The Sun.
London, England, 1828-03-06 00:00:00

of the year after the roof was on for morter to set- The 1
walls were perfectly well cemented. There were four
courses of cement round the top of the building.—
No old bats were - used, they were all carted
away ; the lower walls of the theatre were also
worked in Roman cement up to the pavement ; they were
throughly set and dug, as we built on the old foundation,
and a famous foundation it was ; this applies to the back
and front walls, the side walls were not built in cement
because they had not been pulled down below the surface.
We began to build on them at the level of the pavement ;
large spaces were left in the front walls ; the theatre was
built with piers and openings between them in the front ;
the piers were three feet wide by two bricks and a half ;
I think that they were from twenty to thirty feet
high, and extended from the portico to the un-
der side of the pediment, and were covered over with
Yorkshire stone four inches thick. The stones were
cramped in with iron bars and lead in the centre of the
piers, and a dead arch was turned over each opening; the
arches were worked with morter.

In answer to a Juror—l have been on the ruins since
the theatre fell down ; the causes of the morter not ad-
hering to the bricks now are, in my opinion, in consequence
of the season of the year, and also the great shake ; the
bricks appear to be clean from Mortar ; the parapets were
taken up during a hard frost, which shook all the joints;
there were besides timbers every four feet, as far as the
piers and openings extended. The chain-bond went right
round with an angle-tie in the east corner. There was brick
or brick and a half brick-work built up in most the piers.
Small window holes were left in some of the piers. I
don't know whether the bond timbers were ever cut away.
My foreman (Stephen Spencer) can tell, but he is ill in
the London Hospital, in consequence of injuries received by
the fall of the theatre. I was never absent from the build-
ing until it was fit to receive the roof. My opinion re-
specting the walls of the theatre, taking the season of the
year, and every thing into consideration, is that they were
perfectly safe ; the bricks were dry, and the lime was hot.
I said before, that there were frost and wet weather due-
iu the erection of the parapets, all the other walls were
carried up in dry weather. The external walls were finish-
ed by the end of September last. The parapets had nothing
to do with binding the building. lam still of opinion
that the weight of the flies, Sec. was the cause of the fall.
ing down of the theatre. I always thought that the
suspending of these weights to the roof of the theatre
would greatly endanger the beildiug. I never expressed
that apprehension to any one connected with the theatre,
or to any person whatever. I never troubled my head
about it, because it was not my business ; I had nothing
to do with the roof; I did not abstain from mentioning
it, from any fear that it might injure myself if it were ge-
nerally known ; I erected the whole of the brick-work of
the interior of the building, as well as of the outside; the
passage leading to the gallery was of brick-work; the
steps leading to the gallery were supported by it,
and both the gallery and boxes were supported by piers
and had no bearing on the external. The interior fittings
of the theatre were independent of the walls.'
Examined by Mr. Comyn—The late Mr. Maurice
carried on the business of a printer in Fenchurch-street,
and Mr. Carruthers is a patent manufacturer of fluid for
axletrees, in Gracechurch-street. I cannot tell exactly
the height of the outer walls. They were, perhaps, about
seventy feet high, from the pavement to the top of the
Pediment. There was nothing above the pediment. I think,
as Isaid before, that the great weight of the portico strained
the piers. The joists which supported the flies were not put
into the walls at the time the brickwork was erecting;
apertures were afterwards made for that purpose. The flies
contained a great number of joists. In my judgment the
holes cut in the wall to receive the joists did it no good.—
The least thickness of any part of the wall was about two
feet. I don't know whether any part of the wall was
only two bricks thick, or less than two and a half. The
parapet wall extended about five feet above the gutter
at each end, and were carried about eight feet high
from the pediment in the centre. The top gallery
was supported by iron pillars having their footing on the
foundation. The pit saloon was supported by brick piers,
which received iron columns, and were bedded on these
piers up to the under side of the uppei gallery. The name
of the clerk of the works is Shaw ; he gave me all my
orders. Mr. Whitwell was the architect and surveyor,
and at his suggestion, while I was building the carcase of
the house, sonic alterations were made in the walls ; thee
alterations were in regard of making flues, for the purpose
of airing and warming the theatre. The flies were par-
sated. There were a great many alterations made in the
interior of the theatre, under the direction of Mr. Whit-
well. All the directions, from first to last, which I
received were either from him, or from his clerk (Shaw),
With the exception of an order which I got from
Mr. Carruthers to block up three openings at one
end opposite the house of Develly the wheel-wright ; these
openings were in the southern wall, and I don't know
whether that is part of the wall now standing. The al-
terations made in the walls while building, or any other
alterations, could not in the slightest degree weaken it or
effect its security.
_ _ _

