The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-01-06 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS

On Thursday a special meeting of the Council was
held, for the appointment of trustees, &c., under various
local acts.

Messrs. Wood, Mann, and Atherton were appointed
commissioners under the Birkenhead Improvement Act.
The Mayor was appointed a trustee under a local act
for enabling the trustees of Mrs. Ann Molynenes chari-
ties, in Liverpool, to pant building leases, and for other
purposes, for the benefit of the charities.
Mr. LACE remarked that he hoped the Mayor would
look after the property. The attention of the Health
Committee had been called to some of the dwellings,
which were the most filthy and unwholesome of any in
the town, fifteen pigs being kept in one of the rooms, and
that in property appropriated as a benefaction for the
poor.
The MAYOR said the subject should have his best at-
tention.

Messrs. Turner. Thornhill, and Swaiwon, were ap-
pointed three trustees, under the local act for establishing
St. James's Cemetery.

Messrs. J. 11. Turner and W. Birkett were appointed
the two members of the Council to execute the powers
given to the Mayor and Senior Aldemen by the local act
relating to the School for the Indigent Blind, at Liver-
pool, and the chapel attached thereto.
The following forty-one members of the Council were
appointed commissioners, to carry info execution the act
for the better regulation and encouragement of pilots :
Messrs. Mann, Turner, Harbord, Griffiths, J. B. Lloyd,
Atherton, Kilshaw, Molyneux, Sothern, Higgins, Pem-
berton, Shand, Preston, Plunipton, Lace, Birkett, Law-
rence, Middleton, Toulmin, Thornhill, James Lawrence,
Sands, Horsfall, Leigh, Procter, Moan, Houghton,
Bushhy, Swainson. Henderson, hoyden, Chalmer, Blun-
dell, Glazebrook, J. Holme, Hornby, Rathbone, Thomas
Lloyd, Aspinall, and the Mayor.
The following gentlemen were appointed auditors under
the same act :—Messrs. Tinne, Thornhill, and the Mayor.

The following were appointed commissioners under the
act for the embankment on the north-west side of the
Leasowes, in Wallasey and Great Meols :—Messrs. R.
Houghton, Braneker, and Atherton.
Messrs. Nicol, Kaye, and the Mayor were named as
directors under the local act of the Liverpool and Har-
rington water works.
In reply to a question from Mr. Rathbone, the Town-
Clerk said these gentlemen had no interest in the water
works.

Mr. RATtinoNE thought there should be some instruc-
tions given to them to inquire into the causes of the late
accident, as the public had a right to be assured that
every precaution had been taken. His own impression
was, that every precaution had not been taken. The
committee could also inquire how far the Harrington
Company bad complied with the conditions on which they
were incorporated. He conceived they bad forfeited
those conditions, and the Corporation had a right to
claim those works, and bring them back, and if so, be did
not know a greater blessing than that they should be in-

vested in the Corporation, who would have no other in-
terest except that of the town. He did not mean to throw
out any imputation against the water company, as to the
keeping and maintaining the works for a profit, but it
was of importance to the town that both water and gas
should be in the hands of the authorities for the benefit of
the town and not for the profit of an individual. There
had been a long discussion going on respecting water, but
he had never been satisfied that a true answer had been
given to any one part of the company's engagement,
which was, that the mains should be full. It was not
that they should be full now and then, but always full.
That was the undertaking they gave when they incorpo-
rated. At a recent fire, which took place in Falkner-
street, water could not be obtained for several hours, and
the consequence was, that property to the amount of
£B,OOO or £lO,OOO was lost—millions had been lost for
the want of water at the proper time. Was that a state
of things which ought to he tolerated in a town like Li-
verpool ? He understood the llarrington Company were
applying for other powers, but let them see that they did
their duty under the present acts before they were per-
mitted to have any extension of powers. He concluded
by urgine that the three gentlemen appointed should re-
port on those points to which he had alluded, and the
Council would be in full possession of the circumstances.
The MAYOR observed that the gentlemen could not have
such powers given them as those suggested by Mr. Rath-
bone. They were appointed for the purpose of seeing
that the profits which might accrue to the Corporation as
Lord of the Manor were received, and that the affairs of
the Company with reference to that object were properly
managed, that the accounts were properly kept, and that
the management was that which the Corporation bad a
right to expect, so far as their interests were concerned ;
they had no right to interfere in the management of the
concern in connexion with the distribution of the pro-
perty for the benefit of the parties concerned. As the
company were about to apply for extended powers, an
occasion would arise to bring the matter before the Coun-
cil, when it could be considered.

