The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-08-31 00:00:00

THE LATE FATAL DUEL ON WIMBLEDON
COMMON.

FURTHER PARTICULARS, AND INQUEST ON THE' BODY,
A duel was fought on Wimbhdon Common; on Wednesday
week, in a ravine, about two hundred yards -from the mill,
The result was fatal to one of the parties. There were six
persons present, besides a surgeon ;_ two of these were young
men who kept at some distance. The name of the unfortu-
nate gentleman who lost his life was Charles Flower Mir.fin.'
He resided in Pleasant-place, West-square, Lambeth. His
opponent is understood to be a Mr. Elliott, the son of a
major-general in the army. The parties fired ata distance
of twelve paces. At the first shot,. the ball of. Mr. Elliott
went through the hat of Mr. Mirfin. The seconds immedi
ately interfered; but the deceased objected, and insisted on
having a second shot. The pistols being re-loaded, the par-
ties again fired, when Mr. Mirtin fell. Ile was instantly
attended by his second and Dr. Scott. Death was instanta-
neous. The body was then taken -from the ground, and
placed in the gig, when, at the dusk or the evening, it was
taken to his residence in Pleasant-place. The seconds have
gone to the contident. The deceased was a very fine young
man, and most respectably connected. On Saturday, an
inquest was held on the deceased, at which several witnesses
spoke to the circumstances of the duel.
Thomas Hunt Dann, the owner of the mill on. Wimbledon
Common, examined :—I witnessed the occurrence on Wed-
nesday last. I was about thirty yards off. I first saw the
carriages drive up close to my premises. There were four
carriages, from which seven persons alighted.. They all had
the appearance of gentlemen. After they had got out, they
all went towards a button,, or hollow, about four hundred
yards distant from 41se mill ; and from their manner, I con-
sidered it probable that a duel was contemplated. I accord-
ingly followed them down till within forty yards of them,'
where I stopped occasionally afterwards, varying my position
about five yards. The first thing I saw was a carpet bag,
from which was taken a box, and from thence some pistols.
At that time I should say five persons were standing toge-
ther, and another alone on my left, and a second one about
two hundred yards more to the left, on the While the
pistols were being loaded, the one on my left, who wifSlhe
person who shot the deceased, came up to me and said,
" Good morning." I returned the compliment, and' dded,
" It appears to- me those gentlemen have, some little slifferehee•
to decide," meaning the parties who.were loading the pistols.
He answered, " Oh, d—d nonsense,; it's only a bet for Ella"
I replied, "That will. up.t do (ovine ;" on which he passed on
whistling. In a minute or trigs he_again passed me, onwhich
I remarked, it was allity gentlemen could not settle their
differences in a better way,; when he said, "*Oh, d—d
nonsense ! I'm too used (or -practised) to it, and I am
one who is• going to fight." The
,one the furthermost
to my left at that time was standing with the man whom
I now know was the cabman.- He was the person who
was shot. During that time the others were loading and
measuring the. ground ; two gentlemen stepped it side by
side; the distance was thirty-seven steps. A half-penny or
penny-piece was then tossed up, as I suppose, either for the
choice, of pistols or the ground. After that the gentleman
on the hill was beckoned to, and _he, as well as the one to
whom I had spoken, went down to' the hollow. They then
took their stations without any conversation passing that I
heard, except that, as the one who shot the other was going
to the place, a gentleman of the party went up to him and
said, " You are all right—you hive nothing to fear." The
pistols were then handed to them, and it was said by some
person, "The word will be—Gentlemen, are you ready ?"
That was said to the principals. I then drew back a few
paces, and almost immediately heard something said, among
which I could only distinguish " Gentlemen," and almost
momentarily I saw both parties present their pistols, and
heard two reports, one immediately after the other. Those
who had been assisting had at that time retired to the spot
where the carpet-bag was, and they then came forward, and
the pistol was handed to the gentleman I had spoken to, and
I believe one was handed to the other gentleman also, but I
cannot speak positively; the seconds then drew back, and I
again heard the word given, and the pistols discharged. The
pistols were not pointed upwards, but at each other. Be-
tween the two firings I heard no conversation, nor did I see
the parties move from their positions. Directly after the
firing, the gentleman who had spoken to me came towards
me and said, " I have done for the —." I said to him, "Are
you hurt ?" to which he said " No;" he then went past me,
and I at that moment saw the deceaSed falling.'
By the Coroner: Had he any thing in his hand ?—Wit-
ness: Not as I saw.

