Star.
London, England, 1828-03-08 00:00:00

BRUNSWICK THEATRE.

ADJOURNED INQUEST. •
(Condausd from the STAR of Thursday.)
Thursday, at half past two o'clock, the Coroner and
Joey atreaL:ed the Court House, Wellclose-square.—
Mr.Gough, the district surveyor, was in attendance.
The surveyor of the Theatre was also present.—Mr. HILL
attended as Counsel for Mr. Whitwell ; Mr. COMYN
was present for Mrs. Maurice.
The Jury being sworn, William Hooper, of Green-
, street, 13.rck-lane, St. George's, deposed to having, on
the night of the accident, been called on from Sr.
Katharine's Dock, to clear away the rubbish. They
commenced about six o'clock, at the entrance of the
stage door. After working for about two hours, they
di.covered the body of a man quite dead; part of his
body was on the first step of the entrance, and his legs
on the pavement; believed that his naive was Davidsoo.
Hooper was further examined, and deposed to finding.
Jesse Miles about eleven o'clock at night under tht

ruins inside the theatre.
Mr. Pulsiord was put into the witness box, and a
paper being handed to him, and he being asked by the
Coroner whether he knew that paper, Le replied that
he did, and that it contained the articles of agreement.
The Coroner's Clef k then read the paper, which con-,
tained the articles of agreement between the propriernraj
and contractors, consisting of eleven, regarding the
structure, materials, and prices in the different arCieles
used in the builditt.
Witness, in continuation—The prices named in the
contract are the best prices, and I made it with Mr.
Maurice and Mr. Carruthers. It was the same speci-
fication which I have mentioned in my former evidence.
The examination was here interrupted by the entrance of the
King's Surveyors.
Coeonea (to the Surveyors)--Do you think there will be any
clanger if 1 let the wall stand for a week?
Mr. Nash—l do not think there will.
Mr. Smirke was of the same opinion.
The proprietor of the house adjoining the Theatre addressed the
Coroner, and said, that in the presence of the Government Archi-
tects he begged leave to state the anxiety himself and family were
in by the proximity of north wall of the Theatre to his house. The
workmen who had been employed to take down the upper part
of the wall had stopped bison, and left a part of the cornice, which
excited most serious apprehensions.
The Coaoaaa said that the workmen had stopped by his direc.
tion, as he wished to leave such portion of the wall standing as would
enable competent persons to form a judgment of its stability.
Mr. Nash said. that it was quite unnecessary to leave any more
of the wall up, as it could not have any influence on the judgment
himself and Mr. Smirke should form. The papers he now wished
for were the specification of the masons' and carpenters work.
.(The specification required was put into his hand.)
Mr. Nash—lf there he any specification or indemnification of
the iron roof, we would wish to see it.
Mr. Comm said, that unfortunately there was no specification
cm the part of the smith. •
Mr. Aiding was then called into the witness-box—My first in-
structions were from Mr. 'Vs'kitwell, the architect, to attend the
masons with chain bonds, to be worked into the walls as they went
up. I sent the chaiu bonds, and men to put them in, and the clerk
tit the works gave orders where they should be put in. The chain
bond was put into the wall at distances generally of three fret six
inches apart. Doting the progress of the carcass, the first erection
was merely that of the four walls; as the walls proceeded, ties were
put from the back to the front, I believe nine in number, with
braces and struts; at the new angle—one wall being old—angle-ties
were intruiluced, at about ten or twelve feet front the corner, dove-
tailed upon the chain bond, as appears from the plan I now hold
in my hand.
COM:WM—Give in the plan.
Witness—l beg leave to observe that this plan is made merely
from recollection, and to elucidate such evidence as I expected to
be called upon to give in the course of my examination; therefore,
I do not give it in as an accurate plan.
The plan was then banded in, and marked by the Coroner.
Witness—The carcass work in which I was engaged was done
according to that plan, under the direction chiefly of Mr. Shaw,
Clerk of the Works. The size of the chain bond was nine inches
by six ; the size of the ties were from 14 to 15 inches by 41 to 5;
the braces and struts writ five inche• by six; there were many other
braces and struts used in orhcr parts of the building which are not
shown in this plan. From the building of the four walls, before
any thing was done in the interior, those braces and ties were ne-
cessary to secure them. I believe I have stated all that we did.
A long explanation of some differences between Messrs. Maurice
and Carruthers and Mr. Whitwell was here entered into by the
