The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1888-08-04 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

INSPECTION OF ENGINEERING ATTEMPTED SUICIDE BY TAXING LAUDANUM.— WORKS. Frank Wilkinson, ststinner, Egremont, was brought forward on remand charged with atThe annual inspection of the engineering tempting to commit suicide. It appeared that works, constructed in the park by the let C E.V., was made by Colone on Tuesday week the MR`l was found lying on l G W. Stockley, the footway at West S,,imba-terrace by Commanding Royal Engineers, Northern P.C. Bellhouse. He wRI taken to the oioliceDistrict, on Saturday. The afternoon turned station where, on being searched, two bottles out very wet, but notwithstanding this draw• bacis a large number of the members tuned of laudanum were found noon him in addition to a letter to his wife, asking her to be kind up. The baud of the corps was on the ground, to the children, and stating that he hal long under the bandmaster, and played a selection ad of music. The Inspecting Officer made a thought of taking his life. As the man h evidently taken a largo doee of thin lan I main minute inspection of the several bridges, a description of which is given below. A team he was immediately taken to the Seacomba Hospital, where he was attended to by Dr. was then selected from B Company, consist. Bristowe. On the Thursday lie SYNA brOMILIR ing of 20 sappers and 2 sergeants, for the purbefore the magistrates, and retnoreled till pose of constructing in the presence of the Monday.—The Bench now honied him Over inspecting officer, a single lock bridge, 32 feet to his friends, it bring stated th tt li, was span and with o roadway 10 feet wide. The subject to take fits and had been aeouetomed teams donned their working suits, cud having fallen in on their respective sides of the open. to take lamlamun on these °cessions ing the command was then given to commence --work. Jest at this time the rain increased, and by the time the section was taken the ground had almost the appearance of a lake. This no doubt to a certain extent damped their ardour, but did not daunt them, for they persevered manfully. with their work, cornplating the bridge in the short space of 37i minutes. This, considering the slipperiness of the ground and the timber, was considered a capital performance. Colonel Stockley, who did not seem to mind the deluge of rain, closely watched the teams at their work, and at the finish congratulated them on th-ir expertness. The order was then given to dismantle, and the high encomiums they had received from the inspecting officer further stimulated them, for in the space of seven minutes the budge was dismantled and ill stores cleared away. The men by this time had the appearance of having been rolled in mud. Colonel Stockley then addressed Colonel Walker, the officers, and members of the corps, and expressed the highest gratification at the skill and efficiency of the corps, as shown by the manlier in which they had constructed the several bridges which he had inspected, and said it gave him great pleasure in informing them that be would be able to make a most favourable report on their general efficiency. The whole of the officers of the corps were present. The engineering works constructed for the annual inspection consist of a series of military brides selected from the " Second Coarse," as follows: No. 1 bridge, constructed by D and E companies, is • stiffened sling bridge of 100 feet span, with a roadway of 11 feet wide, the span being considerably above the average for spar or frame bridges, and may be termed a five-sling bridge. From the great length of the spars required for the standards of the main frames for a bridge of this span, con siders.bla difficulty was experienced in its erection, especially as only the ordinary service ropes and tackle were used. A load of about 20 tons could be safely carried, and is therefore suitable for every description of military traffic, and probably is the largest span bridge ever constructed by volanteers. No. 2 bridge, constructed by C and F Dom. panics, is a single sling of the ordinary type of 50 feet span, with a roadway 10 feet wide. This bridge is also suitable for all kinds of military traffic, the breaking weight being about 23 tons, with a maximum moving load of whom 9 tons.