The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-10 00:00:00

1-3 trb Vibition'

SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock.

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.
(THIS DAY.)
The Committee decided that in the following cases the
staVing orders bad been complied with, viz., Midland (Lin-
coln and Ely) Railway, North Woolwich Railway, "fork
and North 3lidland (Doncaster Extension) and Sheffield,
Ashton-under-Lynn, and Manchester Railway.
In the following cases the Committee decided, that upon
minor points the standing orders had not been complied
with,. viz., Midland (Nottingham and Lincoln) Railway,
and Midland (Swinton and Lincoln) Railway.
The Committee adjourned at Half-past Four.

TATTERSALL'S.—THIS EVENING.
Six o'CLocK.

CHESTIR CUP.
12 to 1 agst Cataract
12 to 1 agst Semiseria
16 to 1 agst Obscurity
16 to 1 agst Era
22 to 1 agst Zanoni
25 to 1 agst Winesour
25 to 1 agst St. Lawrence
33 to 1 agst Trueboy
50 to 1 agst Milton
66 to 1 agst Foig-a-ballagh.
66 to 1 agst Sorella

DERBY.

10 to I agst Alarm
16 to 1 agst Idas
16 to 1 agst hedger
16 to 1 agst Cobweb colt
20 to 1 agst Pam'
25 to 1 agst Clear-the-Way
30 to 1 agst Pantasa
33 to 1 agst Mentor
40 to 1 agst Old England
40 to 1 agst Annandale
40 to 1 agst Fitz-Allan
50 to 1 agst Young Eclipse

THE LATE EXPLOSION AT
BLA CKW ALL.
INQUEST ON THE BODIES—(THIS DAY.)
The examination of Mr. Farey (in continuation from our
Afternoon Edition.)—The boiler had been burst by a very
intense pressure. It was not to be accounted for on any
supposition of the safety-valve which he saw being merely
overloaded; but he thought that it must have been fastened
down, thus rendering this case very different from those
explosions which they had on record. All the steam pro-
duced being retained, and so accumulated within the boiler,
occasioned a pressure which had burst the boiler with ex-
treme violence, projecting large pieces to a height in the air
and to a very great distance—one piece in particular had cut
itself into the bricks of a wall at a considerable distance
from the boiler, which showed that that piece must have
been projected with a ♦elocity which might have been
expected from an explosion of gunpowder, but not
from any ordinary explosion of a steam boiler. The
earth on which the boiler stood had been forced
downwards by the violence of the explosion, that being
a symptom of explosion by gunpowder, but not a usual
symptom of explosion by steam. The appearances convinced
him quite independent of any information to that effect, that
the valve had been fastened down, and that the engine had
not been at work at the time at any speed which would pro-
duce escape by expenditure. He was convinced that a pres•
sure of 1001bs. on the square inch would not pro-
duce the effect which he had seen there. The pro-
duction of gas within a boiler, and the explosion
of that gas would be impossible, unless in the case where a
boiler was empty, or nearly empty, and the metal in the vi-
cinity of the remaining water red hot. There was no ap-
pearance o (such having taken place. The supposition that
hydrogen gas might be produced within a boiler was that a
portion of the water in it had had the oxygen absorbed
from it by the oxidation of the metallic parts of the boiler.
Ii that took place oxide of iron must be found in the boiler in
palpable quantities. There were no such appearances in the
present case. Another supposition was requisite to account
for an explosion taking place of the hydrogen gas, supposing
it to be produced, namely, that atmospheric air, or oxygen,
frota some other source, and that that oxygen in a state
of gas should become mixed with the hydrogen, as it was only
the mixture of hydrogen and oxygen in a gaseous state, which
would cause an explosion, the explosion itself being in fact a
combination of the two gases previously mixed in suitable
proportions for combining. The supposition was, that the
water was first decomposed and again combined at the mo-
ment of the explosion. In this case he saw appearances
which warranted him in supposing that the water had been
decomposed, and recomposed again in the form of gases.
There was no appearance of a sufficiency of water in the
boiler; the uppermost row of tubes which must have been
the first to have been laid dry by the deficiency of water,
were brass, and showed no symptoms of having been over-
heated. It• they had, the brass would not absorb oxygen from
the water in sufficient quantities to have liberated any hy-
drogen. The tubes lower down were iron, and showed no
appearance of having been red hot.
In answer to a question from a juror,
Mr. Farey said that in explosions in gas works he found
them arise from a combination of hydrogen and air,
and they were always attended with fire. In at•
tempts made some years ago to construct engines being
propelled by a vacuum caused by explosive actioa—a
substitute for steam-engines—the circumstances were so
similar to those attending this case, as to leave no
doubt whatever on his mind that the explosion was
occasioned by the elasticity of steam alene. There were two
instances on record of explosions from safety-valves being
fastened down—one in the case of a boiler of one of the earliest
attempts at locomotives ; the other at Lyons, by which Mr.
Steele lost his life. He had never seen so much violence oc-
casioned by any steam explosion before, in fact it looked
mere like the effects of gunpowder, for the ground was de-
pressed to an amazing extent by the recoil of the boiler.
Edward Bell, engineer, Putney, stated he had practised
for the profession for eighteen years, and was also a public
leeturer on steam-boilers. lie had seen the boiler in
question, since it had been removed, and he had also heard
the evicience of Mr. Farev. The conclusions that gentle •
man had drawn were perfectly correct. The safety-valve
must have stuck fast, or it must have been fastened
down. Two valves would have been more safe ;
because, in the event dl' one getting fastened, the
escape of steam might take place by the other. Those
parts of the boiler which were tere exposed to view
bore no appearance of having been overheated, and it there-
fore appeared that the pressure must have been gradual, and
not instantaneous. That would have been the case had
hydrogen gas been formed in the boiler, and from the obser-
N ations he had made, he could only attribute the bursting of
the boiler to the safety-valve not having acted properly.
Ile had examined the safty-valve, and found that the
difference between the area of the valve and that of
the valve-box, immediately above the scat, was only three
inches. This would allow an escape sufficient to prevent an
explosion like the present. Ile also concurred with Mr.
Farev that there must have been at least a pressure of 1001bs
to the square inch. The pressure must have been immense.
The CORONER asked when the engineer, Lowe, would be
enabled to be present P—Mr. /Bain, his medical attendant,
said that upon Friday he might be able to attend.
The ConmsErt thought that in that case it would be better
to fix Monday next for further inquiry.
The inquiry was then adjourned to the latter period.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

