The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-31 00:00:00

DUTCH MAIL.

ROTTERDAM, JAN. 24. —We learn, from good
authority, that the shipowners of this city have peti-
tioned his Excellency the Minister of Finance, in
order to obtain an improvement in forwarding the sea
letters from Bromoenhaven to Helvoet, so that they
shall no more be sent by the ordinary post, but, on the
arrival of the ships, immediately be forwarded by an
express at the expense of Government. We think
that this improvement is very desirable, for it now
verve often happens that the letters reach their desti-
nation one, and even two days, later than they might
do, which is a great inconvenience to the merchants.
ZEVELLE, JAN. 23.—Some time ago a joint-stock
company was formed in this province for' improving
the commercial road over the Zevoesche Drep. This
company has now presented an address to the King,
the contents of which are certainly remarkable. It
shows the advantages which may be expected from the
improvement; particularly that in Overysbels, which
has an area of 300,000 acres, nearly the half laying
waste, though the land is very well adapted to cultiva-
tion, only on account of the want of markets and
canals. Situated, between the northern and southern
provinces of the kingdom, washed by the Yssel and
the sea, traversed by small rivers, and bounded by
North-western Germany, it possesses all means to-
wards a considerable development of its commerce
also, and it is no illusion to believe that this country,
with a population of 200,000 souls, might support
double the number if its waste lands were cultivated,
and its commerce relieved from the difficulties under
which it now labours.
THE HAGUE, JAN. 27.—We learn that his Royal
Highness Prince Frederick and his family will shortly
go to Italy.
It is said that Baron Huyssen Von Klttendylc,
formerly Minister of Foreign Affairs, and at present
Member of the first Chamber of the States-General,
is to succeed Mr. Rochusson as Ambassador of the Ne-
therlands at the Court of Belgium.
A Rotterdam paper mentions Mr. J. Boeye as the
probable successor of Mr. Rochusson.
DUTCH FUNDS.—AISSTERDAM, JAN. 27.
Money. Bills.
Actual Debt, 213 per Cent.... • 6414
64%
Ditto, 3 per Cent •
Ditto, 4 per Cent.— .• •• • • 98y 99
Ditto, 5 per Cent.• ••••• • • • • 99% 100
Amort Syndic, 4,v_ per Cent.... • . •
Ditto, 3112 per Cent • ... • •
Commercial Company, 414 per Cent .. 14713 147%
East India Loan, 4 per Cent • • • • • .
Rxchang,e on London, one month• ••• .. 12 20
Two months. . 12 15
At sight
On Harnburgh •.• . • ....... 35 68.75
Two .............month'.. 35 43.25

On Paris

59 06.25
54 68.75

Two months. • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
.Duteh Papers, Jan. 28.