By the Coroner : What, then, became of the pistol?—
Witness: I cannot say: I then went to tke deceased, and
saw him stripped, when 1 observed a wound resembling that
from a ball; it was on the right side, under the arm.
The inquest was adjourned until Wednesday.
Most of the papers have stated that the quarrel which pro-
duced this fatal affair arose out of a difference about an in-
famous woman, at the saloon; but from the followingaccount
contained in the Observer of Sunday, this does not seem to
have been the case :

The circumstances which led to this unhappy event, we
have been informed, upon sufficient authority, were these:—
During last Epsom Races, on the Derby day we believe,
Mr. Elliott, with a friend, was driving towards London in a
phaeton, while Mr. Mirfin was driving in a gig; by some ac-
cident the two vehicles came in contact, and Mr. Mirth, was
overturned. In the fall some of his ribs were fractured; an
altercation then arose, and offensive language passed, which
ended in Mr. Elliott striking Mr. Mirtin a blow on his al-
ready injured side, of which injury, however, it is due to say,
Mr. Elliott was ignorant. The pain at the moment was ex-
cessive, and Mr. Mirfin had only a faint recollection that
the name of the party with whom he had come in contact
was Elliott; but he had been unable to obtain his name and
address, and consequently had no due to his discovery,
although extremely anxious to call him to an account.—
Months rolled on, and only on ooe occasion, till Tuesday
night last, had he obtained a transient view of Mr. Elliott,
in a cigar shop, but .ahnost Instantly lost. sight of him. On
Tuesday night last, in company with two friends, he entered
the saloon in Piccadilly; and while there, he heard the name
Elliot mentioned. The name. struck him; and on looking at
the party by whom it was acknowledged, he recognised hint
as the person WhOrti'he'hiid long sought, and from whom
he had received a blow. 'lie immediately requested one of
his friends, Mr. Brothertun we believe, to address Mr.
Elliott, and call the matter to his recollection. Mr. Elliott
at once admitted the fact, and we are informed offered to
make an apology. It would, seem however, that neither was
in a situation to enter upon
.the subject then, and it was
agreed that ,mutual friends should meet at the Opera Colon-
nade Hotel, at twelve o'clock to discuss the matter. Mr.
Mirfin then proceeded to his residence, No. 2, Pleasant place,
West-square, Lambeth, where he retired to rest. At the
time appointed, the friends met, when, we are informed, an
objection was made, on the part of Mr. Elliott tot meet Mr.
Mirfin. A firm determination having been expressed, how-
ever, that such a meeting must take place, on a second 'ap-
plication to Mr. Elliott, he acceded to the proposition, and
a hostile meeting was arranged for the same evening on
Wimbledon Common.

ADDITIONAL PARTICI:LA RS.