Mr. Nrcor, said-tiiar;;;;pointment had been made
since the Municipal Corporation Act came into operation,
and then not until the formation of the Harrington Com-
pany. He had on all occasions experienced the greatest
courtesy from the directors of that company, and had
been allowed to take part in all the discussions, whether
the Corporation were a party interested or not. They
had also thrown open the books, and admitted a person
from the Treasurer's office to inspect them ; and the re-
sult would, in a short time, be laid on the Council table.
The accounts showed- the Corporation had no distinct
right to claim anything. Allusion had been made to the
companies that they were unable tc•give the supply which
the town necessarily required, but by the proposed bill
they intended to take further capital and extend their
works, showing they were desirous of carrying out the
principle of aecommodation to the public as far as possi-
ble. The bill would be before the Council, and then it
could be discussed. As to the accident which had taken
place he did not think it would be the province of the
committee to lay before the Council any report on the
subject, as it might, under present circumstances, have
an_ injurious tendency.

EvAss said, lie had never heard such laudatory
sentiments in a case where there was nothing to commend
and everything to discornmend ; they had been told of the
great merit due to the companies for exhibiting their
books ; why the law compelled them; and the law would
make them if they did not. He complained of the defec-
tiveness of their pipes, which were insufficient for the pub-
lic convenience. They had, by the course they bad pur-
sued, exposed themselves more to censure than to praise ;
and he looked upon it as a great aggravation that it was a
private concern. They got the shares up several hundred
per cent., and yet left the public reason to complain of
them. He contended that if the law gave them the right
to possess themselves of the company, they should do it
without any scruple whatever. In Manchester and other
places they had an example of the advantages accruing
from having the supply of gas and water in the hands of
the authorities; the rates were lower for those articles,
besides which there was a profit almost suffi.ient, when
applied to public purposes, to exonerate the community
from every other charge. They ought not to sit with
their arms folded, and let those people poke the eyes out
of the community; but the Council, when they had the
opportunity, ought to use their endeavours for having
both water and gas supplied in the cheapest and most ad-
vantageous manner to the community at large.

Mr: KAYE observed, that as he was a member of the
Highway Board, and they were applying for an act to sup-
ply the town with water, he might, by being one of three
members appointed, be placed in rather an anomalous
position, and what he was doing with one hand, he might
be knocking down with the other.
Mr. HORNBY thought the Water Company on showing
the books had only done what they had a right to do. As
to what they were now doing in seeking fresh powers and
privileges, it was because they were in danger of losing
in consequence of the management during former years.
No doubt they were anxious to do it, but they should not
have done all those things when the public did not make
them, and there were no complaints.
Mr. MANN thought they ought not to throw so much
blame on the Water Company, inasmuch as they had the
power of electing three members, who could have inter-
fered ; but it appeared the parties were doing all those
things, and nothing was done to prevent it,

M. G. H. LAIVREECE.—Ana if they had not invited
us we should not have been there till this day.
Mr. HORSFALL did not conceive the Harrington Com-
pany were deserving of censure because they wished to
make a profit. The great mistake the Council had made
was in allowing the Water Company to go out of their
hands. With respect to the accident, he thought the
public should be in a position to know whether there had
been any neglect as regarded the construction of the tank
which had given way.

After a few remarks from the Mayor and Mr. Lace,
Messrs. Nichol, Rathhone, and the Mayor were ap-
pointed Directors in accordance with the act of Parliament.
The meeting broke up shortly after twelve.

INQUEST ON THE FIVE PERSONS KILLED
AT THE HARRINGTON WATER WORKS.

On Wednesday an inquest was held on Mary Ann
Smith, Sarah Eliza Smith, Catharine Gibson, John
Deaveney, and Catharine Gibson, the five persons killed
by the bursting of a tank at the Harrington Water Works,
in Rock-street, on Christmas Day. Mr. Jamieson ap-
peared on the part of the Corporation : Mr. Stanistreet
on that of the Harrington Company ; and Mr. Miller on
that of the Hawarden Company.
Five witnesses were examined to prove the finding of
the bodies, and the cause of the deaths. We subjoin such
portion of the additional evidence as will be of general
interest, premising that we are obliged very much to con-
dense it.

