The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-13 00:00:00

THE INQUEST.

The deaths having been formally reported to the
Coroner for the county of Dorset, Mr. H. Locke, a
solicitor resident at Dorchester, that gentleman
caused a jury to be empanelled for the purpose of
investigating the cause of the accident. The use of
the Town-hail was courteously gsanted by the cor-
poration for the purposes of the inquiry, and the
hour fixed for assembling was 11 o'clock this
morning.
The following is a list of the panel :
J. Drew, proprietor of the Victoria Hotel, foreman.
Hugb D. Sime, tutor. G. Weisford, gentleman.
A. Buck, cabinetmaker. J. Russell, ironmonger.
A. Tucker, bookseller. E. Hallett, cabinetmaker.
John Lundie, grocer. Daniel Pigeon, grocer.
Septus Mace, draper. T. B. Groves, chemist.
James Sherrin, printer. James Buck, stationer.
John Talbot, draper. Rich. Roberts, reporter.
The usual oaths having been administered,
The Coroner said their first duty would be to view
the bodies of the deceased persons. The inquiry
upon which they had been summoned was perhaps
the most important that had ever been submitted
to a jury, but he felt confident it would secure their
full and serious attention.
The jury having viewed the bodies, which were
lying at the King's Head Hotel, adjoining the
Town-hall,
The Coroner, before proceeding with the investi-
gation, asked if there was any person present to
represent either the company, the friends of the
deceased, or the Board of Trade.
Mr. Leverson, solicitor of the company, replied
that he represented that body, and that Mr. Gallo-
way, an officer attached to the Board of Trade, was
also present.
Mr. Galloway stated he was present only as a
spectator, and had no instructions from the Board
of Trade ; but that any questions which might be
asked him he was willing to answer.
Mr. James Briscoe was the first witness exa-
mined. He said—l am assistant-engineer of the
paddle department of the Great Eastern steam-
ship. My duty was simply according to my in-
structions—to meddle with nothing, or at all inter-
fere with the machinery, but to obey the orders of
the senior engineer of that department on board in
charge. I was to take no responsibility whatever
upon myself. I was, on the morning of Friday,
after leaving the Nore, standing with Mr. Dickson,
foreman of Mr. Scott Russell, when I heard the

donkey engines were then becoming troublesome—
namely, those in the boiler-room No. 2. I then
went with two or three others to try and keep them
going in order to pump the water into the boilers.
I remained from that time with the donkey-engine
on the starboard side of the boiler-room until the
time of the explosion, the donkey engine on the
port side being disabled, and incapable of doing its
work, but the men were repairing it. About a
moment previous to the accident, Mr. M'Lelean,
the chief engineer of the ship, came to me to test
the saturation of the boiler—that is, the density of
the water. Having done so, I pointed out to him
that the feed-water was of sufficient height—at its
proper height. He said it was all right, but be
again gave his previous caution not to meddle with
the working of either the engines or boilers, except
so far as I was told to do by the senior engineer in

charge of the paddle department. I was not to
- meddle with any such thing as the opening of
cocks •r valves, or with any of the details of the
engines. That conversation ended, Mr. M'Lelean
left the boiler-room. I can't say who was the
particular engineer in charge of the department at
the time. The senior engineer on board was Mr.
Arnott, but his name was not mentioned to me as
the engineer in charge. After my conversation
with Mr. M'Lelean I had merely time to walk a
distance of about 15 feet and resume my position
when the explosion took place. I could not tell
then where the explosion took place, but I disco-
vered when I got on the middle deck that it was in
the funnel-casing and not in the boiler of that room
where it occurred.

Coroner—When was it you say you first became
aware of where the explosion took place ?

Witness--I did not know of it until I got on the
saloon deck.

Coroner—What was the effect of the explosion ?
Witness—The effect was that the room was im-
mediately filled with hot air and steam.
Coroner—Well, what did you do then ?
Witness—l got up the fore-stoke-hole ladder on
the starboard side, where I found three stokers, who
had got up before me, and they were calling for
assistance on the lower deck.

Coroner—Who were they—do you know their

names ?
Witness—The name of one is Parks.
The other
two I do not know the names of.
Coroner—Are those persons here ?
Witness—That I cannot say. I have not seen
them.
Coroner —What did you do when those men
called for assistance ?
Witness—l led the way into the lower saloon,
obtained assistance and got them up. One was got
up by a rope, the other two by a ladder.
Coroner—What took place then ?
Witness—l do not know anything further, as I
became incapable of doing anything more from my
burns, and I' vent below to be attended to by one of
the doctors.