Much surprise is expressed that the occurrence should
have been permitted to take place in the presence of full a
dozen persons, without their having adopted sonic measures
to prevent it; and also that, after the fatal result was ascer-
tained, the body should have beets alloWed to be reiridved,
without the mounted patrols, whose station is not more than
half a mile from the spot, being made acquainted with the
circumstances, although, from the first appearance ()rifle
parties on the ground to the deParture of the cab with Mr;
Mirlin's corpse, nearly three quarters of an hour is said to
have elapsed.
The spot is situated on the common, about three quarters
of a mile, in a triangular direction, north-west of the en-
trance of the village of
_Wimbledon, and north-east • of the
workhouse of that parish. It is about half a mile distant
from the high road, and close to the windmill, which is visible
from all parts of the common. It is on the west side of the
residence of Mr. Dann, the miller, about a hundred feet
distant from which is the ravine in which the fatal duel took
place.
In a conversation with Mrs. Dann, she stated that the
parties first came upon the ground as 'near a quarter past six
o'clock as possible. She first saw a private cab draw up,
from which two gentlemeo alighted • then-an open carriage
drawn by twin liaises, with a post Coy in, a blue jacket and
white hat (believed to belong to Mr. R. Newman, the post-
master of Regent-street); in which were three gentlemen;
next a gig with a cane back,.in which was one gentleman;
then another gig. in 'Willa was another gentleman, who
was dressed In mourning, with a crape hat-band on ; and
lastly a public *cabriolet, belonging to Mr. Voller, the
cab-master of the 'London Roail, containing, an eighth indi-
vidual. All -tbe parties having alighted, two of them
shook hands together, when they all proceeded towards the
hollow. From the position in which she stood, she was un-
able to see what was passing within it; hilt in her opinion
full five minutes elapsed between the first and second dis-
charges of the 'Pistols. Directly after the second discharge,
she saw a young gentleman, about 23 years *of age, hastily
emerge from the holloW, and jump into the open carriage, in
which he stood up, apparently very much alarmed.. In a
minute or two afterwards, his friends also made their appear-;
ance, when the gentleman asked if the wound. was danger-
ous, on which they lifted up their hands as if to indicate that
it was all over, when he turned very pale. The other parties
then jumped into their respective carriages,- and drove off
towards town at a most rapid pace. The horse of the last
gig was seized, by Voller'S cabtnan, who said, " Why do you
leave me with a dead Man? I know nothing of him, what
am Ito do With" him?"' To which the gentleman replied,
"Be quiet—it will be all right." The surgeon (Mi. Scott)
then came up,.and said to the cabman, "Can.'t you drive
down there?' pointing to tbe'hollow, to.which be replied,
"No, it is too steep." The surgeon then hired two men to
help him up with the body, which wai dragged along more
like that of an animal then of a human being; and -it:baying
been placed in the cab, they were each paid:a shilling for
their assistance. Mr. Scott then got into the cabriolet, and
having closed the blue curtains in front to hide the. body, the-
vehicle was driven off.

From the appearance of the deceased's hat, which was
exhibited at the inquest to the inspection .of the coroner
and jury, it is evident the deceased had at the first fire a
most narrow escape from having his brains blown pitt,,the
ball having entered the hat at the right side, abOut two
inches from the crown, through which It escaped about half
an inch from the rim; the wadding having struck the inside
of the hat on the opposite side, and burned the lining.
It is understood that the police have a clue to the retreat
of the whole of the parties concerned in the affair. The
paper found on the gronnd, and produced by the witness
Dann, has led to the discovery of the place where the pistols
were procured, and the hotels from whence the deceased,
antagonist, &c. started. The pistols produced were most
murderous instruments; they werestared bycompetentjudg,!s
in the inquest room, to be able to carry with deadly effect ft.ll
30 yards.

ADJOURNED INQUEST.
( From the Standard of Wednesday.)
An adjourned inquest was held this morning at the Tan-
kard Tavern, Brook-street. Latnbeth, upon the body of the
unfortunate Mr. Mirth]. The only important facts disclosed
in evidence were given by Mr. Smith, surgeon, of Marlb,-
rough-street, Watworth, Mr. Wagstaff, the parochial surgeon,
and Richard Cowling, the post-boy, the first of whom deposed
that he had examined the body at the request of Mr. Scott,
the medical gentleman who had attended the deceased on
Wimbledon Common, and that there was a wound between
the fifth and sixth ribs on the right side, evidently the result
of a pistol shot, which must have produced almost instan-
taneous death. Mr. Smith further said, that Mr. Scott hod
told him that though personally acquainted with Mr. Mirfin,
he had been merely called upon professionally to attend the
deceased in his late conflict, and that he (Scott) was present
when the pistols of both parties were loaded, and considered
that the affair was conducted on the fairest terms. A gen-
tleman named Broughton, acted as the second to, the deceased.
Mr. Wagstaff produced a bullet which he had extracted from
the body of the deceased ; it was flattened to a great extent,
and did not fit the barrels of the pistols lett on the ground.
Richard Gowling, post-boy in the service of Mr. C. Newman,
postmaster, of Regent-street, stated that his master ordered
him to take a barouche and two horses on Wednesday last to
the Colonnade Hotel, Charles-street, Haymarket, where he
took up three gentlemen, whom he conveyed to Wimbledon
Common, where the duel took place. When the deceased
fell the three gentlemen got again into the carriage, and
ordered him to drive to town. The survivor in the contest
wished to return to the spot where the wounded gentleman
was, but one of the others said, "By God, you shall not."
One of them got out at Knightsbridge, another at Piccadilly,
and the third, who fought the duel, left the carriage in the
Edgeware-road. When he (the post-boy) left the common,
he was not aware that Mr. Mirfin was dead.
At the moment of going to press, we learnt that the inquiry
was again adjourned.

