The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-10 00:00:00

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followed, but he got down *m rs and met his fattier
and Mr. Pursall. He . into the street and told
a messenger to go for the fire" engines, which ap-
peared to be a long time incoming. Remembering
that there was a pot of fulminate in the office, he
told Mr. Pursall, who fetched it out. This was -in
the passage. Witness could not state any furthur
particulars, as he was removed in a state of illness.
The Foreman—At the time the explosion oc-
curred, when you say you saw what you thought
were flames in the centre of the shop, could you
see the priming shop, or had it fallen down ? .
Witness—lt had not fallen down. ' -
The Coroner—How do you know that ?
Witness—l should have remarked it.
The Coroner—But you were in darkness. Do
you say that when you thought there was a flame,
but neither saw it nor felt its heat, as you haie
said, that you saw the priming shop standing ?
Witness—l imagine it was standing, otherwi:e
I should have remarked it.
The Foreman—How many fires had you on the
przmisos ?
Witness—There was one on the ground door,
and a firnice in the shed at the extreme end of the
yard. TheEr may have been other fires on ihe.prre-
mises, but / am not aware of them, except the
priming
stove in the priming shop.
The Foreman--What is the lower fire used for ;
is it for business ?
Witness—When the wadding maker was there
it was used for making paste.
The Coroner—Where were your cartridges
greased ?
Witness—On the ground floor.
Mr. Motteram—How is the grease heated.?
Witness—On a hot piece of iron, which has been •
previously heated at the firo,; ,_
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..
Mr. Motteram—The most dangerous part of the
process is mixing, I believe, and that you do your-
self.
Witness—Yes.
A Juror—Did you not do that yourself from the
representations of your • workpeople as to its
danger ?
Witness—Yes.
The Juror—And you did it in their absence ?
-,-,-Witgress---Yeos-I mixed it_either hg„,l,9o,o4zprk ... ._ . , -.,,.
people came or while they were gone to dinner.
Another Juror—How did you perceive that the
floor of the warehouse had fallen?
Witness—l saw it.
Juror—But where did the light come from to
enable you to see it—from above or below ? I
thought you were in darkness? .
Witness—From below, I believe.
Another Juror—Whence do you suppose the ex-
plosion proceeded—from above or below P Did you
seem to be thrown up or 'down P
Witness—lt came from below. I heard a second
report a few minutes after the first, and I believe
while I was yet in the warehouse ; 5,500,000 is not
a large stock. We do not consider caps dangerous
stock.

A Juror—Did you perceive a smell of gas on the
26th andngain on the 27th ?
Witness—Yes. I did not send to the gas com-
pany, because the men were there. The gasmen
had been removing the meter, and had attended to
some parts of the pipes. We had a second meter
in the priming shop. About a minute after the ex-
plosion I saw a stream of fire coming out of the gas
pipe on the lower floor.
A Juror—You have spoken of a second report
where did that proceed from?
Witness—From the priming room.
The Coroner (to witness)—Are you sure.of that
Witness—No, I am not.
John Northrop, a fitter, in the employ of the
Birmingham ad Gas Company, deposed that on
Monday, the 19th of September, he was sent to the
manufactory of Messrs. Pursall and Phillips and
was employed there day by day until the 23d in
fixing lights and altering fittings. He also shifted
a meter. "After that," the witness continued, "I
put 20 feet of temporary pipe across the ceiling of
the bottom room from near the corner of the shop
stairs to the front wall, to an old pipe which lighted
the desk in the office above. It was temporary, be-
cause I was to go again on Monday morning.
When I left on Friday night the .pipes were all
safe. lam sure there was no escape. On Monday
morning at 8 o'clock I went again; and found
everything safe as I left it. I could not procetld,
because the bricklayer's work was not ready. There
was not the least smell of gas then. lat that time
examined the fittings all round. I did not try
them with a light. I made no alteration to the
fittings in the priming room; I was never at it.
On the Tuesday before I put up some fittings in the
press room. No one called my attention to a smell
of gas on Monday. The temporary pipe I put up
was composition ; it was supported by about a
dozen books.'
By a Juror—When I examined the pipe I had no
light, and I cannot say whether the gas was on or
off. I did not smell it, and I judged that it was
•ff.

