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Leader (1850-1860), 28th February 1852, Edition Town of 2, Page 197, Untitled Article

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      Hr Bassett received an answer from , the Duke of Wellington , deferring a definite reply until he should be placed in possession of instructions upon the subject from Her Majesty ' s Government . Two ¦ separate applicationshave ¦ been made to the Government from the town of Sheffield , proposing to form volunteer corps . Resolutions in favour of the formation of a rifle corps were passed at a public meeting , and transmitted to Sir George Grey , and , in due Course , the well-known letter from Mr . Waddington , the Under Secretary , was sent in reply , informing the promoters of the volunteer corps , that , "if sanctioned by the lord lieutenant of the county , their proposal ¦ tfould receive due consideration . " A second application was made by the Nether Hallam Ward , after the unanimous adoption of the following resolutions : —

      " That in consequence of the unsettled state of the continent , and the aggressive spirit of the northern despots , it is desirable that England should be prepared for the possibility of any invasion ; That a standing array is dangerous to the liberties and well-being of the people , ruinously expensive to the country , and inefficient for its proper defence ; That the best defence of Great Britain would be a reliance on the people , by a recurrence to the constitutional militia system in all its integrity ; That in addition to this , it is desirable to have a volunteer corps of burgesses in this and other wards , well trained to the

      use of the rifle , the sword , and the pike , as experienced soldiers are agreed that the two latter weapons are by far the most efficacious in warfare , especially when placed io the hands of earnest men , engaged in the defence of their liberties ; and , That although the metropolitan commissioners of police issued a pamphlet in 1848 , which completely set at rest any . doubts as to the legai right of Englishmen to bear arms ^ it is desirable that a copy of these resolutions should be sent to government , and that Lord John Russell should be requested to give the ward his opinion thereon" l

      .. . AUVl * wm » wa ^^^ -a « . .. " J | v ' ¦ - ' - Mr . Waddington , in his reply to these spirited resolutions , enclosed ; ^ f for their information , " a copy of the answer which he had previously sent to the other application . We understand , however , that active measures are being taken at Sheffield for the formation , of these two volunteer corps . Experiments have lately been made in Woolwich marshes with a rifled-cannon , and some shot and shells constructed on a plan of Lord Clarence Paget ' s . They

      are of a conical form , made of cast iron , with a ring of lead at the base , which is intended to expand , and fill the rifled grooves , at the moment of discharge . The result , as far as the conical shot were concerned , was a decided failure , for the lead part generally became detached during the flight of the projectile , and striking the ground at from 600 to 700 yards distant , the movement of the iron part was lost sight of , as it did not appear to strike the target or enter the mound behind it .

      The Banner of Ulster , a careful collator of military information , states that the eight Highland regiments —five wearing the kilt , and three the trews—are to be armed and equipped as rifle corps , with the green jacket and tartan trousers ; consequently , the kilt , the last remnant of a barbaric age , which has been long doomed , is to be sent to the right-about . There was a very numerous attendance at a public meeting hold in the large room of the London Tavern , on Wednesday evening , to petition Parliament against the proposed law for calling out the Militia . Mr . G . W . Alexander presided . The following resolutions were passed : —•

      'That this meeting having observed with unfeigned satisfaction the . emphatic assurance given in the Queen ' s speech at the opening of Parliament , that Her Majesty ' continues to maintain the most friendly relations with foreign Powers , ' together with the reiterated declarations of men of the highest political authority belonging to all parties in the State , that the panic attempted to be created in the public mind on the subject of an apprehended French invasion is utterly unfounded and mischievous , and that , according to the language of Lord Palmcrston , ' there is no subject at present likely to arise which can expose this country to the danger of wnr , ' cannot but regard with surprise and regret the proposals made to increase the armament , and especially to enrol the militia as a permanent force , to the amount of 120 , 000 or 150 , 000 men , ns

      calculated to encourage those vague and groundless apprehensions at homo , and to create irritation and distrust among nei g hbouring nations ; That this meeting regards With especial repugnanco the proposal for enrolling the militia , aa a measure pregnant with moral and social evils l » tho community , fostering warlike feelings utterly opposed to the spirit of Christianity , inflicting great hardships upon the population , especially tho working classes , exerting a most deleterious influence upon tho public morals , by deranging the hubita and corrupting the character of tho young , while it will tend to encourage- still further that wasteful and enormous expenditure of tho national funds lor military purposes , which lias already absorbed moro than 600 , 000 , 000 / . sterling since tho peace , on the pretext of putting tho country in a state of defence ;

