The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-10 00:00:00

79%

THE LATE EX PLOSION AT
BLACK WALL.
INQUEST ON THE BODIES.—(THIS DA"
Mr. Baker, the Coroner for East Middlesex, and thei3ll,,;
men empanelled to inquire into the circumstances attend;.
the death of Thomas Wright, labourer, aged 36 7;i:
Richard Grimes, labourer, aged 29 years; and George
man, labourer, aged 26 years, the unfortunate safferersede,
the explosion of a boiler in the yard of the ideserseSat It
the eminent engineers of Blackwell,' met this mere,"'
ten o'lock, at te Town-hall, Poplar.
Mr. cßallantineh attended to watch the proceeding's °a
part of Mr. Samuda.
The names of the jurymen having been called over, trend.
Mr. BAKER explained that he had requested the gite
ante of Mr. Cartar, the Coroner for Kent, as one of tut that
fortunate men had died on board the Dreadnoughts 6,.l]„`t daf
hospital-ship being in his district, his attendance t""4
would prevent a further inquiry. That gentleman via-
however, in attendance. WIT of
On the return of the jurymen from visiting the
Jonathan Smith, another victim, this of
James Cole was called. He identified the body ads.
Jonathan Smith, in the employment of the 51essrs. gain
sad
He had seen him at work on the day of the explosion,
had no doubt his death was caused by that accident.
esid,l
John Cockayne, living at 4, Orchard-place, Ponlar' ear
am a grinder of plates for the railway. I have been
eeks,
ployed by the Messrs. Samuda for the last six or seven 'colt
The boiler was purchased 'after I came. Ido not knew pe
was given for it, nor from wham it was purchared.
t.
boiler has not been there more than a month at far thesetios
never did work upon it until the period of its conceal•
with the engine. It was commenced to be 80 wet
nected upon Saturday night, and the explesilotsisg
place on the following Wednesday. I saw weed/
_
the matter with the boiler at that time. It was de
connected with the engine on the Tuesday morning steers
not know the power which it can bear. I air the red t°
blown off occasionally by the safety valve, and it aPPe; wale
escape freely both by the hand (raising the valve)an.
out it. The operation by the hand in letting off tn., t'e Yrs
to pull a lever downwards, thus lifting the va've*
Lowe had the control of the engine. He is the foreel
Messrs. Samuda's works. The engine was entirely undl
ay
`the
control. I had nothing to do with the proving r •
boiler, and did not observe the process of proving it. boe
not, therefore, speak of its power. I was coming 40,
Wednesday morning after breakfast, when I
" It is a bad job that we cannot get to work to daY.:
said, " It is a bad job, and whatever is the reason I
know, there is plenty of steam." de tit.
By a juror—Was the engine at work when you ma SP
remark ? Witness—Yes it was, but going very aleteseed
Lowe said, " There is plenty of steam ;" and 1 un",,e—
him to say there is between 40 d 501bs. ,
meant
By a tjuror —o the squaresinch. an said to
Was he on the top of the boiler at the ,see
Witness—No; he was down below. There were fettr° go
men kept turning round the fly-wheel to see if it weal,so
any faster, but it would not. He did not order anythinf;ed
then, nor did I see him put more fire on. I saw a piece t" fear
about four or five feet long, and about three inches bthere
--placed against the boiler. It had a nail driven into it, ac it
was a play of one or two inches allowed between the ?t' the
the safety valve handle. Mr. Lowe was engaged at It atd
time. I put my foot at the bottom of the wood, and.l3o.
the rail up to the lever, so as to prevent it from rislnfesid,
letting the steam off. Mr. Lowe turned round 1117 flat:
" Let it be," and he put it hack directly as it 'WI 110111
I then went into my own shop, and did not see it agi"losteB
after the explosion, which took place in some ten, in
after. st
The CORONER—Did the steam blow off before riogli Pad.
your foot to the wood? Winess—Oh yesi it was blew
before then. hat di'
The CoßofsEß—When you put your foot to it,Zineas-''
ference did that make as to the steam going off? "1l
I did not notice.
CORONER—Did the engine at any time go fate
ness—l did not see it go any faster. see .
The CORONER remarked that he should like to
he
piece of wood alluded to. 1g63.
