The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-01-11 00:00:00

ASHTON AND STALYBHIDGE

A very lamentable accident occurred at the old factory,
belonging to Messrs. Thomas Harrison and Sons, Staly-
bridge, where a chimney, which had been rebuilt about
twelve months ago, broke off at the square of the building,
and the tipper part fell in one solid mass upon the root of
the mill, breaking through that and all the floors down to
the boiler-house, on the ground floor. This occurred about
half-past six o'clock i❑ the morning, when the hands were
all at work, and for a time the most exaggerated reports pre-
vailed respecting the loss of life. It happened, however,
most providentially that the rooms upon which the chimney
fell were principally used as store-rooms. One, however, on
the second floor from the ground was used as a drawing-in
room, where nine or ten persons were employed in drawing
in and piecing the ends of warps. A large portion of the
floor of this room (which was fire-proof), together with five
persons who were standing upon it, was carried by the fall- '
ing chimney through the next fluor, and down to the ground
floor of the engine-house; and one, a woman, was killed on
the soot, as well as the engineer of the mill, who happened
to be in the engine-house at the time. Four others were
more or less severely hurt; one who is now at the Manches-
ter Infirmary having a leg broken, and some other severe
injuries. Four of the persons employed in the drawing-in
room were fortunately standing, at the time of the accident,
upon the arch
.of the floor which was the farthest from the
chimney, and which was left standing; and they escaped
unhurt. The mass of falling rubbish broke the main steam-
pipes leading from the boiler; and it is believed that the en-
gineer lust his life rather from the steam which rushed out,
than from the falling materials, as no serious wound or frac-
ture could be found upon him ; hut he appeared to have
been dreadfully scalded. We understand that an inquest
is to be held upon' the bodies, at the White Hart Inn, Sta-
lybridge, this morning. We are not aware that any other
chimneys in this neighbourhood (numerous as they are)
have been blown• down, with the single exception of one
belonging to the Messrs. James and John Ashton, of New-
ton Moor, with respect to which we have not heard any
particulars; but several of them have been so much injured
as to make it imperative on the owners to take theist down.
Amongst these is one belonging to Messrs. Dean and Tinker,
machine-makers, Stalybridge, which, by the violent action of
the wind, was actually shifted two or three inches near the
base, but still remains entire. Another, belonging to Mr.
Leach, of Stalybridge, had a hole blown through it near the
top; but no part of it fell„ The injury to dwelling-houses
and buildings of all descriptions in this neighbourhood is ex-
tremely severe. Three new houses, on the road between
Ashton and Stalybridge, were entirely blown down ; a public-
house, kept by a person named Goodall, was very much shut-
terel ; and the old Unitarian Chapel, at Dukinfield, had some
• or the windows blown in, and the interior very greatly in-
- jured. The number of houses partially unroofed, and having
chimneys blown down, is very great; but we have not heard
of any cases requiring particular mention.