The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-07 00:00:00

CATASTROPHE AT YARMOUTH.
On Saturday morning, at an early hour, the Haven and Pier
Commissicners visited the scene, with the view of deciding on
some means to be adopted for clearing the navigation of the ob.
struction that was presented to it by the broken arch. Means
were had recourse to, with the view of raising the fallen end of
the structure, by applying a powerful leverage force by means of
ropes and hawsers, making the abutment on tne Yarmouth side the
fulcrum. These endeavours, however, to raise the structure
proved unavailing. It was at length determined to cut away the
bridge at each end ; this was done, and the intermediate portion
between the abutments, thus cut off, immediately sank. Portions
have since been hauled out, and comparatively little obstruction is
now offered to the navigation.

The river Bure at this point is about sixty feet wide, and presents
no very particular appeartsuce now.

On Monday at ten o'clock the jury re-assembled, and a consi-
derable number of persons collected in the Hall during the

forenoon.

The business to-day was chiefly the identification of dead bodies
that had been found in the river.

CORONER, in the first place, read some correspondence that
had taken place between him and Mr. Pilgrim, the county coroner,
as to their respective jurisdictions. It appeared that none of the
bodies had been moved on the county side of the river. The
names of persons drowned that had been examined by the jury
were then called over in succession, and their relatives and friends
came forward to give evidence as to their identification.

Daniel Cooper was the first witness called. He identified one of
the deceased persons, named Maria Vincent. He saw her on the
bridge on Friday.

Jane Grimmer identified the body of her child, William Grim-
mer, 8 years of age.

Elizabeth Blogg identified Charles Die, 2 years old.
In the same manner, and by a variety of persons, the following
bodies were also identified, viz.—William Tennant, aged 11; John
Tennant, aged 10; Matilda Living,tone, aged 6 ; James Living-
stone, aged 9 ; Harriet Mary Little, aged 13; Caroline Augur,
aged 16; Caroline Utting, aged 9; James Adams, and Ann
Phoebe Richardson, 17 ; Richard Powley, 5 ; Elizabeth Powley,
21 ; Marianne Jenklnson, 10; Thomas Johnson, 8; and Mary
Ann King, 8.

A youth named J. B. Thorndike identified the body of Sarah
Utting, and deposed that he was on the Suspension-bridge when
the accident took place. He stood in the carriage-way,
and in
about the centre of the bridge. He heard a cracking noise, and
observed that one of the connecting links had broken, the ends of
the severed link teing about two inches apart. He did not appre.
bend any danger from what, he saw. There was, however, a
sudden rush to the Yarmouth shore; but several persons laughed,
and then ran back to their places. To the best of his belief five
or ten minutes elapsed between that time and the time when the
bridge fell, when he, with others, was immersed in the water.
_ _

By the Foreman—l had been-on the bridge about five minutes
before I heard the crack. It was crowded with people. There
were a great many persons upon it, but they were not so thick as
I have seen them. I should say they were about four deep. The
bridge was not half full. Sufficient time elapsed between my first
observing the link break and the bridge falling for every one upon
it to have gone off. I saw more persons on the bridge by a good
many upon the occasion of the prisoners who were lately accused
of what was called " the Yarmouth murder" returning from Nor.
wich after their acquittal.
The identification of the following persons was then gone
through, none but the necessary questions being put to ascertain
that the deceased persons were upon the bridge at the time when
the accident occurred, viz., Betty Morgan (aged 62), Wm. Lyons
(6), Sarah Ann Butterfint (IS), Harriet Bussey (24), Sarah Ann
H unn (14), Happy Thorpe (11), Clara May (20).
Grace Duffield identified the bodies of Elizabeth Manslip and
Eliza Duffield (10). She corroborated, in nearly the same words,
the evidence given by Master Thorndike, more especially with re.
ference to the time that elapsed between hearing the bar crack and
the falling of the bridge. She spoke, also, to the circumstance of
herself feeling no alarm when she heard the cracking noise, and to
there being sufficient time between the cracking and the actual
falling in for all to have escaped.
Elizabeth Brown, in identifying the body of Ann Maria Scotton,
spoke in nearly similar terms, having no fear when she heard the
bridge crack.

