The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-10-19 00:00:00

VENTILATION OF ST. JOHN'S CHURCH.

After being closed for two months, for the purpose of
being new painted and cleansed, this church was opened
on Sunday for the performance of divine worship. During
the interval an effort has been made to remedy an incon-
venience long complained of by the overflowing co igre;a-
tions which frequent the church, viz., the want of ventila-
tion ; and although not fully carried out as originally
planned by the gentleman engaged upon it—Mr. Charles
Lloyd, land surveyor, 75, Great Newton-street—the relief
experienced on Sunday, both by the minister and congre-
gation, was very great, and fully warrants the parish in
proceeding to execute the whole, and thus reap the full
efficacy of the plan. It was originally proposed to the
churchwardens to cut apertures in the ceiling, and in the
apertures, flush with the ceiling, to place circular gratings,
tobthe orificespla
placed
and from the apertures runs shafts, having flanges or bon-
nets at the bottom of each shaft to cover the aperture, so
as to create a draft and prevent the impure air diffusing
itself through the interior of the roof, thereby causing
pr
in the roof, the then existing ones not being sufficient to
carry away the impure air from the interior of the roof.
eMtshsoeurree,openingsandgratings.
were draft
proposedt through
gh
With the extra openings above-mentioned, the shafts, it
was suggested, might be dispensed with ; but the ventila-
tion would not be so complete and effectual without the
shafts as with them.

A horizontal shaft was proposed to be placed upon the
joists over the ceiling of the church, one end running into
the tower, and from the other end of the horizontal
shaft to run a shaft perpendicular into a louvre in the
roof.

It was proposed that the clock in the interior of the
church should be taken down from its present situation ; so
that the orifice through the wall, which is nearly four feet
in thickness, and is bored through by the interior of the
tower, might be made use of for the purpose of ventila-
tion, by placing a grating over the aperture which the
clock now covers, and having a shaft from the other end
to one of the windows in the tower. If the shaft was not
approved of, it was suggested that the three windows in
the tower should be made so as to, create a draft to carry
the impure air through the Venetian windows in the
belfry, false floors being objected to as over expensive.
Shafts were proposed to be run under each side of the
pews in the body of the church, to reservoirs sunk in the
centre aisle to receive the pure air, with gratings over
them. The above plan, if acted on, would, in the opinion
of the architect, in which the authorities connected with
the church coincided, have removed the inconvenience
complained of, arising from the impure air collected when
the church is crowded in service -hours. From financial
considerations, however, only a portion of it has been
acted upon. The shafts which were to be run along each
side of the body of the church, in connection with air re-
servoirs under the centre aisle have been dispensed with ;
and the opportunity has for the present been lost of using
the orifice in the wall in which the clock is fixed for ven-
tilating purposes. The windows in the tower, which, in
case a shaft was not run through, might be made of great
service by being opened, and perforations made in the
ceiling, remain as they were, closed.
Although, both at morning and evening service on Sun-
day, the church was inconveniently crowded, the aisles
would
ountillhe gallery,
avebee with the
nrelievedbyetxhceereptrnioonvaof the
hepcalrot hekw,hained
which has been especially complained of, were found to
be free from any serious oppression. The walls, which
were formerly observed to be streaming with moisture a
few minutes after the assembling of the congregation,
were dry, and the windows perfectly clear and bright.
In the evening, the heat caused by the gas, of which
thirty-five additional jets were lighted, was felt in the
gallery. This would be relieved effectually by the
opening of the aperture in which the clock is placed, by
which the upper part of the church would be rendered
quite as pleasant as the aisles. So far as it has been car-
ried, we must repeat our opinion that its success fully
warrants the remaining portion of the plan being carried
out. It was noticed that the church became quite cool
within afew minutes after the departure of the congrega-
tion, which shows that the shafts possess effective operation.

