The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-18 00:00:00

BANKRUPTS.

- -
Charles King, draper, Newington Causeway, to sur-
render, Jan. 28, and March 4, at eleven,at the Court of
Bankruptcy.
Lewis Mclver, merchant, Liverpool, Feb. 3 and 18, at
eleven, at the Liverpool District Court.
William Titteringtox, spirit-dealer, Liverpool, Feb. 3 and
18, at eleven, at the Liverpool District Court.
William Roberts, grocer, King's Lynn, Norfolk, Jan. 31,
at twelve, and Feb. 28, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy.
William Buckley Jones and Henry Dermot Dempsey,
shipbuilders, Liverpool, Feb. 4 and 25, at eleven, at the
Liverpool District Court.
eaWilliam. Davies, son., baker, Baldock, Hertfordshire,Jan. 31, at twelve, an Feb. 28, at two, at the Court of
Bankruptcy.

SCOTCH BANKRUPTS.
James Rennie and Company, wholesale fancy ware-
housemen, Glasgow.
Andrew Frood, draper, Glasgow. - •
David Renwick, cattle-dealer, Greenlaw.
David Caw, farmer and miller, Milnab, near Crieff.

COURSE OF E XCHANGE.—T ills DAY.
Amsterdam
Ditto
Rotterdam — 11 17 11 171
Antwerp
Brussels — 25 30 25 3.5
Hamburgh
Paris Short. 25 7+ 25 15
Ditto
Marseilles — 25 35 25 37}
Frankfort on Maine — 118 118#
Vienna
Trieste
Petersburgh —35 f
Madrid
Cadiz — 494 49+
Leghorn — 29 72/ 29 80
Genoa — 25 50 25 55
Naples
Palermo — 121+ 122
Messina . 122 122
Lisboa
Oporto
Rio Janeiro 6O days st. .. • •
New York — ..

_ ..
E.I. Co's bls. House bin. 60d.
Calcutta, Co.'s rupee 26 24
Bombay ditto
Madras ditto — 26 24
East India Company's Bills drawn, from the 24th ult. to
... .

the Bth inst:
Bowl £1,201 5 0
Madras 0 0 0
Bombay

£1,201 5 0

Foreign Gold in Bars (Standard) per oz. £3 17 9
Mexican Dollars
Silver in Bars (Standard) „ 0 6 2

THE LATE CATASTROPHE AT THE

POLYTECHNIC.

ADJOURNED INVESTIGATION.

This afternoon, at two o'clock, Mr. Wakley, coroner for
Middlesex, and the jury ompannelled on the 6th instant, to
investigate the circumstances connected with the recent
catastrophe at the Polytechnic InstitUtion, re-assembled at
the Lecture-hall of the College of Dentists, No. 5, Caven-
dish-square, for the purpose of further prosecuting their
inquiry.

It will be recollected that the jury were sworn as to the
death of Emma Pike, who, with her father and other mem-
ben of her family, were passing down the staircase at the
moment of its fall. The proceedings excited very deep
interest, and the spacious room in which the inquiry was
held was densely crowded.
Mr. Sleigh, instructed by Mr. Greatorex, attended to
watch the proceedings on the part of the directors of the
Polytechnic Institution ; Mr. Collier, M.P., Q.C., ap-
peared for Mr. James Thompson, the architect ; Mr. Gor-
ing, solicitor, appeared for Mr. Bedford, the mason who
was employed to let the iron treads into the steps
of the staircase; Mr. Hughes, solicitor, for Mr. Pep-
per, then lessee of the institution; and Mr: Matthews, soli-
citor for Mr. Pike, the father of the deceased child.

The first witness examined Was Mr.. Smith, who stated
that he was present at a number of experiments made by
Mr. Marsh Nelson and Mr. Eales, the architects, upon a
portion of the fallen staircase. In the course of those expe-
riments the top stair of the upper flight: had been very
severely tested, and before it yielded it bore an enormous
strain-20 times as much as it would ordinarily bear.
Mr. Marsh Nelson, one of the architects appointed to give
his opinion as to the cause of the calamity, then read his
report, which having alluded to the nature of the accident,
went on to state that it was his opinion that the alteration
of the 'staircase was not the cause of the accident, but that
the fall was caused by the giving way of the bottom
landing (or the steps immediately resting upon it) of the
first flight. The landing was supported by one end being
pinned into the wall, and on the other by a joggle joint
of imperfect construction, instead of having a solid
bearing upon the iron girder, as is usual.
The landing was cut to a feather edge, and nearly on the
point of this rested the first of a flight of 18 steps,
each five feet in length, and although the steps
were pinned into the wall, Mr. Nelson considered that
quite insufficient for such a staircase. The report went on
to state the parts of the institution which were not fire-
proof, and concluded by recommending the jury to make such
a presentment to Government as would induce Parliament
early in the ensuing session tore-consider and re-construct
the present inefficient building clause, and the laws for the
siipervision of places for public amusement, so as to
prevent as far as possible a recurrence of accident's
which have been so frequent of late.
Mr. Eales, the other professional gentleman, then read
his report, which in the main agreed with that of Mr.
Nelson. Ho condemned the manner in which the
repairs to the stairs had been effected, and recommended
for the future that geometrical staircases for public places of
amusement should be prohibited, and that for the future
it should be strictly enforced, that when the ends of stairs
projected from the wall, those ends should be supported by
rests rising from the ground.
The Coroner said, the jury having heard the two reports
read, he thought that, in Corder to allow time for considera-
tion, the present inquiry had better be adjourned for a
short time.
The inquiry was adjourned until three o'clock on Mon-
day next.