The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-01 00:00:00

THE FALL OF A COTTON MILL

AT STOCKPORT.

MANCHESTER, JULY 31.—The following is a more
minute account of this shocking and fatal calamity than
appeared in our yesterday's publication.
On Tuesday afternoon, between one and two o'clock,
a large portion of a new mill at Stockport fell suddenly
to the ground, and caused the death, we regret to say, of
several of the hands employed about it. It is as yet
impossible to say how many, but probably ten or eleven.
The mill in question, which is called the 13rinksway
is the property of Mr. Cephas Howard. It is a new fire-
proof mill, having been commenced in August last, and
having been only occupied about a month by Mr. Joseph
Heaword. It is a rather handsome erection, and the
walls are apparently substantial enough. It is 47 yards
long and 20 wide, and is four atories in height, the
bottom one being the doubling room, the second
for throstle spinning, the third for carding, and the
fourth for blowing. The mill was of rather peculiar
construction, being intended to be worked not only
by a steam-regine, but also partly by an undershot
water-wheel, which was in course of construction at
the time of the accident. The walls of the mill rested
upon the solid rock, end down the centre of the mill
ran a row of iron ribbed pillars, 26 feet long,
14 inches diameter in the centre, tapering to 8 inches
dierneter at etch end; upon the head► of these pillars the
11 poring beam from which sprung the fire-proof arches
over the first flour, sprang. With one exception, these
upright pillars were 10 feet apart from each other; but
one pillar was intermitted (where the teeond from the
west end of the mill should have stood), le order to
allow room for the water wheel Leing placed directly
under the mill. This wheel was to have been 20 fiat in
diameter, and to have been supplied with water by an
arched tunnel running under the first floor af the mill, to
within 40 feet of the west gable. At 40 feet from that
gable the first floor ceased, the space occupied by it
being for that distance taken up by the water-wheel and
gearing; or rather about two•thirds of the area of the
mill was so taken up for that length, fur there was a
lower floor across the other third, on the north
side of the mill, where some gearing was to
have been placed to connect the water-wheel
with the steam-engine; and this portion of the floor-
ing was supported by a wall running longitudinally
parallel to the outer wall, and did not at all depend
tor support upon the beams in the centre of the mill. Wo
have suited already that the beams down the centre of
the mill, and supporting the floors, were, with one ex-
ception, placed at a distance of 10 feet from each other,
and that in that single instance there was a distance of
20 feet. Now, in order to support the intermediate
flooring, a large and heavy iron flange beam, with an
arched top, 3 feet 4 inches deep in the centre, was car-
ried longitudinally down the mill, and was supported
upon the heads of the two nearest pillars; and to the
centre of this beam the flooring beams for the outer
walls of the building were carried; the ends of the cross
beams were supported upon strong boxes, and their
ends were moreover strongly bolted to the longitudinal
beam. Of course, the nature of the construction of this
beam is of the utmost importance in determining the
cause of the accident (which, it will be seen, occurred
just at this point of the mill), but this we were not en-
abled to ascertain, for at the time that we visited it yes-
terday afternoon this beam was still covered with rub-
bish. We were also not able to ascertain whether the
upright pillars supporting the longitudinal beam were of
any greater strength than the remainder of the pillars,
which were obviously not subjected to anything like the
strain of the two in question. Our impression is that they
were not.

