The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-07 00:00:00

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FALL OF T.
FACTOR.
TWO 11:
Yestla:-, bug noon, sent
occurred at the Churchgas, SM§lfockport,
belonging to Messrs. Elkana. and Jainuel Howard
Cheetham, by the falling of a large chimney attac'ed
to the works there, and which, in its descent, unfor-
tunately caused the death of two men, and seriously
injured two or three others. The chimney stood
yard behind the Churchgate Factory as seen
from the public road. It and the surrounding
buildings have probably been built between forty
and fifty years. It was originally perhaps about forty
yards high, square built, with a base of unusually
large dimensions, which rested, we believe. upon
arches and pillars of brick-work. Up each of these
pillars ran a flue, and the chimney was dieified down
the centre by a partitioning of brick-work. We have
also been informed, that there were two small rooms
at the base of the chimney, one of which was used as a
counting-house and the other as a drying- mom, but for
the accuracy of this we cannot vouch, as in the hurry
and confusion which prevailed we were unable to
obtain any positive information on this point; we
may state, however, that the fact is almost notorious
that there were rooms in the chimney. From what
has already been said it will he seen that this chimney
was one of very old construction, and from its great
age it had long been in a very dilapidated state. We
should state, that on the north it was bounded by a
declivity, leading to the Lower Carrs, and the pro-
jecting end of a building ; en the east by the factory,
which joined its base ; on the south by another end
of the factory ; and on the west by two small reser-
voirs, walled round, and divided by a wall in the
centre. Close by the base of the chimney was a
boiler-house and boiler, at work at the time.
We have said that the chimney had fcr some time
been in a very dilapidated state, and it would seem
that the recent high wind and dampness had rendered
its state still more dangerous. On Monday, we be-
lieve, nearly a cart-load of bricks fell from the top on
to the roof of a turning shop and factory below, in
consequence of which the hands refused to work, and
the engine was stopped. Yester.lay morning; it wes
determined to take it down, and several men were en-
gaged for this purpose from an early hour. About noon,
the time in question, they had probably taken down about
fiveyards of it, and most of the men and factory hands
had left for dinner, when the whole mass suddenly
fell, in a south-westerly direction, carrying down
the boiler-house, and almost entirely tilling with
bricks, timber, and rubbish, the yard and smarer
reservoir. A sweep named Joseph Smith, aged about
forty years, was at the top of the chimney at the
time, emesnged in the work. Finding it going, he
leaped off, but was followed by the mass of brick-
work, and thrown with tremendous violence into the
water, at one corner of the reservoir, a great weight
of bricks falling upon him. He was extricated from
his situation as soon as possible, but remained insen-
sible for a long time afterwards; indeed it was under-
stood that he was very much injured about his
head, chest, and shoulders. The other two men, who
were killed, were found under the brick-work quite dead. -
Their names are—

Thomas Edwards, engineer of the Carrs, aged about
55. He was much injured about the head and other
parts of his body, and has received a most dreadful
wound over the right temple. He has left a wife,
with whom he was not at the time living.
Daniel Edwards (his son), engineer, of Newbridge -
lane, aged 26. He has left a wife and one child:
These two, it is supposed, were standing near the base
of the chimney at the time. These bodies, with
Smith, were conveyed to the Thatched House Ta-
vern beer-house, close by, and several medical gen-
tlemen were quickly on the spot, who rendered every
assistance, but to no purpose. Their bodies were
afterwards conveyed to their own homes. Smith, when
our account left, was suffering severely, but hopes
were entertained of his recovery ; and he would
be conveyed to the infirmary. Another
.sweep,
named Charles Baguley, was also a little injured
by the fall; he was for some time under the rubbish,
but was extricated without sustaining any serious
harm. At one time it was rumoured -that other
persons were under the ruins, but all these cases
were dared up with one exception only, in which it
was believed that a man named Kelly was missing.
As he lived in Bredbury, the fact was not ascertained
when our account left.

Altogether, it is perhaps fortunate that the
chimney fell in the direction it did, as, if it had
fallen in any other direction, it must have caused an
inhinitely greater destruction of both life and property.
The inquest on the bodies of the sufferers will be held
to day (Wednesday), when, doubtless, a very minute
inquiry into all the circumstances of the case will be
made.

FALL OF A HIGH CHIMNEY AT
ARDWICK.