witness, but which had no bearing, directly or indirectly, on the
question at issue. The Jury then adjourned until yesterday, at
nine o'clock.
The investigation was resumed yesterday morning. The frames
•f the Jury having been called over, and proclamation being made,
Mr. James Arding's examination was resumed—The plan in my
%hand is a section showing the whole of the openings as left in the
wall in front of the Theatre.o-it shows also the longitudinal section
of the stage, the dressing rooms under the flies, the carpenters and
painters' shops. The iron roof was putting on, and the works of the
stage and rooms under were going on at the same tiose.My impression
is, that she timber for the stage was supplied the third or fourth week
in October. There were two meetings of the Proprietors, and at the
second meeting Mr. Shaw was engaged to do tbe works. They
were begun about three days afterwards ; I was at the Theatre at
the time; the joists of the stage were doing at that time ; the flies
were not then begun; I think the flies were begun about a fortnight
after. I saw the stage in its progress; Mr. Silaw's people were
doing the works of the flies under his direction ; I do not know
what sort of directions Mr. Shaw gave.
By a Juror—Did Mr. SIIAW act under the direction of a surveyor?
Witness--Z do not know that he did.
Juror—Was +there or not a surveyor appointed at the second
meeting ?
Witness—There was no Surveyor ..resent but Mr. Benson, whom
I took as my friend, but he had nothing to do with the Theatre.
I took bins only to guide use in the contract I was about to make.
By Mr. Comex—The ties took about a fortnight to erect, and
the painters' workshop about four days. The carpenters' workshop
was not finished until three or four days before the house opened,
When the stage floor was up, one end of the flies was supported in
the walls, the other was ft anted into a trimmer, and the trimmer
supported by struts from the stage. The painters' shop rested
upon the flies. The carpenters shop had girders resting in the
waUs, and suspended by bolts and iron straps to the roof. I
now look at Plan No. I. The lines represent the meets, they
are about one foot apart, and numerous. The bear upon the
walls at one end. The struts or uprights are placed under the
trimmer. I think the height of the first fly was about 14 feet from
the stage. The stouts supported that fly. These were two tiers of flies,
one precisely the same as for Other, but over it, and were the same
on both sides of the stage. The upper flies were supported by
strata as well as the lower. The upper fly was about seven fret
above the lower. The Baur of the winters' shop rested on the
second tier of flies. The plan No. 2 shows correctly, as far as
am able to judge, the manner in which the floor cf the painters'
shop rests on the flies. The joists which supported the floor were
irons thirty to thirty-four feet. I believe they were about twelve
inches by three inches thick. The floor of the carpenters'
shop was' supported by girders, the ends of which laid in the
wars, baying suspension bolts and straps, both of iron. the
bolt from the roof went through the girder. On the iron ties of
the roof were placed long pieces of 'limber, two of which ate repre-
sented in the plan above the straight line. The bolt is attached by
nut and screw to the pieces of timber, and is fastened on the top by
a nut, screw, and iron plate. The iron roof rested on the four walls
of the building. There was a plate laid on the walls, and the roof
`rested on that plate. I never before saw but two Iron roofs in my
life, to the best of my recollection. Ido not know how those two
roofs were laid. The plate was bedded in mortar—it was com-
posed of an immense number of pieces, dove-tailed together. The
roof was constructed of a great many separate pieces.
The witness Was here proceeding to describe, from a plan io his
hand, the formation of the roof, when
A Juror inquired whether the witness had any thing to do with
the roof ?

Witness—Nothing whatever.
Juror—Then it is only lost time to examine him on that point.
Mr. Cosirs—l submit that it b most important, because it ap-
pears to me that the main question rests here.
Coacuma—l think we are proceeding in the proper course: It
the Learned Counwl desires to put these questions, I am bound to
take down the winiess's answers.
Mr. Comyx—l think them most essontiaL
The witness then described the construction of the roof, which
was of wrought iron—there were gutters of cast iron.
Cosmisa—ls there .Lny Qentletnan attendist on behalf of the
person who made the roof?
Mr. Coarn—l believe nut ; it was made at Bristol, sad I think.
there is no imputation on the construction of the roof.
Entwined= resumed—The several pieces of the roof grappled
each other in such a way as to prevent exposition. The baits I