Coroner—l thought you said it was then, or after
that, you discovered what the accident was ?

Witness--It was when I was standing on the up-
per deck al3sisting tlse men up that I said I disco-
vered it. The hole where the funnel had been was
at uxy feet.

Cotoner—What was the cause of the accident?

"Rritneim—lt was that the two cases of the funnel,

the inner and the outer, between which the water
is heated, were rent asunder and the waste pipes
were scattered about.

Coroner—Anything more?
Witness—And the whole of the cabins of the
Lower deck were in a mass of ruins.

Coroner—Now, what do you say was the cause
of the accident ?

Witness—The cause was the bursting of the
heater that surrounded the boiler.

Coroner—Had you anything to do with that ?
-Witness—No, sir. _ _

Coroner—Did you know the stokers who have
died ?

Witness—l know them all by their numbers, not
by their names.
Coroner—Did you see any of them after you
went down, as you say, to have your burns dressed ?
Witness—Yes, I saw several of them.
Coroner—Several of those who have died ?
Witness—Yes.

Coroner—Who were they ?
Witness—l saw the one who died last night and
the man who died this morning.
Coroner—When did you see these men last ?
Witness—Late last evening when I went into the
dispensary.
Coroner—What was the time the explosion took
place ?
Witness—Some time in the afternoon, just before
dark on Friday. I should say about six o'clock.

Coroner—Now, with respect to the two men you
saw on Sunday, what are their names ?

Witness—Adams and Edwards.
Coroner—Did you know them by their names be-
fore ? ()

Witness—No ; I knew them by their numbers
All the men bad numbers.

Coroner—What were their numbers ?

Witness—l do not know what their numbers
were. They carried their numbers attached to the
most convenient part of their dress ; but when I
saw them their clothes were torn.

Coroner—Did you know any of the rest
Witness—Yes ; I knew Boyd, Mahon, and the
man wfio went overboard.

Coroner—Did you see him go overboard ?
Witness—No ; I was on the starboard side, and
he was on the port side.

Coroner—How then do you know he went over•
board ?

Witness—l only heard of it by report, and I
know he is missing out of that watch. He did not
answer in the muster.

Coroner—Were you present when the muster
was called.

Witness—No ; I only know of it by hearsay.
Coroner—Do the gentlemen of the jury wish to
ask the witness any questions? _ _

Mr. Leverson—With your permission I shall ask
him a few questions. Were you present when Mr.
M'Lelean called the stokers and firemen together on
the Tuesday or Wednesday evening before we left
to give them instructions The Wednesday even-
ing, I think it was, after we anchored in Long-reach.
Do you recollect anything about it ?
Witness—l do. I was not present when he did
so ; but afterwards Mr. M'Lelean's clerk came to
look for me about it.

Mr. Leverson—Then what orders did he give you?
Witness—He gave orders that I was to assist but
not meddle with the work of the engines or boilers
except when ordered to do so by the chief engineer
in charge of the department.

Mr. Leverson—Did he give you any reason for
the order ?

Witness—No; except that Mr. Russell's men
were the engineers in charge.

Mr. Leverson—When was that ?
Witness—lt was latish in the afternoon.
Coroner—You were not with the stokers, then,
when Mr. M'Lelean addressed them.

Witness—No, I was below on duty, and coming
aft, I came on with the clerk and met him, and
then, in presence of the clerk, he repeated his in-
structions.

Mr. Leverson—What did he repeat ?
Witness—That I was not on any account to
meddle with the machinery and boilers, or take any
responsibility upon myself, but obey the orders of
the chief engineer in charge of the paddle depart-
ment, and render general assistance if required.
Mr. Leverson—He gave you some reason, did he
not ?

Witness—He did.
Mr. Leverson—Repeat to the coroner and jury
the reason.

Witness—That the engines were still in Mr.
Russell's hands, and that, so far, Mr. Russell sup-
plied the engineers.
Mr. Leverson—Did he tell you that himself ?
Witness—Yes ; and I saw them there.
Coroner—How do you know that they were Mr.
Rusell's engineers ?

Witness--Because I knew the men myself, and
have known them for years as Mr. Russell's men,
and I heard them get instructions.
Coroner—Do you know who assumed control in
the paddle-engine department ?