James Arding, the carpenter, was next examined.—l
reside in Dorset•street, Fleet-street. Some time in the
month of August last, I read my instructions from Mr.
Maurice, to place a horde in front of the site of the late
Theatre in Well-street—after which Mr. Maurice asked
me if I would like to do the carpenters' work of the
then intended theatre, to be built on such site, for
himself and his partner, Mr. Carruthers ; I asked
to see the drawings of it that I might judge. I was once
or twice promised a view of them, but I did not then see
them, Mr. Whitwell not having completed them at the
time ; afterwards, when my decision was asked for, I was
told that the architect intended to make the building in a
great measure proof, and, that therefore, little would be
required of me as carpenter, more than to prize the
several parts of the building inside. However, I was
then desired by Mr. Maurice and Mr. Carruthers to
call on Mr. Whitwell, and enter into written terms at so
much per foot. I called on him accordingly, and he ex-
plained to me the nature of the work, and I entered into
the following written contracts :
The contracts were then put in and read ; they set forth
that the materials used were to be of the best description,
and that the building was to he completed according to a
plan which was to be supplied by the architect. One of
these contracts was signed by the late Mr. Maurice.
At this period another letter was handed to the Coroner,
which, when he read, he stated to be a letter from the
Office of Works, the effect of which was, to inform him
(the Coroner) that Mr. Nash and Mr. Smirk, the archi-
tects attached to that office, had been ordered to proceed
to-morrow morning to survey the ruins of the late Theatre
in Well-street; that they should accordingly be there be-
tween 11 and 12 o'clock, and that the bearer of the letter
was to have sent by him to the office all the plans and
drawings that had been made of the building, that the
Surveyors might be the better able accurately to make
their survey.

Mr. Comyn said that neither Mr. Carruthers nor the
relatives of the deceased Mr. Maurice, had those docu-
ments ; that they were in the hands of Mr. Whitwell, and
that nothing would get them from him hut the Coroner's
warrant, calling upon him to produce their).
The CORONER enquired if theria was any friend of Mr.
' Whitwell'e in Court.
Mr. Finlay, who described himself to be of No. 19,
Vauxhall-walk, Lambeth, a draftsman and artist, said he
was, and that he had assisted Mr. Whitwell to make the
plans.
The CORONER then desired his compliments to he con-
veyed to Mr. W., with his request that Mr. W. would
have the goodness to send the plans for the purpose they
were now required for.
Mr. Finlay was not sure that he could find Mr. W. until
late this evening. He would however, do his utmost to
meet with him, and get whatever plans be had. He did
not believe that Mr. W. had them all ; he thought some of
the friends of Mr. Maurice and Mr. Carruthers, must have
some of them.
Mr. Comvn now reminded the Coroner that it was half-
past five o'clock, and suggested that the further examina-
tion might he postponed.
The CORONER adjourned the Inquest, until two o'clock
in the afternoon of to-morrow (Thursday), having pre-
viously hound the Jury in their several recognizancee to
give their attendance at that hour.
When Mr. Arding was leaving the Court-house, the
CoaoNen recommended him strongly not to hold commu-
nication with any of the parties interested.
Messrs. Pullen and son attended the inquest as the soli-
citors of the friends of the deceased Mr. Maurice.

TILE LATE ACCIDENT AT MANCHESTER.
—On Saturday morning an inquest was held by Mr.
MILNE on.the bodies of the sufferers (sixteen in number),
which lay at the New Quay Company's yard ; but as Mr.
MILNE refused to admit any persons to be present, except
those engaged in the inquest, we are not able to give any
particulars of the evidence. The Jury finally returned a
verdict that the unfortunate persons were accidentally
drowned at the launching of a vessel. On the afternoon of
the same day, inquests were held on the bodies which lay in
Salford; namely, sixteen at the Britannia public house, and
six nt the Boat-house, in Oldfield Road; when the evidence
was to the same effect as that given on toe inquests in Man-
chester ; and the verdict was, in each case, the aule ,
Mari ch este r Paper,