BAD NEWS FOR THE SEVEN THOUSAND EXPECTANTS.—
It is now quite certain that it is not the intention of the
government to appoint an additional member to the Board
of Poo; Law Commissioners.-Qbierver:- •-• •

THE FIRE. AT MANCHESTER,

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

( From the Manchester Guardian.)

We regret to record the occurrence of a•serious fire, in its
consequences occasioning the loss of at least three, but pro-
bably of four or five lives, and destructive of property to the
amount of several thousand pounds; besides throwing out of
employ, for a short time at least, many workpeople of both
sexes. This alarming and fatal fire was discovered in what
is called "The Old Mill" of Messrs. Charles Macintosh and
Co. the well-known manufacturers of india-rubber water-
proof and airproof cloth, which is situated on the westerly
side of Cambridge-street, Chorlton-on-Medlock, exactly op-
posite to the large cotton mills on the other side of the street,
called the Chorlton Mills, belonging to Messrs. Birley and
Co. cotton spinners, &c.,-and divided only by-the river from
the site of the " Medlock Mills" of Messrs. Llttlewood and
Co.,.whieh were-burned down in Jantuirr-1601, when 2E.
persons perished in the flames. The premises of Messrs.
Macintosh and Co. cover a spacious area of ground; the
buildings which consist of the new mill, in which upwards
of 400 hands, chiefly" females, are employed, and which has
not suffered from the fire. About fifty yards from this build-
ing, and one end abutting on the south bank of the Medlock,
stands the old mill, a smaller edifice, which was originally
about 54 feet in length by about 40 feet wide, all fireproof,
and internally consisting of seven stories (numbered from one
to seven inclusive,) the southern end having the engine-
house in the basement story, or No. 1 floor. Subsequently,
however, an addition was-made to that end of a building,
about 35 feet in length, used for the purpose of a drying
stove; but this was not of fireproof construction. It was not
quite so high as the remainder of the mill, and, instead of
being divided into six or seven doors, had only three divi-
sions, being filled with rafters for the, suspending of the
pieces of waterproofed "cloth. 'The whole of .the building,
then, at the time of the fire, was about 90 feet in. length,
ra.allel to Peinbridge-street, and about 42 feet iii width.
At a quarter before twelve o'clock, on Saturday night, a.
man named Patrick Shelton, who was stationed to watch
the yard,—a fencehaving been removed during some alters-
tions,—observecla light in the No: 6 floor, (the riPpermOst.
bin one,) on the westeiu side of the .building in the centre
ins
Compartment, small room (A)used as a workshop by the
mechanics- He initnediatelysspruiig "lila. rattle, giving the
alarm to, two private watchmen .of Messrs. Birley and Cu:.
'inside the cotton mills on the other side of Cambridge-street,
and to their outside watchman. Mr. Gaskell-, the manager
of the cotton mills, and other persons in the employ of 'the'
tivo firms, who reside in the immediate neighbourhood, were
called up,: the-large bell of the cotton mill was rung; and, at
first, efforts ivereanade to extinguish the flames by means of
theforce puMp and hose-pipes kept on the premises for the pia-
poSe, and worked by one. of the steam-engines of the Chorltott
mills. These attempts failed, as will he seen by theevidehee
adduced at the inquest; and information having iu the mean-
time been transmitted to the police yard, aitsd received there
about half-past twelve o'clock, Mr. Rose, superintendent of
the police fire department, and a body of firemen, imme-
diately set out thence with the Niagara engine, promptly'
followed by the remainder of the fire police with the Water
Witch. By this time the flames had communicated from the
small rosin in which they were first seen, through a door on.,
the sixth floor to sthe drying-stove; and a bystander has de-
scribed
to us the appearance of the flames rushing, as resem-
bling a flash of lightning from the top to the bottom of this
building; this appearance being doubtless produced by the
ignition of the highly inflammable vapour arising from the
naptha, or spirit of coal tar, used for making the solution of
caoutchouc with which the cloth is made waterproof. With
these inflammable materials (for the stove was filled with
pieces of cloth and garments,) affording fresh fuel to the
flames, it is nut at all surprising that they should rage with
