The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1841-10-05 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

THE LATE DREADFUL ACCIDENT AT PENYDARRAN WORKS, MERTHYR TYDVIL.  (Abridged from the Merthyr Guardian. The tidings of this distressing accident having only reached us last week on the eve of publication, we were unable to give as full an account of it as could be desired. The main facts, as stated, were, however, correct. _ .  On Saturday last a jury was summoned by the coroner, William Davies, Esq. ; the only duty which they performed was the distressing one of viewing the bodies, in order that they might be buried ; it was then adjourned till Wednesday. The funerals of the deceased workmen took place on Saturday morning last ; the unfortunate woman who met her death was interred the day following the accident. On Wednesday morning we paid a visit to the Penydarran Works, and the scene of the awful catastrophe was such a one as we shall never forget. The interior of the premises are almost completely demolished, one large and very high stack towering over the ruins. Had this stack fallen, the consequences must have been far more disastrous even than they were; providentially it withstood-the shock. It is impossible to give our readers any accurate idea of the present appearance of the Pennydarran Works. The immense boiler which burst, and which weighed upwards of twelve tons, with the tube, lies 45 feet from its original station, it having been blown to that distance ; the boiler tube was projected about the same distance in a contrary direction ; four stacks were knocked down, and one has been taken down since ; the iron roofs are bent in all directions ; immense masses, and beams of iron, are lying about in the places to which they were driven by the explosion, and the whole place is filled with a network, if we may so speak, of massive iron bars, beams, &c., almost inextricably blended together. The surrounding houses are also much injured, many 'of the roofs being full of holes, caused by the fall of bricks and pieces of iron. The account given us by the individual who attended us through the works were most heart-sickening. In one place we were told that such a man had been killed there; that in another spot a poor workman had been literally broiled alive; that here a poor woman had discovered her dead husband ; and there a child had in vain sought for a missing parent. The narrow escapes, too, which some of the workmen experienced, were most wonderful. One young man told us that an immense quantity of iron fell around him, but he did not receive a scratch. Several, who were close to the boiler when it burst, escaped, whilst others at a distance were either killed or seriously injured. On Wednesday and Thursday an inquest was held on the bodies, and after a most searching inquiry, the coroner addressed the jury, and stated that he would read over the whole of the evidence if they requited him so to do. This, however, they did not desire. On the conclusion of the coroner's luminous address, the jury retired, and, after remaining in consultation for about two hours, retuined the following verdict of " Homicide by misadventure ; they find that the death of John Williams was occasioned by the projected part of the tube, which fell upon him ; they find also that that explosion was occasioned by an insufficient supply of water On the tube, whereby it became heated, and that that insufficiency was produced partially through the ignorance of the engine tender and superintendant, and they affix a deo, dand of 55.. on the part of the tube causing the death. The jury recommends to the noticewohficthh,e signall)pyrobperiientgorpsrtohpaetrly whistles should be adopted. atattached to the boilers, will give timely warning of approaching danger.