The chimney of the chemical works of Messrs.
Tennants, Clow, and Co., at Ardwick-bridge, having
for some time past shown a leaning to one side, it had
been determined to take it down, when the late high
south•oactprly winds came, and during the night of
Friday last affected it so much, that on the men
coming to work on Saturday morning about six
o'clock, its fall was dreaded every moment. It was
found that about three feet only from the ground it
was completely cracked across, so that it was
in immieont danger of falling with the next
gust of wind. No time was lost; Mr. Statham,
One of the partners, was soon on the spot, and was
joined shortly afterwards by Mr. Young, the manager
of the works ; and the inmates of a number of cot-
tages all round the chimney and within its falling
range, were promptly awakened, and removed, with
their furniture and moveables, to places of seety.
The horses were also removed from the adja-
cent stables, and all the - workmen were
strictly enjoined not to approach that part of the
premises. All these precautionary arrangements
having been completed with great care and prompti-
tude, about nine o'clock the chimney at Jength
fell, with a tremendous crash, breaking through
several buildings, all the inmates of which had been
removed, and crushing the arches over the river which
had been erected for the purposes of the works.
Oa the whole damage was thus sustained to the
exent, we are assured, of about 1,000/. ; but for-
tunately, though one individual had a very narrow
escape, no lives were lost ; a result mainly attri-
butable to the excellent precautions taken by Mr.
Statham and Mr. Young. We understand that this
chimney was built about thirteen years ago, when
the works were in the occupation of Mr. .E. P.
Thompson. Its form was polygonal, its height
between forty and fifty yards. Had it fallen
during the night, the loss of several lives would, in
all probability, have been the consequence. The firm
of Messrs. Tennants, Clow, and Co., is well known,
in connexion with the highest chimney in Great
Britain, that at their chemical works at St. Rollox,
Glasgow.—Afanchestcr Guardian.

EXTENSIVE ROBBERlES.—Yesterday information
was received at Bow-street, and forwarded to the metro-
politan offices, that on the night of the 31st ult., while Mr.
T. Burton, jun., farmer, was returning from market, he
was robbed of a black leather pocket-book, containing
1751. o:' the fullowinghanks :—Knaresborough and Clara,
York Union, Wensendale, and Swaledale, and two 5L
Bank of England notes. Amongst the notes of the Clara
and Knaresboruugh Bank are the following numbers :-
19,23, 106, 107, 205, 206, and 234. A tall man, dressed
in a dark coloured coat and light trousers, and a woman,
are suspected.—lnformation was also received that on
the night of the 20th ultimo, while Mr. Liebman, farmer,
of Fernwick Shields, near Stamfordham, in the county of
Northumberland, was riding home, he was was stopped
by six men, who held his horse, pulled him from its back,
and, having brutally ill-used him, robbed him of two
pocket-books containing 1051., in 5L notes, being four 51.
notes of the Union Bank of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and the
remainder of the Branch Bank of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
The thieves also took a stamp receipt for 1001. ; and two
receipts of the Northumberland and Durham District
Bank for 2001. and 5001. This plan of waylaying farmers
on their return from market with the produce of their
sales is rapidly increasing.
ANOTHER ACCIDENT ON THE BRIGHTON RAlL-
\VASr.—Another melancholy (and, as our correspondent
has heard, fatal) accident occurred on the London and
Brighton Railway, near Hayward's. heath tunnel, about
three o'clock on Thursday morning last. A man of the
name of John Hobbs, who was stationed as a signal
man to a number of men employed in removing a quan-
tity of earth from the line where a slip has lately taken
place, was knocked down by an engine working the
waggons used in removing the earth, and dreadfully
bruised on the head and many parts of the body. He
was conveyed to Brighton immediately by the engine,
and placed in the hospital. Hobbs has stated, it is said,
that he knew the engine was coming, but he thought not
on the rails by the tide of which he was walking, and
that on looking round and perceiving his dangerous posi-
tion, he was very much confused with fright. Our cor- ,
respondent has heard that he is since dead. He is not a
married man.—Sussex Advertiser.
The expected visit of the Queen to Northampton
" has caused the greatest excitement in the town, it not
having Commissioner
Barlow, db ya Queen
of Elizabeth. The Corporation have voted an unlimited
sum towards celebrating the event, and are going to
meet her Mgjesty in robes, which will be the first time
time they have worn them since the Municipal Bill
passed ; and, in anticipation of the Queen coming from
Weedon, the ruins of the ancient castle are to be restored
by temporary erections, so as to give it the appearance
it had when the Henrys and King John held their Par-
liament there. Triumphal arches will be erected, the
poor feasted, and a subscription opened for the purpose
of erecting a dispensary, to be called the " Victoria
Dispensary." Many other preparations are in con-
templation, too numerous to mention, and it is to be
hoped the loyal inhabitants will have a favourable op-
portunity of seeing our truly popular Queen.
The Lord Chancellor eater tained Lord Denman, Lord
Langdale, Sir L. Shadwell, Sir N. C. Tindal, Lord Chief
Baron Pollock, Baron Parke, Justice Patteson, Baron
Alderson, Justice Coleridge, Mr. Erie, Mr. H. Twiss, -
and l‘lr. Regnant Stewart
Tuesday evening, at the Noble and Learned Lord's rest.
dance in George-street, Hanover-square. ,

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