The CORONER subsequently asked if any professiel hfr•
tleman was in attendance on the part of Mr. LOW /1104
Ballantine said he appeared for Mr. Samuda, wh° asw-to tit°
anxious to give every explanation in his power
cause of the unfortunate occurrence. al Vert
Mr. Stanley, the foreman of the jury. put several thii-
tions to the witness, but without eliciting more than
al stated to the Coroner. icon, ta
The CORONER—I think it will be necessary, gent, .a tint°
go through the whole of the workmen engaged at tetticelst
about the engine, because it may have been this P;;,,sig
operation that caused the mischief. Whether the at t ssy St
the piece of wood was done wisely, or not, I will 03
present. weight
To the witness Cockavne—Did you see ail.',,,
attached to the lever? Witness—No.
John Guiver Barnard, 12 George-street, Brein23L.Or
wright—l have been in the employment of the elr.pror
muda for seven or eight months. I know nothing of tlilw
ing, the purchase, or the period of time when the bns the 06.2
bought. I knew nothing of it, in fact, till the period of noes'
cident. I was first employed on Sunday night weekenbehoilir:
ing and connecting the feed-pipes and steam-pipest:lorlansli
andthe worleappeared to me done in a proper alln. "‘rfr",
like manner. 'The explosion has not laid open to ine WO° •
in the boiler, as far as the pressure it was made for t the
cerned, but I think there was great mismanageicett
safety-valve. virsl
The CORONER—Confine yourself to my questiorleethel
the interior sound and good, and did it appear alttlt (ed, he
for the purposes it was made for ? Witness—T__l',l t'ef
observed no cause in the work for the exPly°'-'BOO6O
boiler. It seemed to me quite perfect. The co! ,‘e 1001 t
wrought iron but I cannot give the dimensions. "tiler
itself was of wrought iron. It is a low pressure per,
put to high pressure use. The ordinary power on A' th•
sure engines varies, sometimes 9, 10, 20, or 26 9.51 b•
square inch. I should be sorry, however, to Ots.o
t t
wO Cr
This engine was on the locomotive principle with
linders. They could run on the road. fed t? ref
O I
The CORONER—If 40 or 45 lb. were A 'vie° re
square inch in such a boiler, what would be your opl The
it ? Witness—l should think it very danger seci6ret
would be a great danger of explosion. I mane: if t"
two or three times that some accident would haPils, ,0
pressure were kept up, but it was no use telling of
anything, for he would always have his own WO* Aniseessti,
The CORONER—How do you explain for the "-Isla
the engine ? Witness—From the waste of power' °
the distance of the boiler from the engine. pre63'i
CORONER—Have you any idea of what was tet:z,el(l,lo
applied at the time of the accident ? Witness-4 '' eof
swear what was the weight on the valve, but 00m
witnesses can.
in ?Wi• ee
t°
CORONER—What would be your maximum of,
Not more than 201bs. 0
t the b be
The CORONER—Was there more than that 8 ID
the accident ? Witness—l could not swear bow -
there
(A was more.
plan of the lever was here submitted to the _
who copied it into the depositions. It exhibited tneirYo acted
of the safety-valve, and the manner in which it ef
upon hy the lever.) f lot
Witness—Anything placed under the handle of
would prevent the valve from rising, and the '
escaping an explosion must, of course, take place' Witow
The CoßoNEß—That is the simple principle,
It is, Sir. nct sect •
The CORONER—And now about the piece of vo-kisat, to{
Witness—l was working at the job after 'Ott' rivet
coming out of the workshop I saw the piece ofyilifers'oe
against the side of the boiler. I heard the 63 Ole t,
s oti
puffing up and down inside the shop, and theuglit vieo olor
was playing with the safety-valve. I therefore, A ',girt 0
and saw Mr. Lowe there. He said "Barnardr get", ts
er as
and a nail." I could not get a hammer, se . 1 or
chisel and drove in the nail with the eluseut (00
a piece of wood lying there by the boiler, sPlieten,o4l,
five feet long and about three inches in "1- the "till
be held the handle up while I drove the nail int°the rte
se
Mr. Lowe pulled down the handle again, and
heard
blow off hard. I then went into the shop and Ile oed
the
played with some time after. sad s' 0o
il te,
CORONER—What did you see done with the na
tteearBlial
before you went inside? I want to have it verY.o poo we
be particular. Witness—The wood was rivetted gr,
below the valve, before the nail was driven in, I.n"Thia outse
held it in that position while'l did drive the nail' t°
uvy
not of course allow so much extension or P,.-"tear6,lse
valve. The nail was either an eightpennY
_°;/,,tyltier
clasp nail. I removed the handle of th0..3 4 coll
from the rivet some three or four times, as I dia. not
°Pea
it safe in that position. I left the boiler
resting on the nail. Ido not consider thawtitinedrlesirdn, letpf:
room for the play of the valve between the P. inch 0(
nail. There was not, lam sure, a sixteent off...a boo a
The explosion took place within a quarter f
eu
I had left the boiler. I cannot say that I saw
any other person go to the boiler after I left ef tr of
By the. Foreman—l account for the slow gel 00
_f toe
gine by the condensation of steam in the pines' 610 sh*
the fact is so, by putting a cock in the first it enter
pipe, at about nine feet from the top, where gr•
_at to,ooo
boiler.