The above are such particulars as to the construction
of the mill as we were able to collect during a necea•-
sarily hasty visit yesterday afternoon. The accident
took place yesterday afternoon, as we have alreedy
stated, between one and two o'clock. At that hour the
whole of the interior portion of the mill, from the point
where the first floor ceased, except that portion of it
which, as we have stated, was supported by the longi-
tudinal wall—that is, the whole of the building which
depended upon the longitudinal beam and its supporting
pillars— fell suddenly, and without any previous warning,
to the ground, with a fearful crash, burying several per-
sons under the ruins. Altogether about ore-sixth part
of the mill has fallen to the ground. Fortunately, the
mill hands were almost all at dinner at the time, or the
consequences to life must have been dreadful. As it was,
there were only a few females, a boy, and a man, who
had remained to eat their dinners at the mill, as far
as we can learn, in the part of the building which
fell. John Marsh, a machine maker, was one of
these. He was in the third story, and he states
that the first thing that alarmed him was seeing
the brickwork fall from the fire-proof arches of the
reran; that he immediately ran to the other end of the
mill, and thus escaped, the building crashing down be-
hind him as he went. Of the women who were in the
mill at the time none wholly escaped; but three were im-
mediately afterwards rescued from the ruins:—Elizabeth
and Ann, daughters of Richard Salt. butcher, Portwood;
who were on the first-floor of the mill whe❑ the accident
happened, and were not seriously injured, and Ellen
Ashton, who fell three stories; she was taken out of the
ruins dreadfully injured, and though every attention was
rendered to her at the Stockport Infirmary, she expired
in about two hours. The boy to whom we have alluded,
and vrho was in the lower room, was also carried down
amongst the ruins, and when found he had a severe flesh
wound on his thigh; but this, it is hoped, will not prove
serious. Four other women have not been seen since the
accident, and it is supposed that they must have been in
the mill at the time, and that their bodies must still (at
the time we write) be buried under the ruins. These are
Margaret Harding (single woman), of New Bridge-
lane; Ann Swindells, a married woman. with four chil-
dren; Elisabeth Sykes, a girl fourteen or fiftesu years
old; another girl, named Cash. But besides these there
were workpeople—millwrights and their labourers—en-
gaged in putting up the new water-wheel at the time of
the accident. Of these Ephraim Kidson, Wright Bar-
ker, and John Bushby (millwrights), and James Robin-
son, Joseph Orme, and Samuel Harrop (labourers), were
known to have been engaged under the part of the mill
which has fallen at the time of the accident; the four
first about the wheel, and the two last near the west
gable wall, throwing rubbish into the weir. As none of
these men have been seen since the accident, they also,
we fear, must be assumed to be buried under the rub-
bi►b. This would give eleven lives lost; as follows:
Ellen Ashton, Margaret Harding, Ann Swindells, Eliza-
beth Sykes, Cash, Ephraim Kidson, Wright Barker,
John Bushby, James Robinson, Joseph Orme, Samuel
Llarrop.
The damage done to the mill and machinery is, as
must necessarily have been the case, very considerable.
A large piece of the upper portion of the west gable wall
is torn away, and this gable well, and also about forty
feet (or four bays) of the southern side wall of the mill
are much shattered by largo and numerous cracks in
them in all directions. It is estimated that the damage
thus resulting to the carcass of the mill will he about
1,0001., as nearly as can at present bo calculated. The
damage to the machinery is, however, computed at no
less than 7,0001. The machinery was all of the newest
and best construction, and the following (almost all of
them exceedingly valuable) machines are totally de-
stroyed:—Six carding et glues, three jack frames, a
drawing frame, a pair of intermediate frames, ten thros-
tles, eight or nine doubling frames, and two pair of reels.
But this does net at all adequately repre.sent the damage
done, for a large number of very valuable machines
have been most seriously damaged by the falling of the
longitudinal shafting carried down by the falling mate-
rials.

With regard to the cause of the accident, we are not
at present in a position to speak very decidedly ; it
seems pretty clear that it must have arisen from some
weakness in the two westernmost pillars in the team
above the intended water-wheol which they supported,
for not only has the damage been confined to the part of
the mill which depended upon these supports, but one
of the millwrights who, though under the part in question,
was fortunately sufficiently near the west gable to make
his escape through one of the arches for the outpouring
of the water after it had passed under the wheel, states
that he first saw the arches immediately above him give
way rear the first pillar from the west gable—that is
one of the pillars supporting the longitudinal beam. We
apprehend, therefore, that the question will ultimately
resolve itself into one as to whether the accident has
arisen from the weakness of the pillars or of the beam;
but until these are disinterred from the mess of rubbish
which at present covers them up, together with the
bodies of the several unfortunate sufferers, no examina-
tion of them can be had, 'and no opinion can be formed
upon the point.
Since the above was written the removal of the ruins
has commenced, and three bodies, those of the wheel-
wrights, had been got out yesterday morning. The in-
quest was fixed for last (Wednesday) evening, but as
the whole of the bodies had not been recovered, it would
necessarily be adjourned.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
Mr. John W. Edwards, surgeon, St. Martin's-lane.
was brought before Mr. Hardwick, charged with having
used a certain instrument, with intent to procure abor-
tion.