great fury, till the whole of the drying-stove (the express use
of which was the " purifying" of the water-proofed cloth, by
means of heat conveyed in steam-pipes from the lowest to the
highest part of the stove) was completely gutted. Thence
by the doors of communication, with the central compartment
, of the building, the flames were spreading thither when the
police firemen arrived; and accordingly their first efforts
were directed to prevent the extension of the flames in that
direction, to do which the hose and branch from the Niagara
were conveyed up the staircase to the sixth floor; it being
found impossible, from the ,great heat and dense smoke, to
penetrate with them into the seventh floor, to which the fife
had ascended from the sixth room. The branch and hose
from the Water Witch engine were hoisted up to the fifth
floor, and there taken in at the window; and the men were
beginning to play, when an iron cistern in the room No. 5,
contatning. probably about 10001bs. weight of the water-
proofing material, exploded with a noise louder. than that of
a large piece of artillery, and which_ was heard distinctly at
Greenheys and other places at some distance. It appears
that there was a communication from this cistern in No. b.
room, through No. 6 into No. 7, by means of pipes, provided
with valves. The fire was ragingin N 0.7 ; but the engineer,
knowing that the valves were shut, was not apprehensive of
any communication from above with the cistern. ,Unfortu-
nately, a man-hole had been left open at one end of the
cistern, for the purpose of cleaning it; and the air rushing
through this aperture found its way into the pipes, and these
becoming red hot from the fire above, it is supposed the va-
pour became ignited in the cistern, and, exploding the ins
flammab:e gas generated from the spirituous mixture at the
bottom, caused the bursting of the vessel, which' was tOrii open
from top to bottom, along the line of a course of rivets, in the
centre of a plate of the best iron. The explosion, which
drove out all the windows on that floor, and, amongst other
persons then in the room, blew off the hat of Mr. Joseph
Ewart, occurred probably about one o'clock; and long be-
fore that timethe roof and part of the walls of thesdryings
.stove had fallen in, and a report instantly arose .that some
one was killed thereby; but how far this suppOSition was
well founded, we have not been able to ascertain. The fire-
men continued in this room, playing on the hlaiing liquid
that covered the floor, till all the flame was extinguished,
and then they conveyed the branch through a hole in -.the
ceiling, and endeavoured to extinguish the fire in the twts
uppermost flows of the building.
Shortly before the falling is of the roof and walls cif.the
drying stove, Mr. Fletcher, the foreman of the inershanieS of
Messrs. Macintosh and Co., observed eight of the firemea
with one of the.engines stationed in a situation of considera-
ble danger, near_ one of the brickwork pillars of that build-
. ing ; and he had scarcely called Mr. Rose's atteution to it,
and thus had the men removed, when, the pillar fell, an I
covered the place where they had beed standing With brick.,
pipes, beams, and rubbish.
Some time after the explosion in No. 5, "the flames .being
raging in No., 7 at a furious rate, as may he iinegiried lions
. the circumstance that there was not less than 7,000"lbs:of
the waterproofing material on this floor, they received fresh
fuel from the following circumstance.. In this room was a
, large iron cylindrical cistern, about ten feet in length, and
four, feet and a half in diameter, weighing frond-three to three
.and a half tons, and containiug, a.large quantity of naphtha.
This cistern was placed on a bed, consisting of two piers of
bricks, so as to stand about two a.nd a half feetsfroni the floor.
The flames meltiug the leaden pipes .of the cistern, the.lignor
ran upon the floor, and, mixing: with time caoutchouc, &c.,
caused. the bursting forth of art. immense ,volume of flame.
Some time after this, at from a qtiarter to half-past two
o'clock, the engineer of Macintosh and Co. suddenly starled
the engine of-the waterproof mill, one of fifty horses' power,
for the purpose, as we understand, of working the force-
pump; but, in tbe.hurry, and confusion of the, moment, he
forgot to throw out of gee!: a line of vertical.shafthig which
ran up the wall to-, the isighest.story, very near the cistern.
As the two uppermestromus were at that time enveloped its
flames, the geering no doubt much expanded by heat, and
