeting of the ratepayers of Sr.
George the Martyr, Southwark, was field last night in
reference to the recent explosions at the firework fac-
tories in the Westuainstei-road. The Bev. Mr. Howlett
presided. It was uranbnuusly agreed that the following
memorial should be presented to the Secretary of State
for the Home Department :--"Sir,—We, the under-
signed, incumbent and householders of St. Patin:, South-
wark, beg to a,,k your ei.pccial notice at d attention to
the awful explaionn frequently occurring in this micp.h.
bourhood, but more particularly to Monday, the 12th of
July instant, on which occasion-no fever than 315 per-
sons were incra cr less injured, some supposed to be mot -
tally
I;:venbleateurc
woundsed tLdreeactehivi
endt hone
tpsri
de
em;is
ee
t'v'e reyn do
otheruae.nof t h the
aforesaid exp!osions arising from
'
au accumulation of fire-
works in firework malteis' premises situated in the
Westminster-road, in the above
mea, urea may be adopted 47
iuorialists therefore bumbl district. Your me-
only tie sale, but the beg that very stringent
Government to preVent not
commodities in the, Ceinitizz of tnanufacl we of such dangerous
1 üblic roads and inhabited