The CORONER--Did you suggest any improvret be lecoed
Lowe? Witness—Yes, I did. I suggested, the on „e,.16
place a cock just above tlie boiler, to draw „ o,o",'tbleg
water; but he would not/So apply it. He salT_of se)
know nothing at all about it." Ile didn't Al"
about it himself, I think. fill
By the Foreman—The discharge pipes would be edgivoi:
water with the action of the boiler. tbe tio
By the CORONER—A gage-glass was broken °lred on 10
day before the accident, and another was !Ilea st, tried
Tuesday succeeding, which was also u.rtoka.
time of the explosion. There were two gage.
_c„ there beet
one and found no water. I consider tnea_i_. had little
not water enough in the boiler. Th.,l7„d ver),sieg
only some six or seven feet when she started, heel bbeit
had, I believe, been pumped in. The engine ""
bettingwas., of
The reiguol,
very slow, at about eleven evolutions.
with tubes, and in order to prevent thes: geol.
the water ought to be above them, if not svelT,,uiela),
be generated to a high state of elasticity. very
thßusycathueseFaenreentipul—osiTonh,e a s I
pressurebel ie vweuinnithafsehctoesnolb for h ;
osg
boiler to bear it. and et' toe,
they the CORONER—I do not think the plate! od tbe.9o
they were intended for a low-pressure the 6'
used at high pressure. While I was be,Mits and
was knocked down by a quantity of nett the •
caused by the explosion. When A beside
$...0
Mr. Lowe and the stoker were
„,n, 0 yes
thought at the time that the engine
.was atehtel hbeiler;noset;el
inTrehmeocvoinngoNma-antearaifdromthathtemcyr.liFnadreerys34
ernoirereat
bobefoo
and Mr. Putney were present, but
ne
could examine them until he had some
ddidaten pwedee
_neths
absence of Mr. Lowe, who was so m
them. He did not also see how heatceoritialidlyParkeciisow-"4"0 the
la In
cially when one question perhaps from bun e°
evidence already adduced to pieces. Faso, "(Sited
Mr. Ballantine said the evidence of sex
the wreck of the boiler itself.
reference only to the causes of the explosion
iniehotebo,
Farey9o 000 DO
The jurymen thought-that Mr.
htaken,
also
and
goneth edeCwonrotnne
loot
ice° r
had taken place. "r had t 3 Viet° *
The CORONER said that since the inquiry had the s, oa
into the circumstances of the explosion
h Governmell ott'he
soakidattthhaet palas:elltwiehrasilihne3eccurriesee,
an inquiry had been instituted by to., ‘vr. lO,O .00
body of evidence, inc:uding that t.ries,., doing „rt
scientific men was found detailed lc.inttraa 0'
of
thought, with the necessity of entering again
state his op nal w and technical examination of a
Mr. Furey was eventually allowed to
own re--
..6
from is,
the cause of the accident, judging earjo„fla
spection. Isliemwieladr
tcehastraacter.
exAprelesatitnegr fhroiamwMillri.ngEndewasartdo Batetlel,nda laenceltugrifvrelee°:beduegiorigcop,
the inquest, was read, and on Mr. Bells n
ot
r
a
he stepped forward. f either
tweet inmate
hsti ol
gentlemen, The
fury, obtained
leavereceiving t o
On their re-assembling, Mr. Riley stated distance
hat
the boiler since it had been removed a sic7e,piosie,e,'
rtehteirsetafetermtiveleits,
hoe,e
frf?.6e.
the
the place where it stood at the moment
bnessipielor.sion was outwards, bursting the exterior slie'