Mr. Hutchinson said he attended to prosecute on be.
half of the Medical Protection Society. The prisoner
was charged with having used an instrument and drugs
to procure abortion, in the case of a female who was in
court, and it was suspected that the prisoner practised
the same offence commonly, as it would be proved that
he himself had confessed he had received money even
from ladies of title for performing the same operation.
Elizabeth Hobbs, a respectable lucking woman, was
called. She said she was the wife of James Hobbs,
Praed-street, Paddington, and went out to service. Last
Tuesday three weeks, the 12th of July, she went to the
prisoner's house, in St. Martin's. lane, and told him that
she suspected she was in the family way,
and that this
would be very awkward if it were
so, as she had to go
to a place in a few days. The prisoner asked her if she
was a married woman, and she replied she was. The
prisoner examined her and pronounced her to be enciente.
Ile said if she would give him 51. he would make it all
right. She told him she could not afford 5/., and then
he said he would do it for 21., and told her
to go home and gather as much cf the money
as she could. Next day she went to him, and
gave im promising him the balance of 355., out of
Lee first quarter's w ages.
The prisoner was satisfied
with these term?, and he told her to place herself on
sofa with her face from him. She did so, and she saw
him with an instrument like a pencil in his hand, which
he had previously taken from a desk in the room. She
had only a glimpse of the instrument. The prosceutrix
then
ienndse:_-reurtnibeendtthsse.mospeu.rsaedti.on
Sheh felt e unldter(w)reilny very littlet in which
the
pain, and she then went home. On Tuesday she went
twain to the prisoner's house, and underwent precisely
the same operation. On Saturday she paid him a third
visit, and a repetition of the same operation occurred.
The prisoner told h, r he had now done all that was ne•
cessary, and he gave her a box of pills. Other particu-
late were mentioned. To induce tier to submit to the

--____----- .------- Iry
operation, the prisoner told her he did more for gee -,,
paid him 201. On the following Tuesday the
that way than for poor peopla—that some ladies had
gaver her a bottle of medicine, as she was ir t.....
dht;rdful Pain' She went to her situatioa at lit.t_
n Priory, and on the 24th of the same month stle
was delivered of a atillborn child. Sbe believed the
fa child was about four months old. The body of the in'
• nt was buried in the garden ' -
Mr. E. Fag, surpe7r Is, Grove road, St. John I
wood, was requested by)a"gentlernan at Kilburn Friel
been red she was likely prison.:
to call and see one of his servants, who was suipected to
be in the family way. Witness went to Kilburn Priory
abouta m es se
half ra
nc ahmo
andita saw the prosecutrix, who was in bed. She said she
delivered. Told her to keep quiet, and he wo la
clt
send her some medicine. About four hours ulterior
On.cross
I.ait.,c:ain. Ile was out; but his assistant wen", and b ,
hour before.
;r:e; ll:idatnt:atd:thur3;ll:
arrived he found the prosecutrix had been deliverea
the child
after it Ip.l.exb'etmenincalitsici)tiit're''r';r'ietdn.esslstaaidpplelaererte be "b')°.
anything
a five-months' chid. lie examined it, but could not
state
which had bfen used in pressing it into the earth 0, j
a spade. Ho found a conical wound on the bead an
neck, which he should say had been done by a 'Pr,.
aihetl. It was possible,
pi sitively in' consequence of the forctila
roe wound was not such es would he likely 0) beAr:l),.
(lured by such an instrument As the proiecutrix 11011 ' -4
on the head, that o d •gh have ebliterated it b
had there been a
subsequent the
; a e un— •t•
d aced ifoi
injuries. The nieuteine novv pro t Yet
common medicine. Thu medicine and pills Lad 00
been arta lysed. f )11.'
Mr. Hutetiinson said, there was the evidence 0
who
Fag'sss
assistant, and that of another servant. ''''..-- od
the child when bore, and who could speak as to 6 ri°
rtlnealred finll),
on its head. He must therefore ask for a renaarld'd hot
The prisoner, in defence, declared that he 11$1, to
acted in the way described. Ile produced his boo
,3
,ill,
prove that the prosecutrix had consulted him on 0 ?fled
mon medical case, and that, being in doubt, be e;c3moies.
her in an old gown, which was ragged 5t
the &used
and it was possible the rags hanging down had ca
her to think he had an instrument in his hand.
serious ovs,
Mr. HARDWICK said the charge was a very
hould ru„,ert,
but as as the evidence was incomplete, he
the case till Saturday, and take bail for the Pri3
iu _ 104
aeapephearance, himself in 200/., and two sutetio
-------

