The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-17 00:00:00

r 141
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4 rib 1(,4 t
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SL. N O.F 1' .1 CE, Seven o Clock.

TA TTERSALL'S.-THIS EVENING
• Six O'CLOCK.

CHESTER CUP.

12 to T agst Semiseria
12 to 1 turst Frt. ,
12 to 1 agst Obscurity
13 to 1 agst Catari ct
.-23 to 1 agst St. Lawrence
25 to agat Strathspey
28 to 1 agst Celeste
33 to I agst Trueboy
40 to 1 agst Fitz-Allan
66 to 1 agst Portrait
66 to 1 agst Foil;-a-ballagh.
66 to 1 agat Counseilor
DERBY.

10 to l'agst Alarm
15 to 1 agst hiss—taken
16 to I agst Cobweb colt
16 to 1 agst hedger
16 to 1 agst Clear- the-Way—taken
20 to 1. agst Pam
25 to I agst Newsmonger
25 to 1 ag,t Miss Whip colt
30 to 1 agst Ironmaster (All in)
30 to 1 agst Mentor
30 to 1 agst Pantasa
33 to 1 agst Weatlicrbit
40 to 1 agst Annandale
40 to 1 agst Old England
50 to 1 agst Young Eclipse

THE LATE BOILER EXPLOSION
AT BLACK WALL.
ADJOURNED INQUEST.—(THIS DAY).
_ (Continued from out Afternoon Edition.)

Mr. Lode—By the presumed usual strength Of the two
fires, steam to a presure of 100 lbs. would be generated upon
every square inch
Mr. Lowe—The fires were nearly out, and if the last
witness is called in he will prove it.
Mr. Barnes—Oh, then, in that case the steam would be
less in the same proportior.
Mr. Lowe—Considering the state of the fires at the time,
what size of hole would be required to blow off the whole
steam generated?
Mr. Barnes—lt is impossible to give any answer to the
quest ion.
Mr. Lowe—What is the usual testing power above what
the boiler is made for?

Mr. Barnes—l am not aware that in this country there is a
precise usage, but in France it is three times as much for
every boiler approved by law.
The CORONER said it was an important matter that the
boiler should be proved without endangering the lives of
human beings, and he thought that as they tested guns at
Woolwich without danger, some mode of doing the same
might be adopted with regard to steam-boilers.
Mr. Barnes—According to the weight stated to me, the
weight unbalanced by any counterpoise, would be 50 lbs. on
the square inch, if it were balanced it would be diminished pro
tanto.

William Heath—l live in Bermondsey, and am a labourer.
I was working at the boiler in Mr. Samuda's yard, before
the explosion took place, when it was fitted up. It was then
open. Mr. Lowe was present and could see into it. He
superintended the work generally, and it was well riveted,
and the work done complete. The man hole was not riveted.
The CORONER—Do you mean to say that the man hole is
not riveted.
Mr. Lowe—lt is fastened outside with a bar. _

A juror—That part was quite perfect after the explosion.
Witness—l did not see the boiler tested before it was fixed
10 the engine. 1 put part of the pipes up and saw it fixed
on Wednesday morning. Nothing struck me as peculiar at
the time of fixing it. 1 saw the boiler about an hour before
the explosion, and I diii not see the piece of wood
then. - I saw just before the explosion Mr. Lowe go and
pul the lever down and let t e steam escape ooked
round two minutes afterwai Lis and hearu the explosion
I was in the new buildings near. I did not see the wood there.
It might have been there, but I did not see it. I cannot tell
what caused the explosion. When I was in the new ware-
house I could see the handle of the lever. I saw the man
Grimes on the top of the boiler, putting sacks over the steam
pipes for the purpose of warming them. He was killed by
the accident. _ _

The jury, who had been allowed a quarter of an hour,
having returned,
Joseph Chettle—l am as engineer. I have been with Mr.
Samuda for about eight years, and have been at Blackwall
from about a week after Christmas. I saw the fires lighted
in the boiler on the morning of the accident. Ido not know
where it was purchased. I had seen it tested on the Mon
day. While I was present I cannot say what pressure was
on the bode,., but the guage- glass was broken,, and then the
steam was blown off. I did not go on Tuesday ; but on
Wednesday I went again and the steam was got up, a
.new
glass having been put up in the meantime. I saw the weights
attached to • the lever, but I do not know to what extent.,

On that morning I saw the steam getting up, and Mr. Lowe
was walking to and fro from the boiler to the engine-room,
in fact doing nothing else than attending to it. I saw the
steam blowing off strongly about nine o'clock, and before the
explosion it blew off very strongly. I saw Mr. Lowe once or
twice put his hand on to the lever to bear it down, and so
caused the steam to blow off.
By a Juror—The steam blew off when he put his hand to
the lever, bat not so strongly.
By the CORONER—I left about three minutes before the ex.-
plosion, and I saw no piece of wood then.
By a Juror—l cannot tell what pressure was on the boiler,
but I heard the steam blow off strongly. I could judge so from
the noise it made.

