The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-03-30

thrown upwards With great violence. He vas then
thrown into the water, and also nearly drowned.
The next witness examined
William Smith, who Opposed e follows II was in the
boat that contained the gayanio battery in company
with my brother-in-Aw, Benjamin Maillsfsrt; I was
blasting the Pan rock, in Hurgate there was in an
other boat that contained the cansers OF powder Capt
Theodore Southland, Joseph Martin, and John Whaen;
Mr. MAefer had blasted two of the cansters of powder
the third canister would not ignite from cause
consequently Capt Southland ordered to pu up that
canister fem the bottom alongside of the boat and also
to put the fourth down. the fourth canister put
down to the bottom the third being then alongside of the
boat; Mr.. haiefert ordered Joseph Martin and John
Whaen to pull the canister out of the water feared
the canister might collapse when the on the bottom
exploded but the canister being very heavy with sand
they could not get It entirely out of the water Capt
Southland had hold Of the anchor rope the being
moved some distance frsm the canister that ex
poded he paed the two boats proper distance and to
the full length of the wires that gned the canister he
then said "all rghtlet her go - the two boats were
laying at the time not foot apart the thing
that recollect is that under water with the an
char rope around my body extricated myself
to the rurace found the boat containing the canister
blown to atoms and scattered about the boat that NJ
haAeiert and myself was in of Francis metal
lie life boats her sides bent together I caught
held Of her bow which water and kept myself
from tinking heard Southland crying for help Male
fert up close to the boat caught hold of with
me- he did not speak until We arrived shore
taken up by yawl boat sent to assistance from
schooner or soop, and conveyed shore after We
reached the shore Malert said that he wished they
had pulled the canister out Of the water the cansters
made of tin and contained one hundred pounds of
powder EACH and were placed in box containing fifty
sixty pounds OF sand to sink them the nails of the
canister that did not explode got loose the
ouconsequcnty the canister foated it my impress
sion that the accident happened by the explosion of
canister at the bottom of the river which
the surface of the water and lying the side of the
boat to collapse driving the tin and sand into the pow
der. and caused IL to ignite.
The next witness called was Mrs. Elizabeth NJ Maile-
fcrt She said-Ia am the wife Of Mr. Mallefert
the shore Of the river at the time of the explosion and
heard the report and friend intended to go wrh my
husband III his boat to witness the operations but
few minutes too late and which much regretted
at the time OF the explosion through the smoke i'm
meme fragments flying in the air. and thought heard
some one groan; l saw the boat that picked up my
husband.
The next witness called was
James Low-Ie dcposed that he ut work. sc. in
the explosion; saw black spots in the air. pilot in
white boat rowing up man asked the pilot go and
pick up the dstressed he refused and said they should
have been blown to he'll long ago.
The evidence having closed
The Coroner sad that he Of left the verdict to
the consideration of the Jury upon the evidence before
them. He hoped that whatever that verdict might be-
they would show their dscounenance any bad feeling
which existed the part the Hurgate pilots and
Mr. Malefert and his operations. He said it gene
rally known throughout the village that the pilots had
thrown every obstacle in the way Of Mr. Macfert and
that they had done all they could to damage his appa
ratus ut night. and had escaped detection.
The Jury then retired and after few minutes con-
sultation. returned the following verdict
were killed by the accidental explosion Of canister OF
powder suspended by the side of a boat They attach
net the slightest blame to Mr. Maillefert his assist
ants. They also agreed to a resolution. strongly con
demning the conduct Of the pilot who passed by the
struggling sufferers and refused his assistance and CEN
sured the bad feeling which had been exhibited generally
by the pilots towards Professor Nallefert
We ought not to conclude account OF this mel
ancholy occurrence, without expressing acknow-
Judgments to the Coroner Mr. Boyd for the courteous
facilities shown to our Reporter by that gentleman.