AQUATICS. NIES.
TIIE CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE TO- ,ilfer
he had disqualified l's.fr. Bone having challenged the holder of the o-f
the
sculls,Thames,the symbol of amateur champioffshiP..,,d fhst
or-ilt
disqualified himself for that race by ITT: I
Bath' and having been objected to, on the gr?_°,7o tile
in regatta, in a sculler's match open to an "to pre'
which the first prize was 10/, the second 51, hp is
vious competitors • h reapee -,
for the challenge sculls, 'u
1r to
vested the duty of deciding all disputes wsl" gouda/
the honorary distinction, held a meeting on, ,ctioos;
evening, for the purpose of inquiring into the frirdid oot
and it being then stated by Mr. Bone that pft the re'
enter for the race in question, but rowed only ,T, nor
quest of the regatta secretary, to prevent a vneritsfit
one of the trial heats, and with the express tle 0 of
ing that should he win, the prize was to be di.5% of tb°
amongst the other competitors, at the discretfboe oort
csommittee; the conclusion arrived at before L Cold 0°
culls holders' tribunal was, that the ohjecti9oo tbe Pre;
be sustained, but in coming to that conclusle t.oto bs.
vious competitors felt it incumbent on thorn tc;50,0 lell;
lf amateurs thought proper to row sold
°3?r
could not be considered such, they show' resells to
care than appeared to have been taken in the„,,Pf cOetehr),l
stance to have it understood that they werePwhicb 1-,,
ing for the prize. Thus the important poinf,eircies fo
caused considerable excitement ia the afinativewfordt tb°
some time past, has been set at rest. Air' .id there bl:
ajpapino least el
etii: orr the
holder of the sculls, resigns them, ands,sticLti, will °•
hrebathmierds
any other challengers besides Mr. Bon they
tend on the 10th instant. • lieu °E
Grando
f t THANKS
be
the Thames
om
Regatta,of great
next, arsd will consist of a great contest siawilo bees'
picked watermen of the day. The followitig
, IV.
paired by the committee of managerneut,"nobels 'Af t
_ First Heat—Charles and HenrY `-'lld J:61.1
Pocock and George Campbell; F. rAtt rte
and
AgTreillltAbC:: raCeg,, 1.13 Friday
LeSacecho
an
nd d Heat—T. e. aGt —lOTe
n. . Cole and istln
Hard; T. ,
Prince and J. Phelps' It• 'Ms A T.
Goodrum. iic Der'', e;
Mackenny and IL Shelton •IL Doubledee ete", JoseP
B. Coombes (the champion)'d J. li.iPPi°l*; rev
• h the It
• whle A
From the remarkably even manner lts •eipate-theo
have been paired, a first-rate c, nest is stslt.ho firi ;A
is, however, considered that the struggle itt.' in, Se d
for the two firstplaces will be between 13°3 'be oece d
.
~a_ su
and Pocock, ' with their partners; eertnonbledvr CO
heat, it
is presumed that Coombes ants j'i,g oil'obree
their partners, will be placed. The rile WO 'dge
mence. at six o'clock in the evening, and tbvelittobri
in number) will be rowed upwards from
to Hammersmith.
_,,„„.......
--,----- fro S. to
THE COUNTRY IVIA-gl",i the r!t: is
of LEEDS, JULY 30.—The arrivals of wheat goeil.latet roe,
fine weather caused considerable dolue,'ars ar 0 that
quarterprehre
tatted 00:di in
business done, however, much more li°,,, beaof °t
day. Barley as before. Oats,'
shelling`' an" to 1
vao Of inglifele°
NEWCA
• STLE CORN MARKET, JULY ''.'„ ord g 00'
return of fine
weather, our market this Morn" with gad. on
aspect.,i Holders remain firm, and millers 'lcon., abNad flour
thueni eiw" fromthe interior small, but libel'lthrrbeatol7l, Oa
transactions that took place in b° barley, 1
Saturda 'I
y s prices were fully • d' 11l
rnaintaineOPP
other kinds of grain,The 0,
no change to note. 30., tes 01
NEWCASTLE CATTLE \JAM:ET, J[l:' A 4. al Is 9 I, IP
of beef showed a decline 'about 9(Y) hea" 'l.- itil`,o les'
of -' • her rate" t I'v VA
quality very '
, „ indifferent : trade dull at big ~5 000 0g a
clearance. The number of sheep and lam', woe ,so
than last Tuesday; both descriptionof st"" . sheeliso
s 3679 .di
request, and all sold. Arrivals—Beasts, id to a
lamb. 6,400.
', Beef, 4s 9d to 6s ; mutton, 4 'fere ,ILli
•licl to btl-d per lb. There ;001vA-
EDINhUriGil MEAL MARKET, JULY 3°'... ighiorr yo O''
the meal market to-day 15 sacks oatmeal, each sc,,e'i at 1.9 elf'
imperial, whereof 14 sold thus :--3 at 11 gig °I): OP tlb
and 10 at 11 9s Od. 2 sacks flour, which sold a' •
od 6 Is 30,,
pot-barley,E whereof 7 sold thus : —1 at 1/46 031,,‘Jettf, tr0..112
'DINEURGII HAY AND STRAW AR1",516 slelle 10 V'
Oat straw, from i's Od to 9s Cd per kenfPle°',,,s oa '10,3. ,
wheat ditto,
6s Od to 7s Oel • barley ditto, ' Bci to co;
Old bay, from la to
Is 2d per stone ; fll
__There et 11,,,,,,,
DALKEITI
iMEAL MARKET, JULY 2 • ~ich so 1,0
48 hags oatmeal at this day's market, wi' eeoe"virtl
aid 5 lAi
demand. Oatmeal up 6d per bag on the tolia,ecood oto ,vj
Oatmeal, per sack, of 280 lbs. First 0,1 ~° s I
imperial 295 6d -'3, 04 ,I t
•• ••• •••
Bade • ) meal, per ditto ---s Od "---; pd •lef:,
Peasemeal ''• Od --- d " o.'
... ... ... --s .....9 0 /J
Flour —5 Od
--4 pa
...
Pot barle •••
...
...
--a Od