      that this meeting , bearing in mind the manifold and enormous evils which have befallen this country from the habit of interfering by force of arms in continental affairs , of which our national debt is a melancholy monument , protests in the strongest manner against any such intervention for the future , as likely to involve us in conflicts , the termination and disastrous results of which no human eye can foresee , while all our past experience proves that no permanent advantage can accrue from such forcible interference to the great interests of humanity and freedom ; that this meeting desires to record its conviction that the great bnlk of the enlightened French nation cherishes towards this country no other than pacific and friendly feelings , and Would convey to them the assurance that these feelings are cordially reciprocated by an overwhelming majority of the English people , who desire that the bonds of mutual confidence and goodwill which have been growing so rapidly between them within the last few years may become enlarged and cemented by all the combined influences of religion , civilization , and commerce ; and that the following petition be adopted , signed by the chairman on behalf of the meeting , and forwarded , for presentation to Parliament , to Lord John Russell , M . P . for the city of London , and that his lordship and the other members for the city be requested to support its prayer . " The principal speakers were , the Rev . Mr . Richards , Mr . Charles Gilpin , Mr . George Thompson , M . P ., and the Rev . John Burnett . There was a scattered fire of opposition manifested throughout the meeting , in cries and hisses . Mr . Serle spoke against the resolutions , and said there was some reason to apprehend hostility from Louis Napolebn ; but the meeting impatiently heard him , and his arguments produced ho effect .

      Untitled Article

      HOLMFIRTH CATASTROPHE . The Bilberry reservoir , which on the 4 th of February broke down its embankments and caused such , dreadful havoc in the Valley of the Holme , near Huddersfield , sweeping away whole mills and their machinery , whole ranks of cottages and their inhabitants , arid drowning a hundred of these , was constructed in 1838 , for the purpose of securing a constant supply of water for the various mills in the valley . Since that date there have been continual warnings given of the unsoundness of the works , and from time to time various attempts have been made , and pretended to be made , for their repair . But in 1846 the commission intrusted with the supervision of these vast works became insolvent , and has continued so ever since . Consequently , small hopes of the improvement of the works . In fact , nothing can exceed the neglect with which these works have been treated . Orders have been made , and no one knows whether they were executed . Other orders are said to have been made by one party , and countermanded by another . Mr / Leather , who had had for some time the management of the Holme reservoirs , was " perfectly satisfied in 1844 that the Bilberry

      reservoirs could not be made to hold water without a puddle lining . This lining was not made . At the time of the seeming " accident , " the escape of the wastepit was not in a working state . The waste-pit itself was below the embankment . There was a great deal of leaking , which affected the puddle . The following point came out in the evidence , at the inquest held at Holrafirth . The Coroner asked Mr . Leather , "If on the 4 th of February the water was running for several hours over the embankment , to what he attributed the accident" Mr . Leather wondered the embankment

      had stood so long , and stated why . " His opinion was , that tho water flowing over the embankment washed away the outer slope , and took away the support of the puddle , which would already have been weakened by its subsiding . Then , inasmuch as there would very likely be a space or crack between tho puddle and the inner slope of the embankment , tho water getting in there would cause it ta give way in a mass . Had tho waste-pit been seven or eight feet below the embankment , the inference was that it would have stood . If a hose of 18 feet had been mudo in the waate-pit above tho shuttle , tho accident would , in all probability , havo bcon prevented . He himself would have lowered tho waste-pit below tho level of tho embankment . This could havo been done at n trifling oxponso ; in fact , would only cost about 12 / . 10 j . ( Sensation . )"

      Tho most direct evidence was given at the same inquiry aa to the ftict that tho fUtal result surprised nobody .. Mr . John Roebuck , a member o £ the sluice committee , and living close by , was on tho embankment on the 4 th . „ " Tho stream was coming in very strong . " Mr . Roobuok said , in tho presence 6 f tho drawor , Cliaa . Hatty , " Tho reservoir will burst if tho water continues rising . " And ho appears to havo had good reason for what ho said . The ombankment had sottlcd down in three places . There wore throe large leaks in it . The water , instead of running through , boiled up the wanto-pifc . All tho defects wero pointod out continually to tho commissioners . John Woodcock , who saw the water boiling up tho waste-pit , hoard the same John Roebuck , who eoema to havo boon tho male Owsandxa