Thomas Thompson, sworn.—l am manager and chief'
clerk to the Liverpool and Harrington Water Company.
During the summer of 1844, the directors of the company
resolved upon having a tank made, capable of containing
200,000 gallons of water, for their station in water-street.
The object of the company in having so large a tank was,
to have an abundant supply of water in case of fire, so
that the mains might be filled at a moment's notice, and
to supply the shipping at that end of the town. I was
instructed to send applications for tenders to several
engineers, and, amongst others, to Messrs. George Fur-
rester and Co., Vauxhall-road, to the Hawarden Iron
Company, in Flintshire, and, I think, to Pearson and Co.
There were four or five in all. We received several ten
ders. We bad a tender from Bury, Curtis, and Co. to
make a tank capable of containing 200,000 gallons of
water for £1,441 ; to make a roof to it they asked £137
more. Forrester and-Company's tender was for £1,243105.
The Hawarden Company's tender was for £1,150, and, if
bearers were required for it, £lOO more, making a total
of £1,250, and they offered to make a cistern of any re-
quired size for lid per gallon. The directors were not
pledged to accept the lowest tender. The Hawarden
Company had previously done a great deal of work for
the Harrington Company, and always very satisfactorily.
The tender of the Hawarden Company was accepted.

Mr. Stanistreet put in the contract-by which Messrs.
T. P. Williams and John Williams, trading under the
firm of the Hawarden Iron Works, agreed tr. erect for
the Water Company for £1,250, a cast-iron cistern capa-
ble of containing 200,000 gallons of water, together with
all necessary screws, &e., for fitting up the same in a
proper and substantial manner, according to the instruc-

tions of the Water Company or their clerk, and the Ha-
warden Company engaged to uphold the cistern in good
order for twelve months, and also to be answerable for
any loss or damage which might happen to the said water

company, or their works, or to any neighbouring property
during that time, by reason of any defect in the said cis-
tern.

Witness.—Mr. Howell, who is the manager of the
Hawarden Works, submitted a plan of a tank, which was
adopted by the Harrington Company. Plates composing
the tank were brought to our yard at various periods when
they were ready, and they were put together under the
direction of Mr. Howell, and his clerk Mr. Maine. The
tank was completed and ready for use abi‘ut six weeks or
two months ago, and the reason it was not immediately
used was, because Mr. Howell had to make some service
and other pipes not connected with the contract, which
prevented it from being ready for use until Christmas day.
Mr, Maine waited upon me on Christmas eve, about eight
o'clock, and said all was now quite right, and he re-
quested me to attend at the yard the following morning at
nine o'clock to see it filled, and also to see what an ex-
cellent job they had made of it. I was prevented from
attending at the yard of the company the following morn-
ing, and did not hear of the accident until half past two
o'clock in the afternoon. One of our own workmen in-
formed me of it. There was no roof to the cistern. I
proceeded to the premises and there saw the houses in
Rock street demolished, and both sides of the tank gone.
I had my own opinion as to the cause of the accident,
but it was a mere opinion.
By Mr. Miller.—The tank was to be erected on a founda-
tion to be prepared by the Harrington Company, and that
foundation fixed the situation; the length, breadth, and
depth of the tank showed the quantity f water it was to
contain. Christmas-day is a sort of half-holiday at our
works, and the arrangement for filling 'he tank, that day,
was made between Mr. David Maine and David Hum-
phreys, an engineer, as being a most convenient day for
the purpose ; otherwise, it would have been filled in the
night time. No notice was given by me to either of the
Messrs. Williams, but Mr. Maine told me that Mr.
Howell was coming over on Christmas morning, and
hoped we should have the pleasure of meeting together
in the yard to see the excellent job. I think he said
nothing about going to Hawarden himself. During the
whole time that the foundations were being put in, Mr.
Howell superintended and gave directions about them.
In my opinion the foundations and tank were done in a
very complete manner. We always had great confidence
in the work of the Hawarden Company.

George M'Gill sworn,—l am foreman in the employ of
the Harrington Company, and have heard the evidence
given by Mr. Thompson. The filling of the tank was
under my direction. On Christmas eve I was in it with

