The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-08 00:00:00

EXPOSITOR.

DESTRUCTION OF A ' NEW MILL AND Two
THOUSAND POUNDS DAMAGE AT BLACKHURN.—A t
about a quarter past nine o'clock on Sunday morning,
when the wind was howling with great force, a noise
was heard throughout the town, as of the sudden dis-
charge of distant artillery, which was speedily discovered
to have proceeded from the falling down of an entirely
new and unfinished mill at Bank top, the property of
Mr. William Dickinson, iron-founder, &c. The mill
was what is called an " eight bay" mill ; the area of the
spinning part of the premises being 60 feet by SO feet
in extent ; and the mill four stories high. Attached to
the spinning mill was an engine-house ; next to that, a
large boiler-room ; and then came an extensive foundry-
shed.
The first floor of the mill was completed, the
boards of the other floors were not down, all the windows
were in, and the mill roofed over. The engine-house
was arched over, and the boiler-room covered in. In
these two latter places the buildings were partly iron ;
great iron beams, from 15 to 18 inches across, were
erected in the engine-house ; the roof, &c., of the boiler
room was supported by iron pillars, stout iron bars, &c.
It appears that at about a quarter-past nine o'clock,
some men employed upon the premises, and living close
by, observed one of the walls of the mill to bulge out ;
and they were discussing the readiest means of propping
it up, when the gable end of the mill, against which the
full force of the wind bore, was seen to bend inwards ;
and becoming thus loosened from the roof, the latter was
lifted up by the wind, and falling back again with great
violence, went to pieces, and carried down to the founda-
tion every thing with it. The destruction was instanta-
neous and complete ; part only of some of the walls re-
maining. The roof, first floor, beams, supporters, and
the walls that fell with the roof were all smashed to
pieces. The roofs of the engine house and boiler room
were destroyed, the thick iron beam ends being broken
like glass, Part of the roof of the foundry shed was de-
stroyed; as also some premises adjoining another side o
the mill, and belonging to Messrs. Livesey and Rodgett.
The damage done to Mr. Dickinson's property cannot be
calculated at less than 2,000/. Upwards of 300/. worth
of glass was destroyed. It is said that the whole building
was not to be surpassed for strength and compactness in
Blackburn. In a short time the three upper floors
would have been put in; and then this diastrous accident
could not have happened. In about two months the
mill would have been at work.—Blackburn Standard.
STATE OF THINGS.—When the confounding and
stupid additional Poor-law Act was passed, at the close
of last session of Parliament, Mr. Lumley, one of the
Assistant Secretaries to the Poor-law Commissioners,
and a barrister, framed a set of forms to be used by
justices' clerks under the bastardy clauses, and those
forms were copyright. Last Thursday, in the Bail
Court, before Judge Wightman, the form of orders in
bastardy was deJared, in several respects, bad. If
justices' clerks prepared forms of their own, and had
them printed (for Messrs. Shaw and Sons are the mono-
polist printers here again), the printer became liable—
one was actually proceeded against! Is not this " a nice
state of things _ _