The CORONER observed, that it was of the greatest importance
that some day should be fixed for going into the general merits of
the case. All that they had done up to this time was simply pro
forma business, but there was a very important investigation with
reference to the construction of the bridge, which, as it appeared
to him, rendered it absolutely necessary that some engineering
evidence should be produced.
The Foreman said, he knew so little of engineering matters that
he should certainly like to have some eminent man down, as well
to satisfy their own minds as to see that public justice was done.
Another thing was, that they were going to build a new bridge
across the river, and he thought it was absolutely necessary that
the jury should be enabled to make some recommendations of an
useful nature, founded upon the evidence of some eminent en-
gineer.
The other gentlemen of the jury concurred in this proposition,
and it was decided to continue pro forma business in the mean

. -
time, and to enter into the general merits of the case on Thurs.
day next.
In several instances an order for burial was then given upon the
parish, in cases where the parents or surviving friends were them-
selves unable to bear the expense, after which the jury proceeded
with the identification evidence.
The following were the bodies identified :—Eleanor Detcham,
aged G 4 ; Caroline Church, aged 16; James Church ; Sarah Ann
Susan Fake, 2i ; Sarah Gilbert, aged 12; Susannah Elizabeth
Mears, aged 8 ; Maria Edwards, aged 12 ; Hannah Field, aged
12; William Lucas, aged 12; Emily Handworth Barking, aged
5 ; Benjamin Pattison Burton, aged 7 ; David Habbage, aged 9 ;
Jane Cole, Elizabeth Jane Hannibell, Elizabeth Hatch, George
Henry John Beloe, Elizabeth Conyers, Charlotte Packer, and
Martha Yallop.
Mr. C. Cory, who represents the proprietors of the late suspen.
sion.bridge, has, on their behalf, placed a sufficient sum of money
in the hands of Mr. Dawson, the secretary to the Ladies' District
Visiting Society, to bury all whe might require it.
The Court adjourned at 7 o'clock until 9 o'clock on Tuesday
morning.

PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS.
NOTICES GIVEN AT THE PRIVATE BILL OFFICE.
TUESDAY., MAY 6.
North Wales Railway,—Committee on petition for addi-
tional provision, Thursday, May 8.
Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway (Branch to hells),—
Committee on Bill, Monday, May 19, at half after twelve.
IThter Extensi,,n Railway,—Committee on Bill, Monday,
May 19, at half after twelve.
Newry and Enniskillen Railway,—Committee on Bill,
Monday, May 19, at half after twelve
Scottish Central Railway,—Report, Thursday, May 8.
Harwich Railway,—Committee on petition, postponed
from Thursday Bth till Friday, May 9.
Leeds and Dewsbury Railway,—Report, Thursday, May 8.

