Star.
London, England, 1828-03-21 00:00:00

THE LATE BRUNSWICK THEATRE.

ADJOURNED INQUEST.—Twerns PAT. ••
Yesterday afternoon at four o'clock the inquiry was
resumeck.
Mr. Carruthers was led into Court in a very infirm
state, and gave evidence to the following effect :—He
knew of so extraordinary weight or tackling being at.
cached to the roof. Whets Blamier told he was afraid,

he knew nothing of what was going forward up stairs.
He sent for Shaw, who declared there was no danger;

but he doubted this, and ordered supporters to be put'
to the flies from the very foundation ; which, however,
was not done that evening. Next morning he saw Shaw
at the Theatre, who again assured him there was
no danger, and that his wife was in the flies pre:
paring canvass. He never approved of the iron roof,
but Mr. Whitwell told him it was very strong, and
would bear any thing; in consequence of which
he entirely left it to Mr. Whitwell. He (the witness)
disapproved kf the removal of the angle ties to build
the geometrical staircase; but still they were removed,
and when the fatal accident happened the wall fell in-
wards, destroyed those very stairs, and killed Pardy and
Miles, who were then at work. The angle ties were
removed by order of Mr. Whitwell. The witness wished
to have a brick pier for supporting the proscenium
posts in part removed, but ordered Shaw to speak to
Mr. Whitwell before he touched it, considering every
thing was left with that Gentleman. About the 26th
Jan. Mr. Maurice told him he had heard from Mr.
Barlow that there were very heavy weights appended
to the roof. He advised him to write to the manufac-
turer. He also requested him to speak to Mr. Whitwell
about it, saying be should leave the business to them
entirely. Mr. W. once said to him when there on other
business, you are hanging weights to the roof. He (Mr.
C.) said he would speak to Shaw and Mr. Maurice
about it ; they, he supposed, knew what they were doing,
but he could have nothing to do with the iron roof.
Had he known of what happened to the fly on Monday
night, he should have given public notice of it, and
prevented the Theatre from being opened again ; that
was, however, all kept from him. In his opinion, it
was a fancy building, and not built with the proper
strength. Mr. Pulsford told him, the second day
.fter the accident, that he had told Mr. Whitwell
and Mr. Maurice of the' danger existing in the roof
some time before. He expressed astonishment at
its not having been also told to him. The an.
swer was, that he had been desired, whatever he
thought to
,say nothing about it at present. When
it was resolved that an iron roof should be fixed o:the
Theatre,4se and Mr. Maurice left the ordering and
superintending' °fit solely to Mr. Whitwell, and did
not at 'all interkre. He never gave any directions to
counter-order 'certain traits girders ordered of Mr.
Arding. [Mr. PifiLan here said, it had been distinctly
sworn that he
-(Mr. Carruthers) had given such counter
orders.] *Carruthers, iii continuation:—l never did,
on my saleMb-trath. I did not know they were ever
ordered, nor did I know what they were at the time.
Examined 'by Mr. HILL—The day before the acci-
dent was thd first time he heard of any clinger. He
considered that if the roof was warped, and the flies
had sank fn inches, there must be great danger. He'
i
did not ea &the roof himself, nor did he then send
to Mr. Whit' 'ell -or Mr. Barlow. He did not tell 'the
actors on Thursday morning of what he had heard, be-
cause he was In some measure relieved by the assertion
of Shawilisailii'wife was in the flies sewing canvass.
He never retairested Mr. Whitwell to superintend the
stage or its machinery, bat did request him, to look to
the strength of 45e,ffies and the shop floor. °Allis
.941 h,
tri he ditit ilia fdt. Whittvell 'was finding fault will) tun
when *hel.434:oei *were hanging weights to the roof.
Consideridit Who Mr. Whitwell's duty to super intend
the strength Jibe house; did not express his surprise
that Mr. Whitman should come to him on the subject;
though, In iiii6pinion, that Gentleman ought to have