      of the evening , say that " he would see such a scene a& he had never seen in his life before by 2 o ' clock , and that there would not be a milt left in the valley . " The same Woodcock describes pretty graphically what followed : — The Coroner . —How did it burst ? . Woodcock . —It began to wash over the outside until it swept away a foot of the embankment three or four yards broad . Half an hour elapsed between the time when the water got into the settlement at the top of the

      embankment and its spilling over . For a short time the embankment continued to give way all along the top . Then the water boiled up in the middle of the slope—sweeping away a great quantity of it , so that the rest fell after . The flood had evidently washed nearly to the bottom , close by the pudd ! e-bed . They were then aware what would happen , and left . The Bilberry Mill went in five minutes after . After the outer embankment gave way , the puddle-bank was still standing . He was up on the hill-side , and about one hundred yards away , when he heard the noise of the bursting .

      The Coroner . —When John Roebuck told you that there would not be a mill left in the valley , did he send any persons to give warning ? Woodcock . —There were two sent off , but who sent them witness could not say . The remark was made halfan-hour before the reservoir gave way . He never heard Mr . Roebuck give any order . He could not exactly say how long before the accident happened the messengers were sent off . By Mr . Jacomb , clerk to the commissioners . —The greatest height of the reservoir was not figured in by him in his book while he was drawer , because there rradno ns $ in figuring . ( Laughter . ) He knew the book was never intended to be inspected .

      Mr . Jacomb . —Were you discharged by the commissioners for being absent and leaving the shuttle-door open ? Woodcock denied being discharged . The Foreman . —Why did you leave ? Woodcock . —When he went to draw his quarter's salary , he was told by Mr . Hickson that he had no money , and was not likely to have , and witness replied that he would give up the business . ( Laughter . ) He then went to Mr . Jacomb , who said that he was too busy to attend to the like of witness . ( Continued laughter . )

      Mr . John Hurst , _ one of the commissioners , had never considered the reservoir safe , always considered it unsafe , on account of the leakages in the enbankment . Yet had he and several other persons lived near the reservoir for the last six years , during which period he had thought it unsafe ! A great deal of evidence was taken as to the state of the " puddle trench , " and it was positively asserted by four witnesses , that when this puddle trench was made , a spring was found in the bottom of it , and not properly eradicated ; and some even speculated that one of the leakages was from the spring . Mr . Leather positively denied that any report of the finding of the spring had been reported to him . It remained , therefore , uncertain what part this spring had played in the catastrophe ; there can be no doubt of its existence .

      As to the cause of the " accident , " Mr . James Armitage , surveyor , of Huddersfield , made an important statement . On the 17 th inst ., by the order of Captain Moody , I went down to the shuttle of tho Bilberry reservoir , through tho swallow . I found this large stone ( produced ) standing close against the inner shuttle , with three smaller one , supporting it . The large stone was inside tho iron pipe , touching the valve , two corners being within the iron frame ; the shuttle was entirely up ; but therewoawreck , earth , sticks , and other matter , which , with the stone , entirely filled up the circle of the valve , so that no water The surface of the

      of any moment could get through . stone is 20 in . by 17 in ., and it is an average of 5 in . in thickness . It weighs 91 ilb . The valve is 18 in . diameter . There was a great amount of stone and wreck in the swallow ; and the sediment at tho bottom waa about four feet thick . It would bo possible to place tho largo stone designedly in the position in which I found it ; but I don't think it probable . With tho exception of one , which waa a wall-stono , all the stones in the swallow appeared to havo come from the rock at tho sides of tho reservoir . Tho loose atones in tho swallow wore up to tho level of the bottom of tho supply valvo . Tho inquest was adjourned from Saturday , until yostorday .

      Untitled Article

      A SUBSCRIPTION FOB , EUROPEAN FREEDOM . To the People of , Great Britain and Ireland . It is no longer a' time in which the people of those inlands can ntand aloof from European movomonts . Our present and future intorests , our honour , perhaps onr oxistenco , are all more or less involved in the result or the wnr which , begun four years since in Europe , will have soon to bo renewed . Whether late sad ovonta in . France may or may not retard tho momont of renewal , Btill it is cleajr that the present state of tho Continent ia but a stato of truco ^ ft moro breathing time until

      Untitled Article

      Feb . , 1852 . ] THE LEAD ER . M

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 28, 1852, page 197, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1924/page/9/