BARNSTAPLE.—A melancholy accident occurred on
Friday last, the 31st ult., at Mr. Puddicombe's limekiln,
situate at Fremington Pill, about three miles from this town,
which has spread a gloom over the whole of that parish.
John Fairchild, one of the men employed at the kiln, having
incautiously descended without the ladder, soon found that
the sulphurous effluvia from the culm affected his respiration,
and called to his brother-in-law, Richard Gayton, for help,
who instantly lowered a rope, which, in drawing him from
his perilous situation, unfortunately broke. Gayton then
immediately descended to the poor fellow's assistance, but
the exhalations proving too strong for him also, another man,
named Shaddock, jumped down, and Taylor, a fourth man,
stood ready to render immediate aid, should it be necessary,
who, soon perceiving that Shaddock was overpowered, put a
board and slid down. He happily succeeded in getting him
up, and he ultimately recovered. By this time the neigh-
bourhood became alarmed, and Gayton and Fairchild being
got out, medical assistance was procured, but life was extinct.
They were men of sober and industrious habits, and have
each left a wife with a very large family. We are informed
that eight of Gayton's children are under 15 years of age, and
the number of children thus suddenly bereaved is nearly 20.
THE LATE MR. STURGES BOURNE.—The deceased
was son of the Rev. John Sturges, Chancellor of Winchester.
He was born in 1769, and married, 1808, Miss Bowles,
daughter of Mr. Oldfield Bowles, of North Ashton, Oxon.
On the death of his maternal uncle, he assumed the name of
"Bourne," in addition to his patronymic. In early life he
was educated at Winchester College, and then graduated at
Christ Church, Oxford. He was brought up to the bar, but
retired from the profession on the death of his uncle above
alluded to. In 1798 he was elected representative fur
Hastings. He was Joint- Secretary to the Treasury from
1804 to 1806, under Mr. Pitt ; but, on Lord Grenville coming
to the Treasury, he went out of office. From 1807 to 1809 he
was a Lord of the Treasury in the Duke of Portland's Admi-
nistration. In August, 1814, he was appointed one of the Coin-
missioners for the Affairs of India, without salary, and was
then appointed of the Privy Council. lie became two years
afterwards one of the three salaried Commissioners, and con-
tinued at the Board of Control till 1821. In 1827 he was for
a short time Secretary of State for the Home Department,
and in July, when Mr. Canning resigned, he succeeded the
Earl of Carlisle as Chief Commissioner of Woods and Forests,
which office he continued to hold until January, 1828. He
sat for a period of above 30 years in the house of Commons,
having represented Hastings, Christchurch, Bandon, Ash-
burton, and Milbourne Port. On the passing of the Reform
Bill, he retired altogether from political affairs. The de-
ceased was the author of the vestry statute which bears his
name, "Sturges Bourne's Act." He was Lord Warden of
the New Forest, a sort of honorary situation, which he had
held ever since 1827. He was also one of the principal mem-
bers of the Commission of Poor-law Inquiry, along with the
Bishops of London and Chester, and Messrs. Senior and
Chadwick. Of the merits of those Commissioners we shall
say nothing in this place.
BATHS AND II'ASIIIIOUSES FOR THE LABOURING
CLASSES.—Yesterday a numerous and important meeting of
the clergy and influential gentry of the parish of St. Pancras
took place at the Vestry-rooms, Gordon-square, for the pur-
pose of carrying into effect the establishment of baths and
washhouses for the labouring classes in that populous and
extensive district of the metropolis. Mr. J. llarris, of the
Hampstead-road, occupied the chair, aid amongst the
gentlemen present we observed the Rev. W. Dodsworth, the
Rev. Dr. Stebbing, the Rev. H. Hughes, the Rev. D. Lang,
Mr. J. P. Gibbons, Mr. E. Wilson, Mr. W. Douglas, Mr, J.
H. Smith, &c. A report was presented, from which it ap-
pears that the parish of St. Pancras contains at least 130,000
souls, the far greater proportion of which consists of the
labouring classes ; and that in consequence of a communi-
cation having been received from the Central Society for the
Establishment of Baths and IVashhouses for the Labouring
Classes, recommending the formation of a branch association
in that parish, a Committee had been appointed, who had
come to a resolution, " That the establishment of baths and
washhouses was highly desirable for the comfort and clean-
liness. as well as for the health of the labouring classes, and
they therefore cordially approve the formation of a branch
society in the parish of St. Pancras to carry out that ob-
ject." Baths and washhouses for the labouring classes had
been already established in Liverpool and other populons
towns with most beuelicial results, and there was but little
doubt they would prove equally successful in London. The
Central Society had met with very liberal support, but
when the extent of the metroplis was considered, it was
manifest that in order to obtain for any particular district
the advantages of such establishments, local exertions must
be made. The Committee, therefore, felt it their duly to
make an earnest appeal to the inhabitants to furnish them
with funds necessary for the erection of public baths and
washhouses on a suitable scale in one or more districts of
the parish. The report having been adopted, it was resolved
that deputations should wait on his Grace the Duke of Bed-
ford, the Marquis of Camden, Lord Southampton, Lord
Somers, and other great landed proprietors of the district, to
solicit their aid and co-operation. Committees having been
also appointed to canvass for subscriptions in the respective
districts, thanks were voted to the Chairman, and the meet-
ing separated.
GREYFRIARS' CHURCHES.—The scene of the confla-
gration of Sunday week, which we have described, has
been visited since then by thousands of individuals—all of
whomare much struck with the total ruin presented by the
walls of the Old Church. From the gateway, at Candle-
maker-row, the scene is quite picturesque, and as
one approaches nearer, or gets within the shell of the -
once strong edifice, the tire appears to have worked,
in a few hours, upon the arches and abut-
ments, the slow effects of one or two hun-
dred years upon some of our older ruins. Al-
though DO permanent arrangement has been made, it is
understood that on Sunday next the congregation of Old
Greyfriars meet in St. John's (Rev. Mr. Fraser's), and
that the Rev. Mr. Robertson, of New Greyfriars, is to
officiate in Newington Church, which has at present no
stated minister.—Sccternan.
SUDDEN DEATH OF A SCENE-SHIFTER.—An in-
quest was held on Monday, at the Harlequin,
Burns,Drury-lane
aged
before Mr. Higgs, on the body of Thoma-
thirty-five, a scene-shifter at Drury-
thate on Saturday last,
Thegatre. Thomas
Heatord, also a scene-shifter, said
at twelve o'clock, he saw the deceased oanntehne,
work-
ing the scenery during the rehearsal ofand i
piece,n
stage,
w so weak that he was
about a quarter of an hour he found him suffering from a
pain at his heart. Deceased soenagnre
finding
him
gradually
unable to proceed with his work,
home. The
The whole of that
sinking, he had him conveyedc,
13 excited and flurried at his
morning he had been
work, for be was rathergbeeahindhand with what he had to
do. Edward Percival, another scene-shifter, corroborated
the above evidence, and said that the deceased died soon
after his return home. A witness named Samuel Coles made
a charge against the person having the management of the
department to which the deceasedbelonged, of over-working
the men and treating them in a harsh manner. Mr. Sloman,
the person referred to, denied the charge, and attributed the
complaint made against him to the ill-feeling of men, jealous
of the situation he held. Considerable discussion ensued,but
at length an adjournment until Wednesday was agreed to,
that the jury might obtain the opinion of a surgeon as to the
cause of the deceased's death.
THE GAME MANlA.—Whilst the odious game-pre-
serving system continues—whilst our " English country
gentlemen" continue in the condition of " poulterers,'
as the Duke of Portland properly termed them—poach-
ing (with all its evils and consequences) will also con-
tinue. The extent to which the preserving mania is
carried is a premium for poaching, as much as givieg to
gamekeepers half of a penalty (which they get when
pena'ties are paid), is a premium for perjury. The
mania gentry are so jealous of each other, where their
estates adjoin, that they quarrel like children about toys.
.Farmers are, no doubt, right gla.l when they find that
the poachers have paid a nightly visit, and carried
game; (ra_ i
good stock of the surplus indeed they have sub
btantial reason for being glad.