The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-10 00:00:00

THE LATE FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE

POLYTECHNIC.

On Saturday afternoon a rumour prevailed that
two more of the persons injured by the late calamity
at the Polytechnic Institution had expired at the
Middlesex Hospital, and also a that a third sufferer
who had been conveyed to his own residence, had
fallen a victim to the injuries he had sustained. On
inquiry at the hospital the former statement was
found to be erroneous ; for, although still remain-
ing in a very precarious state, the report was that
the whole of the five patients still remaining
showed symptoms of improvement rather than
otherwise. With respect to the latter rumour, it
was impossible to test its accuracy, as, although
some of the Marylebone summoning officers had
received the information, they were not acquainted
with the residence of the party referred to. It is
quite certain, however, that there were many other
persons injured than those whose names have al-
ready become known ; and it transpired, in course
of inquiry, that there were people in the London
Hospital, Mile-end-road, who were injured by the
fall of the staircase. It appears that, notwithstand-
ing the distance, their first impulse was to get to
their homes, where the injuries they had sustained
were discovered to be of so serious a nature as ren-
der their removal to the hospital indispensable.
Mr. T. M. Nelson and Mr. C. Eales, the archi-
tects appointed by the coroner and jury, attended
at the Polytechnic Institution on Wednesday,
for the purpose of viewing the broken
staircases, and inspecting, the materials, &C.,
with a view to the formation of their report to
lay before the jury at its next sitting. They were
attended by Mr. Mortimer Timpson, the builder of
the institution, and a professional friend on behalf
of Mr. James Thompson, the architect, was also
present. They made a minute examination of every
one of the broken steps of the stairs, and also went
into the basement, and with the aid of Mr. Timp-
son's men, some of the larger fragments of the
fallen stone and iron work were also examined.
From all that can be collected it appears that the
first breakage took place at the edge of the southern
landing leading from the small lecture theatre,
which formed, as it were, the keystone to the whole
of the upper spiral staircase. It is a remarkable
fact, that whilst every step, about forty.in number,
is broken at the same point, about six inches from
the circular wall from which they spring, in no
single instance is there the slightest fracture or dis-
placement of the stone to be found in the wall itself.
Indeed the ends remain as solid and firm, although
20 years have elapsed since they were cemented
into the wall, as the first day after their erection.
It is intended by the directors to re-open the in-
stitution to-day, and, in order to prevent anything
like danger or idle curiosity, a very neatly arranged
screen, having the appearance of a solid granite
wall, has been constructed on either side of the
central staircase, completely enclosing the one which
has fallen, and its opposite companion, in such a way
that persons who have not been in the habit of
visiting the Polytechnic will be at a loss to discover
that there were ever such places in existence.