The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-24 00:00:00

LATE LOSS OF LIFE AT BLACKF_RIARS

BRIDG

Last night Mr. W. J. Payne, the deputy coroner
for the city of London, held an inquest at the Ruse
and Ball, Bennet's-hill, Upper Thames-street, on the
body of James Kent, aged 45, a lighterman, who,
with six other persons, were in a boat which was
swamped by the swell of a steamer at Blackfriars-
bridge, on Wednesday evening last, when the
deceased was drowned.

Win. Bartlett, of the Coal Exchange Tavern, St.
Mary-at-Hill, said at a quarter before six on Wed-
nesday evening he was in a gig with the deceased,
having started from Lambeth Stairs, with five other
persons. live of the party were rowing, the deceased
amongst the number, who was rowing the stroke
oar. They had just got through one of the arches of
the bridge, near the middle of the river, the tide
running down at the time very strongly. The water
was very rough when they got through the arch.
Witness saw a great swell, when the man who was
steering called out " back her." A waterman was
steering. We dashed over the first wave, but some
water came into the boat. A second wave came still
stronger, which swamped them and the boat went
down. All were saved except the deceased. When
witness went down he caught hold of the boat, and
succeeded in clinging to it, and at length got on the
keel of the boat, where he remained until extricated
by some persons on board a steamboat. The boat
had not struck anything in passing through the
bridge. They were all rowing properly and carefully
and the whole of the party were quite sober.
Thomas William Myers, of No. 50, Great Tower-
street, said he was in the boat ou the day in question.
It was a six-oared cutter, and would carry a dead
weight of 18 or 20 persons. Witness was steering at
the time, the tide running down and near low water.
They came through the fourth arch on the City
side. It is a clear arch. When they got through the
arch there was such an unusual swell that a large
skiff could hardly live in it. The cutter gave two
terrible pitches in the swell. She half-filled at the
first, and then at the second went down. Witness
saw the breakers a-head and called out to all to ease
off. Witness and another man swam on shore leaving
those who could not swim to hang on by the boat. A
steamer had just gone up from Blacktriars-bridge,
and there was a heavy cross swell at the time. She
went down after they had got about 20 yards
through tie bridge. All who were in the boat, ex-
cept Mr. Bartlett, were watermen and free of the
river. The deceased sank in about 12 feet water.
George Maxwell, of Willow-walk, Bermondsey,
waterman, said—All the five who were rowing the
boat were watermen. They eased off in passing
through the arch. The man who was steering
called out to " Back her astern," but they were not
able to do so in time, and the swell struck her. A
Citize❑ boat had just passed through the arch as
they got there. Everything was done by those
rowing to save her from sinking, and be (witness)
remained in the boat until he was up to his middle
in water, when the boat canted and rolled over.
The cause of this was the steamer going so furiously
through the arch of the bridge. Witness did not
see the deceased, but when he got ashore he in-
quired if all were saved. He was told by a gentle
man that all were, but unfortunately he found that
such was not the case, as the deceased was drowned.

The Coroner summed up the evidence, and said
that it was important matter for consideration that
the whole of those in the boat, with the exception
of Mr. Bartlett, were watermen, and had consider-
able experience on the river.
The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.
The deceased has left a wife and three children
quite unprovided for.

A LUNATIC SCALDED IN A BA2II AT

SAN WELL.

Yesterday afternoon Mr. G. S. Brent, deputy
coroner for West Middlesex, held a lengthy inquiry
in /Unwell County Lunatic Asylum, on the body
of a patient named William Edwards, aged 36,
lately an egg merchant, of Heathpoo'.-street, Pad-
dington, whose death was occasioned by severe
scalds in a bath at the above institution.
The evidence set forth that the deceased was sent
from Marylehone Workhouse to the above asylum
in Sept. last, He was demented and suffering from
paralysis, the latter affection producing dirty habits.
On such occasions 1:e was subjected to a warm
bath, and a like event occurring on the 26th ult., a
bath was about to be prepared for him by Taylor,
an attendant in the epileptic and idiotic ward,
while Paris, another attendant, undressed the pa-
tient in his room. Before the bath was ready,
Paris let the man out in his shirt and boots, Taylor
at the time having turned boiling water first into
the bath instead of cold, contrary to custom. The
patient stepped into the boiling water, and suffered
the most excruciating agony. Ho was then taken
from the boiling water and put upon a seat, when
his boots were taken off; and a consultation was
then held between the two attendants as to what
course should be adopted. They decided on sending
for Dr. Ellis, who attended, and subsequently Dr.
Begley visited. The feet of the deceased were
dressed, and he was nut to bed. On the following
day the unfortunate man was removed to the in-
firmary, where he lingered till the morning of
Thursday, the 19th inst., when death terminated
his sufferings,
The jury remained in consultation with closed
doors, when, on the re opening of the court, the fol-
lowing special verdict was returned :
‘. We (the jury) find that on the 13th of Sept.,
Wm. Edwards did die from the mortal effects of in-
flammation of one of his intestines, called the duo-
denum, caused by his feet having become scalded
accidentally; and that his feet were scalded as afore-
said by his having stepped into the bath containing
hot water only; and the jurors further say that
there was great neglect on the part of the attendant
on Wm. Edwards aforesaid, but that this neglect
was caused by the want of proper rules in the
asylum ; and the jurors further recommend that no
patient in this asylum should be allowed to enter
into the bath room until the bath is properly tern- r
perated."