The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-21 00:00:00

Nights ; but I believe I should not be far wrong if
I were to say that the amount of private capital
invested in the different railways cannot be much
short of half the amount of the national debt—a
singular and remarkable proof of the progressively
increasing resources of the country and of the spirit
of enterprise by which individuals have been ani-
mated to undertake works which conduce not
only to their own immediate interests, but lay
the foundation really of great national advan-
tage. (Hear, hear.) You may therefore—speak-
ing now as I do more particularly of the direc-
tors of lines—you may be proud of having
faced the difficulty by which the undertaking was
at first opposed. (Hear, hear.) You may be
proud of having at last begun a work which, I
trust, will not only connect your names with the
future prosperity of the county, but which will
also, I hope, very soon be connected by other lines
with the important commercial and manufacturing
interests of the country, (Cheers.) There is one
other observation which, I think, must strike every
one—one rather of a deeper nature, but one not less
founded in truth. We are told by those who in-
structus in moral and religious teaching that the
calamities and misfortunes which sometimes befall
other nations or men are intended for our perma-
nent advantage, and, if duly used and duly re-
flected on, ought to be felt to be only administra-
tions of that moral government by which Provi-
dence regulates the affairs of mankind. But there
is also a like truth in regard to the laws which re-
gulate the material globe. A careful attention to
those laws and a scientific application of them tend
as much to the permanent improvement of mankind
as a submission to the moral ordinances contributes
to welfare of a different nature. And so it has been
with the civilisation of the age in which we live.
That expansive and explosive force which in its un-
regulated operation lays waste districts by the
overflowing of a volcano, or spreads desolation over
cities and towns by an earthquake when governed
and regulated by the scientific appliances of man
has been converted into your obedient slave, trans-
ports you from place to place by land throughout the
whole continent of Europe, and applied to your
navigation, carries you safely and rapidly from one
end of the globe to the other. (Cheers.) So it is
also with the thunderbc,lt, that natural element
which inspires terror into the ignorant—which,
when acting simply by the casual application of the
laws of nature, is productive of death and destruc-
tion, yet guided and mastered by the science of the
present time becomes your servant, carries your
ideas instantaneously from point to point, estab-
lishes rapid conversational communication between
all the different parts of the globe, and now we
hope in a very short time—before many months
have elapsed—that we shall communicate as rapidly
between London and Calcutta as we have hitherto
communicated between one end of the smallest vil-
lage and the other. (Cheers.) We ought, then, to be
proud of the age in which we live—we ought to be
proud to think that the human intellect has arrived
at that amount of scientific attainment that we are
able to understand those great laws which regulate
the material world, and that, by the 'proper appli-
cation of that which in its original operation may
appear to be simply an element of destruction, we
have managed to convert into purposes most useful
in the daily life of mankind powers which Provi-
dence has created, not for purposes of destruction,
but in order that the mind of man, by the progres-
sive development of science, might adapt them to
the uses of civilised life. (Cheers )
After other local and appropriate toasts had been
duly honoured the company separated, many of
them to stroll through the park and grounds, which
were thrown open for the day.

THE LATE EXPLOSION ON BOARD
TIRE GREAT EASTERN:.

WEYMOUTH, SEPT. 20.

The jury, after an adjournment of an hour and
a-half on Monday evening, re-assembled in the
Town-hall. The following evidence was then taken:
Mr. Wm. Crow, chief engineer of the screw en-
gines, was called, and stated that he was appointed
by Mr. Blake, with the sanction of Mr. Brunel.
Had never been in the employment of the company
before, though he had been employed by Messrs.
Maudslay and Field for the last 23 years. During
the trial trip he did not act under the instructions
of any one, though he considered it his duty, in be-
half of the company, and also for the satisfaction of
the contractors, that he should take upon himself
the position of chief engineer, subject to the direc-
tions of Mr. Blake, Mr. Langdon, and Mr. Beck-
with, who represented the contractors, Messrs. Watt
and Co. As a servant of the company he also con-
sidered himself bound to obey Mr. M'Lennan. He
had his directions given to him by Mr. Blake, the
contractor, saying that according to the indicator,
and whether it said fast or slow, so he was to regu-
late the revolutions of the engines. The maximum
speed attained by the screw was 36 revolutions.
When at 34 he was informed that he was overrun-
ning the paddles. Of what went on in the paddle-
wheel department, or as to who was in charge there,
he knew nothing whatever. Had anything gone
wrong he would have taken all the responsibility
on himself and reported the matter to Mr. M'Len-
nan, or Mr. Blake, or Mr. Langdon, whichever he
met first. He never received any orders whatever
from Mr. M'Lennan.