preventedliiii:it had been improper ; does not recollect
Mr. White/dill saying, if other people have given advice,
I suppose it is tio nm my saying anything ; knowing that
Mr. Barlow had protested against the weights be ng
hung to the roof, and that Mr. Maurice had written to
Bristol on the subject; yet I did not understand,when Mr.
Whitwell spoke to me on the subject, that he meant
weights were hung improperly to the roof ; I did not un-
derstand him to say there was any thing improper; under-
stood from Mr. M. that dead weights might be hung to
the roof, and desired that Gentleman to communicate
with Mr.W. Neier said, to his knowledge, on hearing the
first letter from Barlow read, " Then Mr. Whitwell has
deceived us, and has ordered a root which will not sup-
port the weighiTtrOided," nor any words to that effect.
Although he eltrap considered the roof was constructed
to bear the fliefind shops, yet he expressed no surprise
at hearing from. Mr. Barlow's letter that such was
never contenrplaied, nor'did he remonstrate with Mr.
Whitwell on the subject, or speak to him at all. Such
weights, whatever they wele, had been hung a week or
ten days before the receipt of the letter, and he consi-
dered Mr. Whitwell must be aware of it.
Mr.Clat kson'Stanfield,. Artist, of Drury-lane Theatre.
—Mr. Whitwell called on him at Drury lane Theatre
several times, and was shown the whole of the interior
of the stage department. Witness thinks the Bruns-
wick Theatre was not commenced when he first saw
Mr. Whitwell. All the machinery, flies, and workshops,
of Drury-lane Theatre, are necessarily suspended from
the roof, with the addition of stays reaching from the
proscenium posts to the back of the stage. The Old
ttoyaltyTheatre was similarly constructed, to his know-
ledge. Witness was at the Brunswick Theatre on Mon-
day night, when the flies gave. He saw Mr. Whitwell,
and asked him if he was not alarmed ? Mr. Whitwell
said " No; I have nothing to do with that, at any rate."
He also told me they had got it up again with tackle.
—This was the first time I heard that Mr. Whitwell
was not the sole conductor of the whole of the interior
of the Theatre.
By Mr. HlLL—Always considered Mr. Whitwell
had the superintendence of the stage department, from
the questions he asked when at Drury-lane Theatre ;
but was never positively told so by that Gentleman—
Mr. Carruthers had said so.
By Mr. PuLun—l- do not think Mr. Whitwell ever
called on me after the iron roof was put on.
Mr. HILL here stated, that be wished to
,ask Mr.
Whitwell a few questions relative to the conversations
stated to have taken place between him and Mr. Car-.
lathers.
Mr. Redman Whit% ell re-examined—lt was men-
tioned s., me, and, as I believe, understood by Messrs.
Carruthers and Maurice, that at the time the iron
roof was agreed on, that a particular provision would
be necessary for the suspension of the stage machi-
nery, and the whole of that department, independent
of, and totally distinct from, the roof. There is not
the least difficulty in supporting all this department
i
without touching the roof or e stage, or in any
wise interfering with the working of the scenery.—
On my solemn oath, Mr. Carruthers never made use
of the words, that be looked to me for the strength of
4 the building, on the occasion of our conversation with

:~,-

respect to hanging weights to the roof, not aay words
to that effect. Mr. John Sylvester was present at the
conversation. Mr. Carruthers never, directly or inch•
rectly, told me he looked to me for the strength of the
stage department. From the course of the conversation
!which took place when I spoke to Mr. Maurice and
Mr. Carruthers on the subject of hanging weights to tbd
roof, it is totally impossible that Mr. Carruthers could
be unaware that I was coma laining of such weights.
The inquiry then adjourned ; the CORONER observing,
that as the depositions would now be sent to Messrs.
Nash and Smirke, he could not at present name a day
for their next attendance, but they should be regularly
summoned. After some discussion, next Thursday was
appointed, at nine in the morning.