alluded to in a farmer part of my deposition Ma not afford any sup.
port to the floor of the carpenters' shop , they only supported the
flies. I was at the Theatre on an average about twice each week,
while the flies and the workshops were gnieg on. I applied as
the timber; I received the orders from Air. Shaw tor the timbre
for the fires and workshops ; during the time they were in progress,
I saw the architect, but not often ; I did the joiners' work in patt ;
I have already said that Mr. Shaw did the other part. Tie
upright from tire first fly stood on the floor of the stage—lds nu
kuow that it rested on the joists—the only part of the carpenters
wink which I performed in the interior of the building was the
pit ; there was a circular wall upon the back of the pit upon whit*
rested cast-iron eiders, from which strong britk arches, over which
were joists, flow log boards, and 3t2t4, forming the pit. The ph, I
my judgment, was very properly supported in all its points.
TJus
joists were Dantzic timber. The scantlings differed from 8 inchee
by ei inches, to 9 inches by 3 inches, according to their different
bearings.—The witneu here put in two letters. which he wished to
have read—they were front the late Mr. Maurice. addressed to
himself.
Mr. COMYN objected to the reading of the letters, as they Mold
break in on the chain of evidence.
The Cueowee—At a future period those letters will be important,
but it is not convenient to read them now.
Examination resumed—The support for the boxes Tested on the
circular brick wall at the back of the pie, at one end, and at the
other are wrought-it on columns, resting on brick. The second tile
of boxes rested as bet ot e oa one end, and the other on wroughtiroer
columns, above the ones described already. The galleries wetest
ported in a similar way, the principal timbers of which ran into the
main walls; to the under side of the girders, sustaining the carmine
ters' shop.—The interior brick work stood upon its ion base.
There was no connection between the brick work in the interief
of the Theatre and the exterior walls. In my judgment the
gallery and boxes were snfficiently and safely supported—
the columns running front the bottom to the top were amply sub.
went for the purpose of supporting the galleries. The flies had DV
other supports than the uprights and the joists, being let into the
external walls. I will add, there were four posts in tht building,
which I understood were called proscenium posts, into which the
trimmers of the flies were framed. Those suppotts were 40 feet keg
--they were wood. The two front sprang (eons a wall which
was built for the foundation of the stage, and the two back ones
from brick piers brought from the foundation of the boildiug.
The upper and lower flies were framed into these poses, and the
carpenters' shop rested on the top. I cannot say whether a
not the uprights were properly let in, as I did not examine than;
Mr. Shaw did that work; I newer saw soy plans of thefiiel, the
workshops, or the roof, up to this dab ; I have been a carport,
from 18 to 20 years; I do not know that Mr. Shaw was a cats
penter ; I never knew hint until I met him at that building; at.
cording to my judgment and experience, the joists of the flies whirl,
were let into the external wall injured them, pod I would explain k
thus :—The building, as I have already stated, was entire, and the
joists being afterwards cut into the walls, mutilated them, and ia
my judgment weakened them.
Mr. Coatre—Frona your knowledge and experience in building,
'Can you form any opinion as to the cause of the Theatre falling ?
Witness—l cannot form any opinion on the subject.
Mr. COSITNI wistl to know how the joists of the flies rested
upon the walls? •
Witness--The apertures were cut out, and the joists simply rested
On the brick work.
Coes:isnot— Were they not tied in ?
Witness—Some of them were let in with plates. This was alto.
gether a peculiar building. It is not usual to fasten joists let in
with iron ties. I never before saw a fiour let in in that way, as re.
wards the joists without them. In letting in joists into externs/
walls, it is usual to fasten them with halts. lit my oriole, the
bolts which were let in through the trimmers and girders, and con.
uected with the carpenters' shop, affected the roof. In my judf.
ment of practical carpentry, 1 have always understood that the
lower part or tie of a roof is for the purpose of preventing the
spreading or' the foot of the rafters—a weight placed upon the tie
of the roof must necessarily tend to pull the roof Nithin the walls
that support it.
Mr. Couve—eWas there suck a weight as you describe from the
carpenters' and the painters' shops, and the flies, 45 to produce
that effect?
Witness—Certainly not, so long as the uprights which I before
described, from the stage to the flies, remained.
Mr. Conve—Did the uprights prove:it the weight of the flies
and the workshops from dragging in the roof?
Witness—ln my judgment they did.
Mr. Comex—What was the utility of putting the bolts and swaps
through the trimmers to the roof?
Witness—To tie the floors together.
Mr. Comex—Supposing these bolts bad no communication mid
the roof, would the external walls have been sufficient to support
the roof?