By Mr. Lawson—Before sailing there was a muster
of the engineers, which witness attended. Mr.
M'Lennan called that muster,and informed the junior
officers that witness was the senior engineer of the
screw engines, and that they were to obey all the
orders he thought proper to give. He repeated those
orders to the firemen, as to obeying the orders of his
subordinates who might be on the watch. At the
wish of Mr. Blake, he subsequently got up steam
in the third set of screw boilers, which were
fitted with a superheating apparatus, in order
that witness might see them all at work. One of
the contractors told him when to get up steam and
start from the Nore. Mr. Russell never was in the
screw engine-room, and never gave any orders there.
Mr. Mark Lay said he was the chief purser of the
Great Eastern, and was answerable- for all the ar-
rangements between decks, and the money matters
of the ship. He had not quitted the vessel during
the voyage from London to Portland. He had oc-
casion during the voyage to speak as to the supplies
of water, and he applied to Mr. M'Lennan, who
said he had not charge of the paddle engines which
afforded the supply, and that he must ask Mr. Dick-
, son, who was in charge of them. In consequence
that he did ask Mr. Dickson, who refused to supply
the water, and referred him again to Mr. M'Lennan.
From his own general observation he should cer-
tainly say that Mr. Russell was in charge of the
piddle engines. Eventually Mr. Dickson did give
him the supply of water, at least so Mr. M'Lennan
afterwards informed him. Up to the present time
the store-rooms for witness's stores had not been
fitted, and, with the exception of one or two wine-
coolers, any one on board could still get at them.
Thos. Leatham, a fitter, formerly in Mr. Russell's
employ, was called to prove the lengthening of the
tube to which the cock was attached. He saw the
cock, but never touched it, and could not say whe-
ther it was shut or open.
Mr. Norman Scott Russell, the son of Mr. J. S.
Russell, was next examined—He said he was asked
to count the revolutions of the paddlewheels for his
father's information. He did so frequently from
time to time during the voyage. He had also to
communicate other things to him—for instance, he
told him when the screw engines stopped entirely.
He had also to ask questions of Mr. Dickson and to
take back his replies to Mr. Russell. (At this point
Capt. Robertson, R.N., the Surveyor-General of the
Board, of Trade, thought it would be unnecessary,
and perhaps not fair, considering the relationship
between Messrs. Russell, jun. and sen., to put any
further questions, in which the coroner at once con-
curred, and Mr. Russell accordingly sat down.)
Samuel Brittain, one of the assistant engineers of
the paddle department, said, that as far as he could
judge, Mr. Dickson appeared to be in full charge of
the engines. Witness heard him give orders to Mr.
Arnott to give more or less injection, according as
the engines required it. That was when leaving the
Nore. Heard him also say the steam was getting
low. Never heard Mr. M'Lennan give any orders at
all. From 9toll on that day the donkey engines
were very troublesome, and they had great difficulty
in forcing the feed through the water-casing into
the boilers. At last the slide came off the spindle of
the donkey and the engine broke down. The don-
keys, in fact, were not strong enough to feed the
boilers against the pressure of the steam. They
did it well enough when the pressure was at 181 b.,
but not above that. Witness reported that to Mr.
Dickson, and that he could not keep the water at a
sufficient height in the boilers. Mr. Dickson himself
came down at 12, and adjusted the escape valve of
the donkey engine. After that they still found they
could not feed the boiler, and Mr. Patrick came
down and turned the feed off from the casing direct
into the boiler. That was not done because the
boiler was priming. One of the after boilers was
priming slightly, but not any of the other three.
T 4 feed h
the boilers was
positive was not turned off because
donkeys were priming, but simply because the
not strong enough to keep the boilers
thought and considered Mr.
Dickson was in eroary riese from Deptford to Portland.
He made no re
thought Mr. Dickson to Mr. Arnett, because he
alone was responsible. He
never saw any steam or woa3"aereeseaping from the
syphon during the whole v
This being the whole of the egvidenc
to sum up. The The Coroner proceeded
The ques-
tions, he said, which were now to be submitted for
the consideration of the jury Were, first, as to the
cause of death; secondly, to what that cause was
attributable; and: thirdly, :17/1° was to blame