By the CORONER—I did not see the fires, or at what
strength they were kept.
By a juror—The man on the top of the boiler seemed to be
wrapping something like sacking round the steam-box,-to
keep in the heat. Ido not know the weights attached to the
lever. The man could not throw any of the sacks upon the
weights that were attached to the lever.
By the ConoNEß—That man was Richard Grimes, and he
was killed. _ _ _

By a juror—The object of tying the sacks round the box
and pipes was to prevent the steam from condensing, as the
boiler was in the open air.
By a juror—The engine -driver employed was a man named
Whitcombe, who is in the hospital, and not yet fit to be
removed.
Peter Kryer—l am an engine-keeper, and have been em-
ployed for two or three months by Mr. Samuda. I have
been employed on this boiler to make it suitable for Mr
Samuda's purpose. I did not see it tested before it was
fixed, but I saw it tested on the morning of the accident. I
fitted up the largest portion of the safety-valve, and it was
perfectly well done. I did not see anything imperfect in it.
By the foreman—l did not measure the diameter of it; I
seldom do.
By the CORONER—I cannot say exactly whatweights were
used in this case. On the Wednesday morning I was not
working at the boiler. I passed it in going into the shop
after breakfast, but I observed nothing out of the way about_
it. The safety-valve handle was on the side of the boiler
when I passed. It was on a rivet. I did not consider that
safe without some one near it, and I pointed it out to Mr.
Lowe, and asked him who had placed it there. He said he
had so placed it. When so placed it would prevent the
sAety-valve from acting until the rod bent.
By a Juror—l thought that a person should be constantly
near the boiler in that case to see how the steam went off.
By the CORONER—I left Mr. Lewe with it, and I did not
see more of it. I did not see a piece of wood. This might
be three garters of an hour before the explosion took place.
I am certain I saw no piece of wood or boarding with a nail
in it near the place. I was in the workshop when the explo •
sion took place. r. Lowe said, "No harm, it's all right, 1
know abut it," when I told him of the handle of the lever on
the rivet. I tried the steam before I went for him.
By a juror—l did consider it dangerous, and therefore I
went fur Mr. Lowe. The steam blew off freely when I

tried it.
By the CostastEn—l could see the eteam blowing off from
the window of the shop afterwards. There was a leak in
the boiler when first tried, but it was of no consequence, end
it was all right when I was fixing it to the engine. I did
not see any weight added by Mr. Lowe.
Joseph held, Oxford-place—l am a pattern-maker, and
have been with Mr. Samuda for three or four years. I made
the pattern for the safety-valve, and the diameter was 4%
inches. The thickness of the valve was about 3-Bths on
each side, or all round. The valve-box Ives between five
and six inches in diameter. I make a weight to open the
safety-valve. There was a round ball, six-and- a-half
inches in ,diameter, weighing thirty-seven or thirty-eight
lbs. It was wrought not cast. Mr. Lowe said "We will try
weights in the meantime." There was a weight appended to
the lever, but what it was I don't know. On the morning of
the explosion I was in the office while the steam was blowing
off. It was doing so freely. From 9 o'clock till the period
of the explosion, a quarter to 10, it blew off by its own agency.
The engine did not go well. Men were obliged to pull round
the wheels.
By the CORONER—I do not know that there was any inter-
ruption to the blowing off the steam up to the time of the
explosion. I did not examine particularly the position of the
lever handle ; but I saw Mr. Lowe, before the time I speak of,
allow the steam to e. cape. I did not at any time see the
handle resting upon the rivet. Mr. Lowe appeared very at-
tentive to the works in the course of the morning. I offered
no suggestion to him as to the working of the engine.
By Mr. Lowe—The pattern of the valve-box was old, and
had been used before, but the valve itself and the casting of
the valve-box were new and according to orders.
By the CORONER—I saw a piece of wood near the boiler
placed against the handle of the lever, but not below it.
Wm. Bain, surgeon—l was called to see persons injured by
the explosion of a boiler. They were all taken to the London
Hospital. Wright had received a severe fracture of the skull,
extending from the one ear across the top of the head to
the other. He also had received several bruises ou
the body, especially on the right and lower side of the
chest, which had fiactured the ribs. The right knee was
also dislocated. These were the chief appearances. The
brain was lacerated in several parts. I examined the state of
the mouth and windpipe, and found the membrane exhibit
all the appearances usually produced by steam or hot water.
These injuries were caused by the explosion, and had caused
death. The same causes—namely the explosion and the
concussion—had occasioned the death of the other two per-
sons also.
Tile witness Chettle was recalled, and stated that of the
persons lying under medical treatment in the hospital, Whit-
combe, the engine-driver, was the only one likely to know
anything about it.
Mr. Lowe said Whitcombe was standing inside him at the
moment of the accident, and they were just speaking of stop-
ping the engine at the time of the accident.
The CORONER said that he should not put Mr. Lewe in
the witness-box, but if he chose to make a voluntary state-
ment, he might. It would be taken down, however, and
might be used against him.
Mr. Lowe said he had no objection to answer any fair
question.
After some further desultory discussion as to whether the
inquest should be adjourned or no,
Ilurnand was recalled, and said that the fires in the boiler
were very low. He did not seo them, but he believed they
were very low.
A juror said it was moat important that Mr. Lowe should
have Whitcombe's evidence,_ and he thought the inquest
should be adjourned till that witness should be able to attend.
Mr. I owe—l do not believe that there were two shovelfuls
of fire on during the whole morning. I have called no wit-
nesses after hearing the statements made by Mr. Farey, by
Mr. Bell, and by Mr. Barnes. He thought these gentlemen
were mistaken in their conclusions. He himself had been an
ere.eineer for 25 years. He had never had an accident before,
and he had never heard t>f a boiler bursting from a pressure
of steam under similar circumstances.
After some further observations it was determined to ad-
journ, and Thursday, at ten o'clock, was fixed for resuming
the inquest.
The foreman Lowe had his arm in a sling, and his face was
slightly injuredin several places. His escape may certainly
be considered miraculous, considering his position at the time
of the accident.