(THIS EVENING.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the
Woolsack at Five o'clock.
SALE OF SPIRITS ON SUNDAYS.
The Bishop of LONDON presented seventy peti-
tions from various parts of the country, praying the
House to prevent the sale of ardent spirits on the
Lord's Day. The Right Rev. Prelate said, that al-
though he could not go the whole length with the
petitioners, he would observe that the clause intro-
duced into the Metropolitan Police Act, prohibiting
the sale of intoxicating liquors after a certain hour
on Sundays, had had an extraordinary and gratifying
effect in improving public morals, so that there was a
very great diminution in the number of charges at the
pollee offices on Mondays. A similar clause, intro-
duced into the Liverpool Police Bill at his (the Bishop
of London's) suggestion, had also been attended
with the most happy results in that great town.
This he had upon the authority of one of the magis-
trates, who assured him that the people of Liverpool
could never be sufficiently grateful to their Lordships
for so great an improvement. He thought that the
provision ought to be extended to other large towns,
and that so far their Lordships might comply with the
prayer of the petitioners.
FE NIALE PROTECTION.
The Bishop of LONDON also presented a petition
from the clergy and other persons in the town of
Uxbridge, on the subject which had been brought
under their Lordships' notice last session by a Right
Rev. Prelate, in order to put down those houses which
were used for the seduction of females, and who were
desirous of protecting females from the evils to which
they were exposed.'
AGRICULTURAL PROTECTION.
The Duke of WELLINGTON presented a peti-
tja from Basingstoke in favour of agricultural pro-
on.
IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT.
Lord BROUGHAM presented petitions from the
Ayr Stewatry in the county of Kircudbright, and
from another place in Scotland, on the subject of im-
prisonment for debt as regulated by the Act of last
session.
Lord BROUGHAM also presented a petition
from certain gentlemen, attorneys at Oswestry,
who were entitled to practise in the Courts
of Westminster, and who from their position as
masters extraordinary in Chancery were authorised
to take oaths. The petitioners, their Lordships were
aware, were highly respectable individuals, and from
their peculiar position their experience was highly
valuable. They stated that it was their impression
that if the Act of the Lord-Lieutenant for Sussex
had been acted upon it would greatly have tended to
prevent the commission of perjury, which was fre-
quently occasioned by the necessity for taking so
many oaths in the courts of law and justice.
REMEDY FOR CREDITORS.
_ _ _

Lord BROUGHAM also 'presented a petition from
the City of Bath, praying that after all the necessaryril
immunity had been given to the creditor that ad-
ditional means might be given to the creditor for re-
covering his claims from fraudulent debtors. The
Act of last session touched all the goods but did not in
many instances touch the incomes o:
debtors.
Creditors could not seize the rents of their
debtors, neither could they touch their salaries.
If therefore a man had a salary of 2001. he might go
to several tradesmen and contract debts of 191. and up
to 201. each, and then laugh. at his creditors. He
(Lord Brougham) would
OTAHEITE remedy this defect.
.
The Earl of MINTO said, that in consequence of
the indisposition of his Noble Friend, the First Lord