probably ersc.unthered hy. fallen.machinery, beams, and pipes,
the effect-of setting the .shafting in motion was most disas-
trous. The whole building began to shake in the most
alarming manner. Several persons in the upper rooms
felt the floors, as .they describe, shaking under them, and
Mr. Rose- hastily ran from No. 6, calling, in his way, to the
firemen in various rooms to make fur the staircase, as there
was danger of the building falling; and, when lie reached
the bottom, he hastened, with a person named Wray, who is
in the service of Macintosh and Co., to the engineers. They
found, iu the engine-house, the head engineer and two others ;
and Mr. Rose earnestly requested them to stop the engine,
which was thine, after,a short delay; and almost imediately
_afterwards the large m
cylindrical cistern above described was
distinctly heard falling upon and through the floor of No. 7,
and next through that of No. 6, and every lower floor suc-
cessively, to the bottom, carrying with it, at the same time,
the wall which separated the fireproof building from the
stove. Mr Fletcher, on first hearing the noise, rushed
towards a strong wall in the bay of the engine-house window,
and, near the door; and, the place being quite dark, he
called to the Others to make their escape. As they passed
him, he pulled them forward to the door-way. Mr. Rose was
thelast, or last but one; and Fletcher pulled him with such
force as to bring.him down upon his face; 'and about that
moment, the cistern broke the ceding into the engine-house,
and part of the beicks and rubbish fell over Mr. Rose, and
held hint down. The dust, heat, and smoke, from the falling
rubbish, were so piffling, that, with his right hand, Mr. Rose
brek.e a pane "of glass in the window to obtain air; and, at
-that moment, some one,. esceptng, Stepped on his head, and
he, exclaimed, " For God's sake, keep off rnY head.". In a
short time he succeeded in extricating himself from the mass
_of `rubbiea-s Which_ had sfallen chiefly on his right side; and,
with no greater injuries than 'some severe bruises and con-
tusions on various pees of his limbs and body; and his fingers
being laeerataby the broken glass, ' herniae his. escape.
_ Each-floor ifilbe ceritral part of the building in which this
disaster occurred, was'composed of four bays or arches, sup-
ported on three large iron beams, running 'longitudinally
along the building. As. the cistern in its fall had brought
.
down the centre beam, and the Iced middle • arches of each
floor from the top downwards, leavlng only those portions of
each floor neatest the outer walls, and as it was knoWn that
.a number of firemen and other persons were in various rooms
on the different floors, considerable apprehensions prevailed
1 ihat several of these had been borne' dotvis by the ponderous
cistern, or had been swept down by' the machinery.: &c.,
which it dragged after it. These apprehensions were but too
speedily and fully realised. - - -
Some time before the starting of the steam-engine, . a man
named James Watson, who was what is called assistant
branch-man to the first company of firemen, was-tstationeel
in the No. 6 room, together with- several other firemen, in.,
eluding one named Henry Pollitt, When the steam-engine
was started, one of the firemen, feeling the floor of the • room
shake under him, exclaimed to Watson, " Oh, James, it's
like to be all up with us." He hastened towards the stair-
case, and thus was saved from the fate of at least one of his
companions; for the crash came immediately afterwards,
and the beam struck down Pollitt and Watson' with one
blow. They were within half a yard of each other,
Watson holding the branch, and Pollitt acting as attend-
ant branch-man, when they were struck. Watson, as
he was falling, seized Pollitt's coat-shirt; but the beam sepa-
rated them otherwise Pollitt must have shared Watson's
fate. Pollitt then either fell or jumped through 'the chasm
upon the floor below, and became insensible.; some portion
of the failing floor and machinery came upon- him, and his
right arm and leg were much crushed, and his body strained
'and shaken by the rubbish. When he recovered, he found
himself in the situation described; and he had no doubt that
Watson, not being able to recover himself, had fallen through
!'the chasm in the floors to the bottom. As soon as he could
be got out, Pollit was conveyed to the Infirmary, where lie
still lies; but we are glad to hear that he is doing well, and
is likely soon'to recover.