By Mr. Motteram—No one complained to me of
le gas on the Monday morning. Besides the car-
penter there were some girls in the office. By the
rules of our office we are forbidden to use a light
when we smell an escape of gas until we have dis-
covered where it is'.
Mr. Wm. Lines Turner stated that on the mm r-
ing of the 27th ult. he was standing in his back
yard, in Steel-honso.lane, when-he heard a loud re-
port. It was a rumbling hollow noise. In less than
a minute he heard a second explosion, not so loud
as the former one, but similar in character. He ran
in the direction of Whittall-street, and on arriving
at the premises of Messrs. Pursall and Phillips he
found them a heap of ruins. He helped to extri-
cate some persons who were buried underneath,
and while so engaged he saw a large flash of fire
up at the far corner on the left hand side of the
building. The flame appeared to be four or five
yards in breadth and to proceed from against the
wall on the first floor. After the first flash the fire
disappeared for a few moments, as though it had
been extingeished, but speedily burst out again,
seizing upon two unfortunate women, who were
firmly imbedded in the bricks and timber. The
engines then arrived. As he came out of the pre-
mises he saw a blaze of gas proceeding from a pipe
near the meter on the ground floor. The gas was
not burning when he went in. The pipe appeared
to be an inch or more in diameter. The witness
went on to state in evidence :—As I was going in I
heard an old gentleman ask, "Is the gas turned
off?" and on looking at the meter I perceived that
there was no key upon the large main tap. lam
certain no gas was burning at that time. I cannot
say whether the pipe was ruptured or snapped off
by the explosion, or by the falling timber. The
end of the pipe where the flame was coming out had
a "nut" or serew*upon it, and it must either not
have been joined on to the next pipe, or the shoul-
der of the next pipe must have broken short off.
Many attempts were made to extinguish the gas,
but without success until the fire was nearly over,
as no key for the meter cound be found.
By a Juror—No report accompanied the flash I
have spoken of; at least, I did not notice any.
From its rapidity it struck me that it was an explo-
sion of gas. The engines did not arrive on the spot
for, I should think, 20 minutes after I heard the
first explosion.
By Mr. Motteram—When I went in first of all
I saw no fire as I passed. There was no fire be-
tween the pipe and the street. I should say the
burning timber in the body of the building ignited
the gas. The pipe that was alight was eight feet
from the ground. The fire was above my head. I
can see no other way in which the gas could have
got on fire except from the burning materials.
Robert Manns, a gun screwer, residing only a
short distance from the premises of Messrs. Pursall
and Phillips, heard a report like the discharge of a
large gun about a quarter to 11 o'clock on the
morning in quo lion. He ran thither, having two
daughters in the employ of the firm, and made his
way to the door of the press room, which was
etbrc forced
working i tt
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heed girls
passing under his hand. He then became insensible
for a short time. After describing his further pro-
ceedings in and about the premises, the witness said
he saw the gas burning, but not until he had been
out and returned a third time. He was quite sine
the gas was not burning when he went in, nor did
he observe that the premises were on fire.
Hannah Manns, the daughter of the last witness
(who was at work making cartridges in the press
room at the time of the explosion), was also exa-
mined; after which, it being then midnight, the in-
quiry was adjourned until Tuesday.
Public sympathy finds a vent in the subscription
of a large amount for the relief of the surviving
sufferers, and his Royal Highness the Prince Con-
sort has manifested his interest by a letter from Col.
Phipps to the Mayor.

THE DUKE OF RICHMOND STEAMER ASHORE.—
On Saturday afternoon a telegram was received in the City,
from Aberdeen, reporting that during a dense fog that
morning the Duke of Richmond steamer, while on a voyage
from Caithness to Aberdeen, went on shore four miles to
the northward of the latter port. No lives lost.
IMPUDENT PICKPOCKETS.—A correspondent of
the Observer writes :—" Last Friday evening, about eight
o'clock, two apparently gentlemanly youths, from 18 to 20,
knocked at my door in a square at the east of London, and
inquired of my wife if she knew which house Mr. Simpson,a
a tall, very tall gentleman, with moustache,
.who drovetw
and
at having f
of thanks and regrets
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they, with a profusion
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dainsedoved,
her purse, containing XI Gs., had been abstracted by the
five
' polite young gentlemen the pocket
inquirer nearest the door carried a cloak OR his arm, and
the one farthest off now and then put a question to draw
attention from his confederate."