Witness—Yes, in my judgment, they were sufficiently strong.
COMTN—Do you know that any other weight was put upea
the roof other than the cast iron guitars?
Witness—The slates, the lead hips, the ridges, and the sky fights
Mr. Castro—How lately before the accident happened were yea
at the theatre?
Witne,a—l was there for a very short time on the morning pre.
Timis, and I was alio there for a few hours on the Friday.
Mr. Coxrie—How long had your work been finished before the
accident ? _ _

Witness—l had men there at the time, one of whom, a Most
faithful servant, John Abbott, is now in the Hospital, with the
loss of a leg; he had been in my father's and my employ for nearly
forty years.
Mr. Cowrst—Did any thing occur to you at the last time yes
were at the Theatre, as to the dangerous state of the building?
' Witness—Nothing whatever.
Mr. gostro—When a settlement takes place in a wail, are oat
the doors affected ?
Witness—lt would be in common building, but it would twit
affect-the internal doors of a theatre.
Mr. Coasyx—Why nor in this particular building—if a settle-
ment had taken place, which I do not say there had?
Witness—The wells of this Theatre were carried up separately.
If a settlement had taken place in this instance, the internal doors
would nut be affected by it. bemuse the esterOal walla rested as
their own basis.
Mr. Cown—Do you know whether any of the uprights whici
supported the flies had been .taken away or removed before the
accident ?
Witness—l do not.
Cross examined by Mr. Hill, for Mr. Whittvell—l never re-
ceived any instructions from Mr. Whitwell respecting the stage,
flies, or workshops nor did any of my men to my knowledge.
There were bats and straps connecting that part of the carpenters'
hop next the gallery wieti the roof. The weight of the workshops
would have strained ,tie roof but for the nest iron columns. De
distance between the upper and lower boxes was about ten feet. k
my opinion, if the uptights had been taken away front the steps
or if they had been lessened even by two, the tiers of Bits worsid
have depended for support on the roof. The throwing on Melt
a weight as that would not have been a fair and proper me
of the roof. If it had been thought proper to throw wvigist
on the roof at all, such weight should have beeirthrowst on alas
principals and not on the ties. The effect of throwing a Wrolglin
on the ties is to belly them down, and if so a great weight would
be thrown on the girders of the floor of the carpenters shop. Sup-
posing the weight to be so great as to bleak the girders,they would
break where the bolts pierced them. The bolta were alter-
nately inserted into the girders near the ends—those of the
girders which broke near the back wall would Oferale
as an easy lever, to prize asp the upper part of the front wall.
The joists might have been supported by trimmers, let hoe
the wall, and vertical posts; the joists 13i the flies snigte
have been supported by trimmers at arch end, without fleeing
the wall at all ; in point of fact, the joists of the stage were
setTorted on latest-summers and vertical posts. i Was in tin
theatre only two or duce minutee on the morning Were the
accident. I was in the pit, and on the box staircase. 1 was
in no pert of the theatre where I could examine she state Cl
the roof. I did not prepare the gliders rfor the carpenter;
shop. Six weeks before the house opened, I had an order let
(cur or six trusses for the carpenters' shop from Mr. Show.
but they were countermanded. The object .of a truss is to Jet
it in between the pieces of timber, to strengthen those picas
of timber, and if these trusses had been erected, they would haw
strengthened the girders, consequently the floor; the trusses wort
to be let into pieces of timber from 62 to 64 feet long ; there were
no girders in any part of the building but in the carpenters shop.
Mr. CO”YN here put in the memorandum of agreement betel*
tit* proprietors, Messrs. Maurice and Carruthers, and Mr. Stoiluili
Whitwell, for the building of the Theatre.
This having been read, a letter was banded by the foreman
the Jury to the Coroner,which be had received, directed to binawk.
The COROtilla read it, and putting it into his pocket, said Jar
would keep it until after the verdict was returned. Of soon*
the purport of the letter did not transpire.
The foreman of Mr. Arding was then called, and he aepored
having given the order fur the trusses, as elicited In the:Close
examination of that gentleman.
The COROMIL then adjourned the Inquest at hair postiour
until Monday next, at nine o'clock in the mortaing. The Jurors
were each bound in a recognizance of 1104 to appear.

HIGH-WATER at LON1)ON-1.11LIDGE TO Milt ROW.
Moraiag 4Q minute), atter 1
Afternoun . • 16 'lmitate ater

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