The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-24 00:00:00

Ortnivatt "I'l4,it

LONDON, SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 1850.

Advantages of a preventive character may be
drawn even from the most disastrous catastrophes. It
is fortunate, indeed, that such is the case ; otherwise it
would be scarcely possible to glance at any single
impression of a daily newspaper without experiencing
feelings of the most unalloyed sorrow. The truth of
this is virtually embalmed in the old saying, " It's an
ill wind that blows nobody any good," almost all our
piactical knowledge being derived in some measure
from our hitter experiences. Some of the most in-
genious contrivances of our scientific philosophers
have in this manner been suggested by the
calamities befalling their fellow-creatures. Thus the
explosions resulting from the ignition of the foul at-
mosphere in mines gave Sir HUMPHRY DAVY the
notion of enclosing the candles required for the pur-
poses of illumination by the miners in compact wire-
gauze lanthorns. Scarcely an accident occurs, in
short, no matter how common-place and apparently
insignificant, but some benefit in the way of warning
may be derived from it, if it be only viewer; in its
full suggestiveness. It is in this manner that we
would' have every occurrence of a disastrous or
destructive
_nature examined by those who may
bap peh to be similarly situated. By so re-
g 2 rcling: the last fire which consumed one of
'our places of • public entertainment, the Olympic
Theatre, —and the last causeless alarm of fire
at the Victoria Theatre, the managers and architects
of such establishments were enabled to perceive at
length the absolute necessity of what had before then
been so repeatedly insisted upon, namely, that of con-
structing a sufficient number of doorways to admit of
Vee rapid exit of the playgoers whenever occasion re-
quired.
,Among no class of the community, however,
should this kind of vigilance be more perpetually prac-
tised than among the railroad authorities throughout
the United. Kingdom. Not a casualty on any of the
lines of ,railway should be overlooked, the utmost
endeavour being made to profit by the example
thereby • yielded. By a persistence in this course
such habits of precaution and watchfulness must
ult'anately result that the recurrence of similar
ce,lamities: would be gradually rendered all but im-
possible.
From the particulars brought to light by the
coroner's inquest on the body of the unfortunate man
killed, on Wed nesday last, by the fall of the shed or roof
covering the Bricklayers' Arms Terminus, it was
made apparent that the plan upon which those kind
of structures are built up is such as to require some
radical and immediate modification ; otherwise the
misfortune which has now twice happened may be of
yet more frequent and more calamitous recurrence.
A cursory glance at the facts recorded in reference to
this deprereble accident will show that the unex-
pected snapping of one of the cast-iron columns sup-
porting the roof of the terminus, caused the whole of
that ponderous covering to fall, within the space of
little more than a minute. Supposing a train to have
been underneath at the time of the catastrophe, it is
terrible to reflect upon the destruction of human life
that might have been the consequence. Fortunately
but few- were within reach at the moment of the
casualty, .and of those only two or three suffered
in j ury, awl only one was, hurried of At of existence. 1

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