The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-05 00:00:00

DREADFUL OCCURRENCE.

HAnwicrf, OCT. 4.—This town and the adjoining
village of Dovercourt has for the past two days
been the scene of unusual excitement in consequence
of a dreadful accident, resulting in the suffocation
of four persons (two women, one man, and a child)
and the narrow escape of a fifth person. Within a
short distance of the village of Dovercourt are ex-
tensive cement works carried on by Mr. J. Pattrick,
a cement manufacturer of Harwich, and immedi-
ately contiguous to the works are some cottages,
occupied by the families of men in Mr. Pattrick's
employ. These buildings are so situated that they
become completely impregnated with the fumes of
sulphur from the works, and it is stated that per-
sons had previously been compelled to leave them
in consequence of their habitations being dangerous
to human life, and in one instance that a person
removed in a state of insensibility. Nevertheless
they have continued to be occupied, and the result
now is the loss of four human lives. It appears
that the five inmates of one of the dwellings in
question retired into their house after the ordinary
hours of labour had expired on Wednesday evening,
but one of the men shortly afterwards left home
and proceeded to Harwich. On his return, about
11 o'clock, he entered the house, and was startled
to find his comrades and their families insensible in
various parts of the dwelling, which was so filled
with fumes of sulphur from the kiln in the rear
that he was almost suffocated. He vainiy endea-
voured to arouse them, and was proceeding to
obtain the assistance of a neighbour when he fell
near the door, where he (was subsequently found
more dead than alive, and unable to render any
further account of this shocking transaction. When
the place was entered the wife and child of this
unfortunate man were found quite dead, and an-
other man and his wife were discovered lifeless on
the floor. The bodies presented a most shocking
spectacle, the features being dreadfully distorted,
and they all bore evidence of the poisonous nature
of the air to which they had fallen victims.
The rumour of the occurrence quickly spread,
and large numbers of persons from Harwich
proceeded to the spot, and but one feeling
of astonishment was expressed that any human
being should ever occupy such a wretched hovel,
and that human life had not been previously sacri-
ficed. An inquest was held yesterday afternoon
before Mr. W. Codd, one of the coroners for Essex,
when a verdict of " Accidental death" was returned,
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calamity has occurred in this district for many
years which has occasioned so painful a sensation,
or that has given rise to such unpleasant obser-
vations.

ASSYRIAN BRONZE.—From the buried palace of
the kings of Assyria Mr. Layard sent to England some
good examples of art-manufactures in metal. With these
we have at present no concern, except for an important
piece of information which one specimen conveyed to us.
This specimen was a casting in bronze of the fore leg and
the foot of a young fawn, very delicately modelled. It,
evidently at one time formed a support to a table or lam 9,
or it may have been to some household god. This example
of Assyrian metal-work was so slender, and yet so strong,
that it was thought there must be some peculiarity in the
composition of the bronze, to enable it to support, without
bending, the weight which probably rested upon it. A
fragment was analysed, and found to consist of capper
88'67 grains, and of tin 11.33—about the usual composition
of the ancient bronzes. In cutting off the fragments for
analysis, a curious discovery was made : a rod of iron
passed through the leg, as a core, around which the bronze
had been cast. This proves not only that iron was known,
was
but that it was commonly employed where strength
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Popular Science Review.
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