The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-02 00:00:00

THE LATE BOILER EXPLOSION

AT SUNDERLAND.
On Friday an inquest was held at the Black Swan public-
house, near the Bishopwearmouth Ironworks, before Mr. T. C.
Maynard, Coroner, and a respectable jury, on view of the
bodies of John Sugden, John Oxley, Win. Phillips, and
Charles Cornforth, who were killed by the accident at the
above works. The room was crowded, and deep interest
evinced in the proceedings.
After viewing the bodies, three of which were frightfully
mutilated, and the scene of the accident,
Mr. R. A. Davison stated that he had the honour to repre-
sent the Highway Board as their clerk, as the accident had
taken place near a highway ; he also represented a large body
of landowners of the immediate neighbourhood, who fre-
quently pass that way. His object was not to throw blame
on any party, but to try if anything could be done to avert
any such melancholy accident as had occurred. Under such
circumstances, he trusted the Coroner would allow him to be
present.

The CORONER replied he certainly should be happy to do so.
John Jenks—l live at the South Cottage, Deptford-road,
and am foreman to the guide mill, that department of the
works in which the explosion took place. On Wednesday
last, at a quarter before eight o'clock in the morning, I was
in the guide mill, adjoining the steam-engine which works the
machinery in the above mill and the puddling mill. The en-
ginernan, Thomas Downey, came to me and said the boiler
nearest the engine leaked a little, but, probably, during the
day it would take up and become as tight as a bottle before
night. He did not say where it leaked. When he left me
he went direct to the engine, and I saw him make prepara-
tions for putting some meal into the boiler, with a view of
stopping the leak. At ten minutes past eight o'clock I left
the works and went home to my breakfast. I had not been
in the house, which is about 200 yards from the engine-house,
two minutes, when I hoard a loud explosion from the di-
rection of the Ironworks. I immediately ran to the works,
and found the engine-house and a part of the warehouse
which adjoins it in a state of ruins. The boiler nearest the
engine was removed, and its seat also in ruins.
Mr. David Holsgrove—l live in Mill-lane, and am a smith
and manager of the Derwent Ironworks. Five minutes after
eight o'clock on Wednesday morning I was in the low yard
of the works, about ten yards from the place of the accident;
the men were rolling iron, and all was going on well. I went
home to breakfast, which would take me two minutes. On
sitting down 1 heard a very violent explosion from the works.
I looked out of the house window, from which I had a view
of the works, and observed bricks, tiles, and pieces of timber,
three or four feet long, about three hundred feet in the air.
I ran directly up into the works, and found the engine-house
and rolling-mill, which are under a double roof set upon
pillars, in ruins. The floor was covered with bricks, tiles,
and timber. I called out for millwrights and joiners to come
and clear away, and sent other persons for doctors. John
Sugden was found dead under the fly-wheel. He appeared
to have been killed by the weight of materials which had
fallen upon him. John Oxley was found beyond the hot
well; William Phillips at the entrance of the west side of
the works; he breathed twice, and then died. He had been
killed by the falling of the roof. Charles Cornforth was
found close by the iron rolls, where he was working. his
clothes were on fire, and my impression is, he shouted once,
and then died. The ruin which I saw had been caused by
the explosion of the south boiler. The engine was of 30-
horse power—a high-pressure engine, and was usually worked
at a pressure of 371 b. to the inch. The boiler was made of
Park-gate plates, which is considered a good description of
iron ; it was three-eighths in thickness. It has been in use
nine months, and was provided with a safety-valve, one on
each, and a valve between the two, to regulate the water in
each boiler. I have particularly examined the boiler that
burst, and the examination I have made leads me to form
some idea as to the cause of its bursting. There had been
at the time of the explosion a deficiency of water in the
boiler. It is evident, from that examination, that the water
had been below the top of the flues. In some parts of the
sides of the boiler there are marks of its having been red hot.
When a boiler is red hot steam is then rapidly and sud-
denly generated. This would account for the explosion ; but
my opinion is, that water had first escaped from the boiler
upon the fire, and by the sudden generation of steam there
had been lifted off its seat. I have known a boiler red hot
and not explode. The seat of the south boiler was entirely
blown down ; the wall in which the boiler was planted was
a very strong wall, made of bricks, and two feet in thickness.
There was water in the south boiler, for when it went up
water escaped in various directions.
Several other witnesses were examined.

The CORONER said, the next witness, and the most impor-
tant one, would be the engineman, Thomas Downey, and it
appeared, from the statement of Dr. Brown and Dr. Mordey,
that it would not be advisable to take his examination to-
day. If, therefore, it would be convenient to the jury, he
would adjourn the inquest until Monday.
The jury signified their acquiescence, and the inquest was
accordingly adjourned to Monday.
Three other persons who were injured by the explosion,
and now remain at the infirmary, are not expected to re-
cover. The remainder of them are going on favourably.
Operations are rapidly proceeding with such repairs as are
necessary to recommence work.

CRORLET.—DISTRESS OF THE CALICO PRINTERS.
—A correspondent desires us to draw public attention
to the deplorable distress of the calico printers in the
neighbourhood of Chorley. Those lately employed at
the Cross hall printworks, he informs us, have been
eight or nine weeks out of work, uor are they likely to
have any for some time. " Many families," he adds, " are
completely starving for want of food, and in many cases
are compelled to beg their bread."—Preston Guardian.
THE TAILORS TURN-OUT AT MANCIIESTER—On
Wednesday evening, a public meeting of journeymen tailors
was held in Carpenter's Hall, Garratt-road, respecting mat-
ters connected with the late turn out of about three hundred
of that body. John Nash, tailor, was called to the :chair.
Several speakers addressed the meeting, and resolutions were
adopted condemning the conduct of certain master tailors,
who, it was alleged, had forced the men to turn-out, not be-
cause they had asked for an advance of wages, but because
they wished to work on the masters' premises instead of in
their own badly-ventilated dwellings, which were rendered
still more uncomfortable and unhealthy by the system of
home-working hitherto adopted. A memorial to the House
of Commons was agreed :to, praying the House to appoint a
commission of inquiry into the sanitary condition of the jour
neymen tailors of this town ; and it was resolved that the
Members for Manchester should be requested to present the
memorial, and that Mr. Brotherton, M.P. for Salford, should
b asked to support its prayer..-ManchesterGuczrdian.
On Monday last the town -crier of Stamford made
the following proclamation throughout the town :—"Whereas
last night some rogue or rogues took a quantity of malt from
the premises of the Half-moon Inn ; this is to give notice,
that if the said rogue or rogues will make personal applica-
tion to Mr. Dalton, the landlord, he will give a suitable
quantity of hops for the brewing,"—Stamford Mercury.