Another person, a salesman, named Hugh Faulkner, re-
siding in Cambridge-street, but in no way connected with
the premises, was assisting a young man in the employ of
Messrs. Macintosh and Co., named Newsam, to pull the
waterproof cloths from the rollers in No. 3; a work of some
considerableinconvennc
iedee,gfroereion thfha room
eat
t,_w the
hen clinootrhds had
erto ob-
tainac-
quiredpeloanlaailttle air, one of them opened four squares on a swivel,
in the middle of a window; and immediately on the air
entering, the cloth burst into flames, and Faulkner, finding
himself almost enveloped, rushed to the window, and leaped
out. Just as he had got to it, being without his coat, his
calico shirt sleeves caught fire, and his trowers, which were
' of kersevmere, also took fire; by which his arms, hack, and
and the back part of his legs and thighs, were severely and
extensively burned. He fell without suffering further injury
than some bruises on his right hand, and sevem contusions
about his body. He was immediately taken up, and we be-
lieve, was conveyed to the house of Mr. James Muir, surgeon,
Medlock-street, -Hulme, who was'at home, and was told that
Faulkner had been very severely hurt at the fire. Faulkner
states that, notwithstanding this; Mr. Muir positively refused
to admit him, and said that he would not open the door to
any one. Ile was taken to Mr. Owen's, surgeon, 'Aan-ren-
dered every assistance necessary at the time; and thence
Faulkner was conveyed to the' infirmary, whete• he-is now
lying, and we regret that we cannot speak of his condition
in terms as favourable as that of. his .fellow-sufferer
However, he is at present doing well, though his bad: is very
dreadfully burned. He states that he and a friend (Mr.
Newsam, we believe) were returning, -tionre"On Saturday -
night, alittle before twelve o'clock, nd when nearAll'Saitits*
Church,-they tiearriihe alarm of fire,,lind:raff.l6Wardeatn,;'
bridge-street; and thenliewsam, who was in the employ of