THE LATE FATAL EXPLOSION
AT MANCHESTER.
The inquest on the bodies of the three unfortunate
men who were killed by the accideq announced in our
yesterday's impression, was held yesterday before the
borough Coroner, Mr. Chapman, and a respectable jury.
The accident has, of course, created a great deal of ex-
citement in the neighbourhood. The shock appears to
have been tremendous, as it was felt, and created consi-
derable alarm, at a distance of more than 500 yards from
the spot. After the jury had assembled and visited the
scene of the accident, the first witness examined was
Joseph Clarke, of No. 3, Allen-street, who deposed as
follows:—I am an engine-fitter. Yesterday morning I
arrived on the bank about a quarter before six o'clock.
I met Wm. Stones on the bank, and then entered the
new engine shed, in which the accident happened. Jones
was the night inspector. At the time we entered the
shed Mills was under the Irk engine, in the pit. All-
cock was examining the engine glands on the right-hand
side of the engine. I said to them, "You are at it," and
Mills said, " Yes, we are." At that moment the three
deceased were all about the engine. At the same time
the Stanley engine came in at the other end of the
shed. Before I reached the Stanley engine, which was
not more than 20 yards off, I heard a loud report, which
I thought at the moment was occasioned by tie
bursting of a steam-pipe. I went out at the end of
the shed at which the Stanley was, not being able
to get the other way, en aecount of the great quantity of
smoke and fire which was flying about there. I shortly
went to the end where the accident had occurred, and
found that the shed was in ruins. I returned to the end
from which I came, and obtained a light, with a view of
searching for the bodies, knowing that some of our men
were under the engine. When I first saw the engine
the tender was attached to it, ready for starting. As
soon as I found a light, I went to the place where the
Irk had been standing. The engine was not where I
first saw it, and the tender was covered with the ruins,
near where it before stool. The whole of the roof for
about twenty-one yards had been blown away. I found
the engine on the pit at the opposite side of the shed,
lying reversed on its broadside. On examining the en-
gine, I found that the fire-box top had been rent at three
sides, and drawn upon the fire-bars. I found George
Mills under the fire-box end, and William Allcock tinder
the smoke-box end. Stones where lying on the flags,
on the right side of the shed, with a wooden beam across
his body. Ile was about seven yards from the engine.
Allcock and Mills were carried a distance of twenty
yards, and Stones was in the same place I left him.
When I found them they were all dead. Mills, when
found, was lying with his head on the rails, and the
boiler upon it, his head being crushed and his skull laid
open. Allcock was sitting on the rails with his feet
hanging into the pit, and the smoke-box on his back. 1
have been in the service of the Co.npany five years. The
whole of the deceased were steady men, and well ac-
quainted with their business. !dills had been in the Com-
pany's service five years. Allcock and Stoat-s about the
same time. The engine and tender were on the line
when I first went. The Irk was always considered a
very good engine, and has been constantly at work, ex-
cept when undergoing a few slight repairs.
A juror—l wish to ask whether the witness saw that
part of the boiler which has been carried away since
the accident? Witness—l did not. The engine had
been repaired about last Friday, and had been working
on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday last. It was tried on
the Friday. Since repaired, it has had two trips to
Leeds and back with passengers, and was about to make
a third that morning with a passenger train. I had
never seen anything the matter with it. It was consi
dered all tight and trustworthy. No repairs had been
done to the fire-box or steam chain'aar. I gild exemin. d
them on Wednesday last, and found them all right. Stae
had been under repairs about two months. It is my duty
to examine all engines before they go out.
By the Foreman—When I entered the she" in the
morning the steam was not escaping from the valves. I
did not see in what state the valves were, being at the
other side of the engine; but, from what I could see, the
valves were all right. The men w,rk by contract, an I
it is very common for them to keep the steam as low as
they can, in order to save the coke, which is weighed
out to them. On the day before the accident, I saw the
steam from the same engine blowing off. She was
piloting at the time. I think the diameter of the valves
is about three inches and a half. This is the inside
of the valve. We generally work those engines at
about 601 b. pressure to the square inch. The spring
balance is one of Salter's flat-sided. I cannot say
whether the valves were overweighted, but I believe they
were the same as the day before. I cannot say what was
the cause of the accident, but 1 believe the man who was
getting up the steam was complaining of the difficulty of
getting it up. There are two valves on the engine, one
of which is a locked valve. Neither of the valves has
been removed by the aceident, and I examined them
shortly afterwards, before any person had interfered with
them. The studs of the locked valve were broken, and
the valve partly open. The other was closed, but the
studs of the spring and lever were broken oil: I believe
they were broken by the explosion, and were not the
cause of it, unless they were improperly weighted. The
lever was found close to the engine, and nothing was at•
tached to it but the pin that weighted down the valve.
By a juror—The effect of contracts with the Mtn
would not induce the engineer to keep heavy fires, but
just the reverse, unless they are at wick with the engines,
and then they keep no heavier fires than they can do with.
Their interest in the contract is to save fuel. They are
paid a certain sum per mile, out of which they have to
pay for their own fuel, oil, and tallow. They have also
to pay their own firemen.
By another juror—lf the valves had been in the same
condition they were in the day before, the explosion