STATE OF TRADE AT BIRMINGHAM.—However firm
and comparatively prosperous may be the iron and coal
trades of the district, as reported at the late quarterly
meetings, there is not the slightest doubt that the general
merchants, factors, and tradesmen of Birmingham and its
neighbourhood are, at the present moment, suffering un-
der that general depression which appears to pervade all
other interests throughout the kingdom. During the past
week the complaints of the small manufacturers of the
immense variety of wares for the manufacture of which
Birmingham is celebrated have been loud in their com-
plaints; and on Saturday morning the stoppage of one
house of great importance to this class of artisans is likely,
in a formidable degree, to increase their embarrassments.
Messrs. Barnes, merchants and factors, have announced
that, in consequence of the difficulty of obtaining dis-
counts, they are compelled for the present to suspend
modernly of
thhe
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manufacturers,gfiei
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ammb, thoughhasmost
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said
Lpt aebor anen
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enxtensive
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a
will
be the chief sufferers by the suspension. The American
trade is also exceedingly flat ; but it is hoped that the re-
mittances and orders expected by the mail packet which
arrived in Liverpool on Saturday morning, will have the
desirable effect of giving an impetus to this important
branch of Birmingham trade.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF ABDUCTION.—On Fri-
day last a serious charge was brought at the instance of
the Mayor of Worcester, (Mr. F. T. Elsie) against the
Inspector of Police of that city (Mr. Phillips) and two of
the sergeants in the police force, named Chipp and Bate-
man. The charge was for having assisted a gentleman
named Smith, who resides at Wooton-under-Edge, in
Gloucestershire, in forcibly carrying away his wife, a lady
65 years of age, from her lodgings at the house of! a Mr.
Heywood, at Broughton-street, St. John's, near Worces-
ter. The charge was publicly made before the watch
committee of the Worcester Town Council, in whose
bands the police regulations of the city are placed. From
the statements of the several parties made before the
committee, it appeared that Mrs. Smith and her husband,
having disagreed on family affairs. separated some years
since, and Airs. Smith had lived for the last six years
in lodgings at Mr. Heywood's house. Latterly, for some
reasons which need not here be alluded to, Mr. Smith
was desirous of obtaining possession of his wife, and ac-
cordingly his solicitor, having obtained the aid of the two
sergeants of police, proceeded to Mr. Heywood's resi-
dence, where, having got into the house, Mr. Smith car-
ried off his wife in his arms to a carriage which was waiting
for her in the street. Mr. Heywood interposed, and at-
tempted to prevent her being carried off, as Mrs. Smith
called to him to come to her aid ; but the police held him
fast, and would not permit him to interfere. The wife was,
therefore, carried off screaming in a shocking manner,
and was taken directly to the residence of her husband,
in Gloucestershire. The committee considered the con-
duct of the sergeants in interfering at all in the matter as
most improper, but their defence was that they acted
under the direction of Mr. Phillips,. their inspector, by
whom they were instructed to accompany the attorney
(Mr. Knipe) to Mr. Heywood's house,—whence a man
was going, as they had been informed, to fetch his wife—
to see that no 'breach of the peace was committed, mill
they said that in observing the orders of their superior
officer they did not consider they were acting illegally, or
doing more than their duty. They had had no remunera-
tion for what they had done, neither did they expect
any. Inspector Phillips at once admited that his instruc-
tions to the sergeants were to the effect already stated
by them, and what blame there was in the
matter attached to himself. He was applied to by
the attorney of Mr. Smith for the presence of two of the
police as an endeavour was to be made by a person to ob-
tain
had to do was to see that no breach of the peace was com-
mitted. After hearing the whole of the facts the com-
mittee passed a severe censure upon the inspector and two
sergeants of police, intimating that they should have dis-
missed the latter had they not acted entirely under the
control of their superior officer, the inspector.
the attorney
o f
assured hi s vv fe
h.
iHe inquired if it was legal,
m that it was, and that all he
and
WRITING, &c.—The art of writing has lately received
improvements which the wisdom of ages has not been
able to effect; and considerable merit is due to Mr.
Thompson, the celebrated teacher, for having devoted his
faculties to the improvement of the art. His system is
said to be of a superior description; therefore, we recom-
mend bad writers to avail themselves of his assistance....
See advt.