Messrs. Macintosh and Co., or Messrs. Birley and Co., went
to assist in getting away the property, and Faulkner accom-
panied him.

The fire being got under, the attention of the numerous
body of labourers, artisans, and operatives about the premises,
was at once directed to ascertaining whether any unfortunate
sufferers lay buried beneath the mass of rubbish which filled
the engine-house.
Shortly after three o'clock, one of the Manchester police
firemen, named James Johnson; hearing some groaning from
a heap of burning materials, called attention to the spot; and
a portion of the rubbish being quickly removed, the head and
shoulders of a poor man, named John Morgan (a labourer
who bad volunteered his assistance to the firemen,) were ex-
burned ; but he still remained covered up to the shoulders by
the fallen rubbish, machinery, &c. He feebly exclaimed—
" Give me a drop of water ! Water ! 0 Lord ! my poor wife
and children!" Johnson procured him souse water, and then
turned round to speak to another firemen at a few yards dis-
tant,- when another mass of rubbish fell, completely covering,
ind doubtless killing the unfortunate man already half buried,
and otherwise injure a by the falling masses of burning ma-
terials, &c. After this, the labourers redoubled their arduous
and perilous exertions; and about six oc:ock on Sunday
morning, they came to a body which proved to be that of the
unfortunate fireman, James Watson. He was lying nearly
opposite the door of the engine-house. The face and head
were frightfully. swollen and burned, and there were several
other severe injuries to the limbs and body. His remains, as
soon as they were extricated, were conveyed to the King's
Arms inn, Clarendon-street, Chorlton-on-Medlock. The
men immediately resumed their search, which, from the un-
safe, and indeed highly dangerous
*position of several walls,
as well of a large quantity of machinery in the sixth and
seventh floors, overhanging the spot, was indeed a perilous
task; and they soon afterwards came to another body, which
proved to be that of the unfortunate man already mentioned,
•,is half exhumed,: John Morgan, a labourer, who had offered
his services and assistance at an early hour after the discovery
of the fire. Immediately afterwards, a third body was fouud,
which proved to be that of William Marsh, a person employed
in the waterproof mill, in that process of it which is conducted
in a-portion of the seventh floor, and which is termed the
"secret" room: These two'bodies were also conveyed to the
King's Arms inn. MOrgan•was-much injured about the fin-
v,ers And hands, and much crushed about the body, and,
judging from external appearance, seemed to have met his
,death from a' fall,' or fronrrubbish, &c. falling upon and crush-
him•beneath it. Marsh was a good deal bruised about
the fare' arid 'tread _but did not seem to have suffered so se-
, verely from fire as Watson, who inust -have fallen into a large
inaSs of,blazing, ,naptha. It is believed that Marsh, at the
tithe he was swept down, was in the room No. 2, the one next
over the engine-house, were it is known he was, shortly before,
endeavouring to break the steam-pipe, so as to let the steam
issie upon the-tire.
The cause of the fire which—led to this melancholy
catastrophe, is altogether unknoivn. The room in which the
fire originated, as has been already noticed„ was used as a
mechanics' shop. It- is stated- that the greater parts of the
hands employed in the whole of the building, probably about
sixty, left work at four o'clock, being Saturday, but that
• some joiners- or carpenters. remained in this room, working
till between seven and eight o'clock, though without using
either fire or candle, or, as far as is known, smoking a pipe,
or having any light whatever. The great bulk of the shavings
made during the week had been swept away, and it is said
there was nu known circumstance likely to create a risk from
fire. We must, however, express our surprise that none of
the workmen in this room, ssho, it appears, were certainly
the last on the premises, were callad to give evidence on the
inquest.
The extent of the loss cannot, of course, be very accurately
estimated at present; but horn inquiries we have made, we
believe we are warranted- in stating that the actual amount
of damage by fire to the building, machinery, materials, and
manufactured goods, cannot be much, if at all short of
.E 20,000, of which, we believe, not more than 1;5,000 is in-
sured on the building and stock, in the York and London
fire insurance offices.

As the, whole of the sewers and makers-up, in the other
building on the premises, are kept in employment by the
hands at work in the manufacture of the waterproof material,
and in its application to cloth, in the old mill, two portions of
which have been destroyed, it was at first feared that from
4(X) to 500 hands would thus for some time be thrown out of
work. As, however; nearly the whole of the northern end of
the old mill has escaped material damage, it is anticipated
that the manufacture will be at least partially resumed
within a fortnight, and that Messrs. Macintosh and Co. will
be enabled again to supply the trade in about a month. Iu
the meantime, with a view to keep most of those persons em-
ployed who would otherwise be thrown out of work, we are
glad to learn, that the firm has detumined not to sell any
more of the cloth in the shape of what are called " piece
goods" till they shall obtain a fresh supply, on the resump-
tion of the manufacture; but to use up their present stock of
cloth, by employing the makers-up to convert it into garments
and the other articles for which it is in such extensive use
and demand.

There was a report very current during yesterday after-
noon and evening, that another body had been found during
the af,ernoon in the ruins; but upon causing inquiry to be
made, last evening, we learned that there was no foundation
for this report. Indeed, there has very little further dorie,in
the way of search for the other bodies supposed to lie beneath
the ruins; and, in fact, until several portions of wall and
flooring, loaded with fragments .of beams, machinery, and
rubbish, shall have been removed from above, the danger of
such a search would be very imminent. There seems too
much reason to fear, that the man above described as NI'M inn
or Macnainara, is: -entombed in the ruins; but, as we have
Said, there,is a less degree of apprehension about the othe'r
man, Jones, The following, then, so far is now known, pre-
sents a full list of the sufferers.