?y ...
_

S
3
15.5. 0

Bueagstbjinesg,si:artCieOyAL----MAKKE'I.—E-sl°r'p',: .."'' 0' -4
Buddle's W. Hartley 145 3d'Keepier Graohe .
,„ . pi !,,i
13s 3d I..ambton ... i....." 141 'a
Chester Main
Davi s o n ' SiVi
ae
rs
tt
lielya, r t I ey
14s
sss
3°3
dcdl ..•.'ll,lleasscrsbeaoirir'to: IS
1.
eL
..... 11.. :
..1‘,.........: . 1:4.41i
0,11:;Ii
ugh •..... ' ..
Holy w ell
.. „...." 161 ~a
'Canfield Moor
....„ ~ ;!,
Canfield Moor Butes l3a Od Hartlepool ......
..„, lilo :i
Walker's Primrose
Wall's End, &c.
1113:8s3
West Hartley
Acorn Close
Wylatn
Tees ••'' 0
Bei;sham .. l3s 1-dilllaelean's ,_ „,•,...* JP ij
Gostorth ..... .
Barton
tiey„,„ 13 0
33
Od,dd ASlfrdbicel, iitl:3l'''rividisCitilrilli:.ea.een;.e: .................... ji
ii: 63;11
Walker
Eden Main......... - ....:',.'':retli. i
Bell
Belmont
Braddyll
9d6d sHioxwoanr,ds's:lVe•rrii.y.':.r
.11!:1 11: 5°J
15s 90 Cardiff .."i'v ..."10.
Hetton
16s Od Sidney s ..-A oisrlol
Haswell l6s 3d Ships at