COOKE'S EqUESTRIAN Cincus.—A fatality seems
destined to attend this establishment, which has just been brought
before the public in connexion with the tragic catastrophe at
doYar-
mouth. A few years since, it will be recollected, Mr. Cooke, sen.,
lost his valuable horses, theatrical properties, &c., by fire in the
United States, and subsequently experienced a disastrous loss in
performance, e , was tornat down
Hackney, by
b a y
Ireland. In the early part of the present year the circus, belong.
ing
just before to Air. .
W. Coo
violent
which Mrs. sb
gust of
f wind,itte
and her nephew lost their lives, and many visitors narrowly es-
caped serious injury. It is due to Mr. Cooke to state, that upon
that occasion he generously proffered payment to the family of de-
I
de-
ceased for every expense arising out of the melancholy accident.
On the removal of the establishment to East India.road, Poplar,
Mr. Cooke, with his accustomed generosity of spirit, gave the pro.
ceeds of a night's performance in aid of the fund raised on behalf
of the unfortunate sufferers on board the Gipsy Queen. Mr. Cooke
has closed the circus at Yarmouth, and removed the company to
London, preparatory, it is believed, to their appearance at one of
the East-end theatres during the Whitsuntide holidays.
MONSTER CHINESE MORTAR.—The present age is
considered by many as far advanced in the arts and sciences corn.
pared with former ages, but occasionally discoveries are made which
place modern inventions in the shade when compared with the
gigantic specimens known to have been in existence centuries ago.
In the Royal Military Repository at Woolwich is a model of an
Oriental piece of ordnance, the original at I3eejapoor, in the East
Indies, weighing 42 tons, and of another at Agra, weighing 23
tons, and capable of discharging a ball of 1,500 pounds weight.
During the past week the Somerset ordnance sloop brought round
from I)evonport to the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich a Chinese brass
mortar, brought home in the Cornwallis, and weighing 8 tons 17
cwt., having a diameter of bore of two feet three inches, and a
chamber of 20 inches, the depth of the whole being about five
feet. The mortar was found in the bush in China, and partly con.
cealcd under ground. It is composed of apparently very fine metal,
and the trunnions being corrected to a considerable extent afford
evidence of the mortar being of great age. It appears also as if
the part where the vent is, which is very perfect and little worn,
had been cast again and inserted in its present Position. There is
also an appearance of a nut and screw in the centre of the breach
of the chamber ; but if they are really what they appear to be, a
large quantity of fused metal must have been poured into the
chamber, as the top of the nut is even with the metal, and could
not have been screwed into its present position. Some idea may
be formed of the magnitude of the mortar, and the size and weight
of shot or shells which it would require to be used in it, when it is
known that the large guns cast about two years ago for Mehemet
Ali, were only 15 inches in diameter, and yet they required shot
weighing upwards of 4001bs.
Yesterday evening there was a general meeting of
the National Association of General Practitioners in Medicine,
Surgery, and Midwifery; at the Hanover.square Rooms, to receive
and confirm the report of the Committee, and to hearthe opinioica-
ns
of members relative to the proposed college, qualif
tions and franchise of members, &c. Mr. R R. Pennington, pre-
sident of the association, was called to :the chair. Mr. H.
Ancell, one of the honorary secretaries, after reading the mi.
notes of the last general meeting, :submitted the report of the
Committee, which recommended the application for a new
charter, and recorded the result of an appeal to the members of
the association (now 4,000 in number), whose votes were found to be
unequivocally in favour of a five years' franchise and fifteen years'
qualification for a seat in the council. A long and rather stormy dis.
cussion followed, thechief point at issue being the course of proce-
dure with regard to the College of Surgeons—whether to seek a re-
conciliation with that body, or the incorporation of a distinct one.
Mr. Hawes, M.P., urged the necessity of unanimity in their pro.
ceedings, in order to render them effective, and hoped he should be
able to tight the battles of the general practitioner in cordial
concurrence with his Hon Friend the Member for Finsbury.
Mr. Hillier and Mr. Wakley, M. P., addressed the meeting
from the body of the room, the latter speaker in justification
of his former charges against the Committee of the National
Association, and in support of a conciliatory tone towards
the College of Surgeons, whose valuable
museum, library,
&c., were too important to the members to be sacrificed.
Succeeding speakers denied that any right would be sacrificed by
the members of the new college, and after hearing Mr. Clifton, Dr..
Webster, and others, in favour of the report, the meeting agreed to
its adoption, the number of hostile hands being comparatively
very small. Mr. Wakley again attempted to address the chair, but
the greatest confusion prevailed for some time. He was under-
stood to propose a resolution deprecating a new charter; but
having been informed by Mr. Ancell, the honorary secretary,
that the avowed object of the National Association was to apply
for a new incorporation, irrespective of the College of Surgeons,
Mr. Wakley withdrew his proposition, deearing that he had heard,
for the first time, that such was the object to which the Association
was pledged, and intimating his conviction that the country would
hear the avowal with much dissatisfaction. Resolutions were then
passed admitting country practitioners to the Committee of the
Association sanctioning the term of franchise and qualification
voted for by the members, thanking the Apothecaries' Society, the
public press, the honorary secretaries, Messrs. Ancell and Bird, the
chairman, &c. ; after which, at half-Past ten o'clock, the meeting
separated.
I\l. PHILIPPE'S SOIREES MYSTERIEUSES AT THE
ST. JAMES'S THEATRE,—As we anticipated, lit. Philippe has be.
Come one of the liens of the season. We visited the theatre last
evening, and found it crowded. CertainlyM. Philippe is the most
wonderful artist in his line who has ever appeared, and there is a
dramatic style about his performances which adds vastly to their
attraction. The performances of last evening were most sur-
prising and delightful, one hundred years ago they would have
been considered awe-inspiring, and the audience were
kept on the gui tiles during the whole evening. M.
Philippe possesses the art of rivetting the attention of his au.
dience in a very extraordinary manner. His performances last
nearly three hours, and during the whole of that time the at-
tention never flags. The children all seemed in extasies with
him, and declared that his bonbons, of which he produced an
apparently inexhaustible supplY from a hat, were delicious. The
ladies, too, admired the taste which he had displayed in the an.
rangement of his bouquets, of which the supply seemed equally
inexhaustible. In fact, plailippe is deservedly an an versal
favourite.