Mr. Maine, and also on Christmas morning. He reported
it all right to me on Christmas eve, and gave me direc-
tions to have men there on Christmas morning, to
have it cleaned out and filled. It was 70 feet in length
inside, 24 feet 6 inches in width, and 19 feet to the top of
the overflow. It was capable of holding about 195,510
gallons of water. I was not in the yard when it burst,
but about an hour and a quarter before the bursting I was
there. There were then between 5 and 10 feet of water
in it. It was about half filled, and would contain at the
time about 400 tons of water. 1 can form no opinion as
to the cause of the bursting. Mr. Maine was present
when the first drop of water was pat into the tank ; he
remained there all the time it was being filled ; and 1 left
him there after me.
By Mr. Miller.—l have seen tanks before and did not
apprehend such serious damage from the present one.
Joseph Howell sworn.--I reside at Hawarden, in Flint-
shire. I was brought up at the Hawarden Iron-works.
I was apprenticed to William Rigby and Son. William
Rigby was the head of the firm at that time—twenty-six
years ago. I have been ever since employed there. I
had the entire management and superintendence of the
works from 14 to 15 years. The Hawarden Company
are steam-engine manufacturers and general ironfounders.
The company have executed many orders for Government
and others, and have made tanks for most of the principal
merchants in this town. We have had a good deal of
experience in tank-making. There was a contract entered
into between the Harrington and Hawarden Companies
for the erection of a tank. I was requested to make a
drawing of it. [A copy of the first drawing that was
made handed in.] A drawing was submitted to the
directors of the Harrington Company, and approved of.
The tank was then made at the works in Wales, and
brought over here for erection. It was made of cast iron.
It was formed of various plates. The tank was 71 feet
in length, 24 feet six inches in breadth, and 20 feet in
depth. It was calculated to hold 200,000 gallons. It was
not intended that there should be any variance in the
thickness of the plates, but they did not taper from the
bottom to the top. Some of the plates were the full
length of 20 feet. The tank was altogether cotnpo-ed of
115 plates. Every second one of the lateral plates ran
from the bottom to the top. The intermediate plates
were in two parts, larger and wider. The thickness of
the plates that ran the whole depth were 1 inch at the
bottom and itlis of an inch at the top. The plates at
each end of the tank were similar to those at the sides.
The side plates were joined together by flanges and stay-
rods. The stay-rods consisted of cast-iron binders or
braces. There were three tiers of them. They went
inside, and they were secured to flanges on the bottom
and sides of the tank. They held the plates altogether.
There were both horizontal and diagonal stays, which were
fastened to the braces, as well as other diagonal stays,
which were secured to the flanges. The stays were
fastened by means of bolt-holes. There were four tiers
of horizontal tension rods and three in each tier, fourteen
feet apart. Several diagonal rods extended from ribs at
the bottom, to which they were fastened, to the first and
second tier. About 750 tons weight of water would be
in the tank, supposing it to be filled within three feet of
th I top. The mean pressure on the sides would then be
34 is per square inch. After the cistern was erected, I
ha not examined it to see lhat all was secure and safe.
It was my duty to examine, and:l was waiting for infor-
ma ion that it was complete. I sent over the young man,
Da id Maine, who had been an apprentice of mine, and
is low out of his time, to assist in joining the pipes con-
= iing the engine with the tank. I requested him, the
moment he had completed the pipes, to return home and
inform me. He did not do so. When I requested him
to come home when he had jointed the pipes, my reason
was, that I might go over myself, and inspect the cistern,
and, if I found it all right, that I might appoint a day for
having the water laid on. Maine was not armed with
any power to direct the water to be laid on. Maine came
over on Christmas evening and told me of the accident.
I certainly intended to make a personal examination of
the tank before 1 ordered the water to be put on. _ _

The other witnesses were David Maine, who denied
that be had ever authorised the tank to be filled, and Mr.
John Grantham, the engineer, who gave general evidence
as to the construction of the tank and the cause of the
bursting. The Coroner summed up at considerable
length ; and at twenty minutes past ten o'clock at night
the jury, which consisted of fiftein respectable house-
holders, were locked up.

After an absence from court for an hour and a quarter,
they returned a verdict of " accidental death," being
unanimously of opinion that the tank had burst from un-
foreseen causes.

OFFICIAL LIST OF THE MINISTRY.

The Standard of Friday published the following official
list of the administration.
Sir Robert Peel, First Lord of the Treasury.
Sir J. R. G. Graham, Secretary of State for the Home
Department.
Lord Lyndhurst, Lord Chancellor.
Duke of Buccleuch, Lord President of the Council.
Duke of Wellington, Commander in Chief.
Earl of Aberdeen, Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
Earl of Iladdington, Lord Privy Seal.
Earl of Ripon, President of the Board of Control.
Right Hon. H. Goulburn, Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Lord Granville Somerset, Chancelor of the Duchy of
Lancaster.
Earl Lincoln, First Commissioner of Land Revenues.
Right Hon Sydney Herbert, Secretary at War.
The following are the new members of the Cabinet :
Earl of Dalhousie, President of the Board of Trade.
Earl of Ellenborough. First Lord of the Admiralty.
Earl of St. Germans, Postmaster-General.
Right lion. W. Glad tone, Secretary for the Colonies.

IMPORTS AND STOCI
DECEMBUR 31

S OF
1845.