R ------------------------------itor°'
RAILWAY SHARE IVA— d(i'
0- 4
. 1;0, AO;
slight,STOCK
improvement E XOHANG BRISTOL,I
Ch•artrailkenp marketjjje ICi
:t. ;Ili
1. (lc Act i : :GI; it t I,t‘i ei ci I 0 ' "
were done at 591,i 7 dig."'
6 per cent., at 120
Eshasirteern andere.
sive, althougn the sales w •
—Di;to, 17/. Shares, a
Oc'fie
animated
,lay
STOCK EXCH ;LIVERPOOL, VERP 0 0 L , JULY 1. oheso-;
- ANGE. —The market has been beell e
Or n'
2fo4lldoissvi7slo.auftihca..
Wesittiellnit,he businessdone 114::cti0n5,47112t It;
don and North- Yorkshire,. 'ev; Qutito 1;
p.—Ditto, Quart '
"3 (C), PA—Midland, o'3,
and Dover (~. o. Proote
YORK JULY 30.
Filtbs 9'' tell'folco
ong I°-"1 aai
STOCK EXCHANGE .—The . The transacti ,
,castie,
follow :—North British,.-
s%—rork, Is"
wick, 14:%.f,/
i l
irs.
.....plii:
teo:::::-:i1)41.6::: :,ii:
''------------------ ' 10 it;
g BAii' IlseAbe
TRING, READING, AND BASINGSTOS to rety
,it of the ~aid otro,..,,6o!tcliegi

The dividend of 10s. per share oti.
declaration of
pof this company has heed r 5.,; 000,? to-,
Great Western ebrogefora
covers of a sum of 6,300/. advanced to shar
any 0
comPaDY, and of 2,500/. advanced Lea ea°
a further Et. dividend will der,
,7- '
---
x Extension Railway. ------
------------ eye
---------- ~ tor
thethilactl BLICIVO
OF A SOS.. tv „5001013 v. et.
~ f•sq''
hyeorthaputlati.n,
U.
ilCicoLndeoudit.-street, "'
On the 27th ult., the wife of W • ' ' I Se
. v j3rodrih' pri
e'f e
Bloomsbury-square.
On the 27th ult., at Blackheath-park, the vil ett'
W. Andrews, Esq. : r 01'
OF A DAUGIITIO,. ofajo- ,
On the 26th ult., at Hope-hall, ,tot'
On the 25th ult., in Dublin, the wife e Jo 10/
IV. e t
4th Light Dragoons.
On the 20th ult., at Montagu street, Full 0,
wife of William Archer, Es MO
Esq. - ot
Are-ralvi• • 5 E<V3::',oclo
On the ")-1' - ,11 ult., at Ash borne, Luclubte, of 0,1
IF:sq., to
,tot'Charlote Eliz bth eldest daug §ect)oc
ikath"te, Esq th 'a e 'A'shborne• iiiisw' elti
e Green, , rep, 1, foal,
On the '-t1 .:,4 ) ult., at Streatham Cho eri‘ ' •VP
son of John Fuck,Mrs. Coptlieorawtquar f
Esq., of Croydon, to Esti' treatba
daughter of R. Garrard, Esq., of Wuedtield'

wood Bury,' ril fleet'
On the 2-1-1 ult., at LynDielgßnegise. Pf,see,t;tri%efelitliviA3,l-Itcill
At I;unchurch, on the 27th ult., 31`,ri•t ' ord
-E' 'al , aged 70, late of N%‘ b!‘ ioi,•J OA- ii%
youngest_ daughter of the Rev. James 11!) e'r fa ej
di:li,niht theethre;:tB,2tith ult., aged 80, Ann, 'o,ll,i's,°itutio.,Tre, 86
DraYleYy F.S.A., Secretary of the Russ e.,l` "iiird-$61""10 1;1,3
On the 23d ult., in Tavistock-street, Pecliw, Of 4a,
66bAnne Elizabeth, relict of the late )11"-t, ~ j,0,0.112 V
Francistl l
Billedflovrr,
Beth, aged 2., 00"11‘/'
......_•.
........------ 00 f
14.0.
et
t.ubso4ll.r,noeitthererj:o'Ve, .'4:tj'i
,1.,
of
London: Printed and Published by IV. Ofte'6o,l
No. 112, Strand, Printer, at Me D'''-in WI
Strand, in the Precinct of the S"^°'
Aliddlesex, Thursday, Angutt 1, 1850.