Weekly News. — 1891-07-30 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

EIGHT MEN KILLED.  A dreadful calamity took place on Sunday night at the chemical works situated close to the edge of the River Tyne, at Friars Goose, at the eastern extremity of Gateshead. A man named Heslop was following his employment as a labourer on what is known as a condenser—a large chimney built of stone and between 80 and 90 feet in height. While he was at work the structure suddenly collapsed and fell to the ground, bringing another of the same dimensions with it, and burying the unfortunate man in the ruins. Startled by the crash, as the building tottered to the ground, eight other workmen, who were near, ran to the spot with the intention of assisting, if possible, their comrade. No sooner, however, had they reached the spot, than two other of the remaining four condensers, shaken, probably, by the fall of the first two, also tottered, and fell in the same place, burying the newcomers,and leaving little or no hope that they could be got out alive. One of the poor fellows, named James M'Cusken, however, escaped complete burial, but was wedged in between huge masses of stone. Throughout the night every effort was made to extricate him. Once when the rescuing party tied a rope to his body and tried to drag him out he screamed and prayed," For God's sake let me die in peace." He was, it appears, held fast by the legs under hundreds of tons of debris, principally consisting of huge stones. After the rescue party had succeeded in liberating him all except one foot, the poor man succumbed from exhaustion and suffocation, the chemical fumes, by a change in the wind, being blown directly upon him. Be was in the painful position described for 15 hours before he died.  The news of the accident did not reach Newcastle until about 11 o'clock, fully four hours after the occurrence. But in the immediate vicinity the whole population seemed to have turned out. The narrow road leading to the gates of the works was absolutely blocked with people. Here and there the relatives of the men employed in the place were hysterically inquiring the names of those who were buried, and for a long time men and women hung about in a state of agonising suspense. Nearly all the men buried are married, and have families. The following is a complete list of the men buried beneath the ruins: William Parkinson, 25, single; George Robinson, 47, married; William Heslop, 40, married; James M'Cusken, 50, married; James McTearnen, 52, married; Henry Storey, 45, married; Robert Johnson, 50. married. James Doherty and Edward Lewis were injured, and it is reported that Lewis has died since his removal home.  The two remaining condensers were afterwards ordered to be blown up by dynamite. A great fire was raging late in the afternoon, and fears were entertained as to whether the bodies could be recovered. Some days must elapse before the fire can be got under, as in one condenser alone there are 2,000 tons of coke. The amount of damage will amount to many thousands, as the six condensers were 90 feet high and six feet square. It is expected that the bodies of the men will be completely consumed.  ATTEMPT TO KILL FRENCH MINISTER& An unpleasant sensation has been produced In Paris by a mysterious attempt, through ingeniously devised infernal machines, to accomplish the death of M. Constant!, Minister for the Interior; M. Etienne, Under-Secretary for the Colonies; and M. Treille, head of the medical department of the Colonial Office. On Thursday morning M. Constana found a letter on his desk, lying upon what was apparently a Roman Catholic prayer book. Recognising the writing on the envelope as that of one of his grandnieces, he appears to have concluded that the book as well as the letter had come from her,and sent both to Madame Constans. On Madame Constans passing her fingers along the gilt-edged leaves of the book, she found that they were stuck fast together. She accordingly handed the volume to her father and asked him to open it for her. Be was proceeding to prise the mysterious missal spin with a chisel when a servant, who was standing near, suddenly cried out: "Stop! stop! I see a fuss!" The book was thereupon despatched to M. °oral, chief of the detective department, who caused it to be examined at the Municipal laboratory. There it was found that the leaves of the book had been hollowed out in the centre in such a manner as to form a sort of box, and that in the cavity had been placed 200 grammes of an explosive powder, together with about 20 revolver cartridges wrapped in paper. The powder proved to be fulminate of mercury—an explosive so powerful that when a few grains were placed on a table in the laboratory and struck smartly with a mallet they exploded with a report as loud as would be made by 50 or 00 pistol shots. Inside the book was written, "I warned you that I should be revenged." A book similarly prepared was also sent to M. Treille,who was in the act of opening it when some grains of powder dropped out. This circumstance aroused his suspicion. He recollected that he, in common with M. Etienne and some others, had recently received threatening letters from a retired naval surgeon of Bordeaux with a grievance, and it occurred to him that the box might perhaps contain An explosive. He immediately communicated with Etienne,who he found had received a box exactly like his own. Both packages were at once placed in the hands of the police, and on being examined at the laboratory proved to be in every respect counterparts of the deadly machine which had been sent to the Minister for the Interior. The author of this diabolical plot had evidently calculated that the slight effort required to open the book would produce a fatal explosion, and it is considered nothing short of a miracle that this did not occur. The three books had all been despatched from Toulon,and M.Goron has left for that town in order to investigate the affair. He has as yet found no clue. A navy surgeon, who committed suicide at l'oulon a few days since,may possibly be concerned In the attempt.