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Leader (1850-1860), 5th November 1853, Edition Town of 2, Page 1063, Untitled Article

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      of great excitement . Two gentlemen came out ; somebody said they were employers ; hooting began ; from hooting the transition to stoning is easy ; the tw _ o gentlemen ran into a watchmaker ' s slop , and their Retreat was followed by a atone which smashed in the shop window . But the watchmaker ' s popularity saved his windows ; the two gentlemen retreated to the next public-house , and there stayed , the mob gathering force , and the police called out to oppose them retiring , called

      for fear of causing " irritation . " The mayor was upon , and came out ; but vain were his efforts ; the mob made an attack on the Koyal Hotel . It was fair day ; the streets were crowded . The' mayor , the regular police , some special constables , came up to the scene of action ; the mayor , Mr . Eckersley , waS for " going at" the rioters , but there was nobody to second him , and again the police retreated ; the mayor going to the railway station to telegraph to Preston for "troops . " ' ¦ -

      .... ; . , . On went the mob , a career of destruction before them . The shops were hastily shut ; night y closed in ; the newly lighted gas lamps were extinguished ; the windows of Beveral hotels , of the Town-hall , the Moothall , and police station , and other public buildings , were broken ; the Royal Hotel was again , assaulted , front and rear , carried , and for a time in the hands of the mob , who smashed mirrors , flung out furniture , and tore down curtains . The houses of three manufacturers were similarly served , and one was set on fire , but

      fortunately extinguished . Another attack was made x > n the Royal Hotel , and the shops of two provision dealers were entered and sacked . It was now nearly eleven o ' clock , and the mob grew tired . Their homeward footsteps were quickened by the cry that the soldiers had at length come from Preston , and _ only a few boys were arrested . The troops took up their position for the rest of the night in the town ; The next day all was quiet ; but the streets were full of colliers , who seemed rather to enjoy the destruction they had

      caused . The Wigan corporation are chary of their money , and keep up but a small police force . Hence this riot continued for several hours unchecked . Parsimony is but too often extravagance . The quiet of Saturday and Sunday had dissipated all fear of the soldiers from the minds of the Wigan men . Besides , a " subject of exasperation had arisen : Mr . Peace had brought up a lot of Welsh colliers to work in the minea of Lord Balcarres . When it grew dusk on Monday , an audacious band of 400 young men marched through the town , drums and fifes playing at their head . The soldiers were instantly ordered out ; all was bustle among the magistrates ; but the rioters had got the start . They had taken the road to the saw mills ; but as that was not believed to be their real destination , the soldiers waited for orders .

      Shortly before seven o ' clock , a servant of lord Balcarres arrived on horseback with a message from Mr . Peaco to tho authorities at Wigan , demanding the aid of the military . This man . reported the road to tho saw-mills to bo very dangerous , and crowded with riotous peop le , from ¦ whom ho had received several blows as he rode through them . The military now started on tho track of the turri-OlltR . What arc called the saw-mills are , in fa « t , tho works generally of the sawyera , carpentors , and other artisans employed in preparing timber , wagons , ironwork , and other materials for tho extensive colliery of . tho Earl of Balcarres .

      Mr . Peace , the manager , has his offices there , and transacts his principal business at the works . The canal forms tho left boundary pf tho premises , and substantial buildings of stone enclose it on tho right and further side . At tho front entrance a tomporary wooden fence , six or seven feet high , in which is a wooden door , liacl been run up to complete tho enclosure on that side . A pile of warehouses across tho centre of tho premises , with a gateway in tho middle , divides thorn into two spacious yards , tho first being about 100 and tho second nearly 200 yards in length , tho width varying from a few yards at tho entranco to 100 yards along the greater portion of tho place .

      If ; appears that early in tho morning a note had boon received at the saw-mills , stating that two meetings of tho colliers wero to l > o hold , one at Wigan and tho othor at A . spull , after -which one party was to attack tho " knob-Htieks" at ( . ho naw-mills , while tho other was to find work for the authorities and military at Wigan . Inspector Giliott , with ton inon of tho Bolton division of tho county police , was sent for from Ampull to augment the nmall doienHivo forco of workmen on tho promises , and they were stationed in tho outer yard . About six o ' clock in tho ovon-U 1 g , n . noise wuh hoard of a great number of workmen coming from tho direction of Wicnn , and it waa noon ascertained

      that they wero armed with heavy sticks and stones . I ho mob was about flfiO in number / On roodnng tho font ; gates of | , ] u ) Haw-mills it appeared ovidont that they Jj ad expected to nieet a largo reinforcement of colliers *»"<> m AHpull and Blaekrod . Orio of the lenders said thoir promised allies were " soft — — , " nnd dared not join them , hey panned on a short distance towards Annull , but , receiving no accession of strength , they stopped , and , yftftur a short consultation , wheeled about ana attaokm tho Naw-millH by trying to force tho gates of tho outer yard , assailing thorn with stones and pieces of wood . Btonos wore also thrown at tho police inside . As they woro ' unablo to loree nn entrance , they attomptocl to nealo tho boarding ; out immediately thoir hands appeared on the ton of tins tmoo

      . tho police ntruok thorn with thoir truncheons , and »« afc them oft " . Mr . Penco wm thero with four of kin mon , ft « d they , with \ , \ l 0 policemen , fought with tho greatest determination . Tho boBiegera Boomed equally resolute , and «» voral had to bo struck heavily on the head . « 0 tt ^ t thp

      scalp was lacerated , before they would drop . After this point of defence had been maintained about a quarter of an hour , many of the rioters got to a part of the fence whence they commanded the flank and rear of the defenders ; . and one of their huge missiles knocked downapoliceman ;'" and rendered him senseless for a few moments . Another party of the assailants were at the same time steadily working to open a passage by tearing off some of the boards , in which they were at length successful . The police-sergeant steadily refused to use firearms , but said his men should stand at the gates as long as they could hold them . Mr . Peace , seeing their danger— -for the mob were maddened by the resistance they had experienced , threats advised that

      and yelled and uttered dreadful —now they should retire to the inner yard , where they would be able to keep their assailants at bay more effectually until the soldiery , who had already been sent for , were at band . Immediately after this retreat , the mob burst into the yard in great numbers , and it was taken possession , of by between 200 and 500 men , mostly active young colliers . A large fire was burning in the centre , and this they overturned , and commenced kicking about , to the serious danger of the surrounding property . The police held the doorway between the two yards , and Mr . Peace and his men took up a position in the warehouses , of which these gates form the centre , and the windows of which com . manded the spot where the rioters were now assembled . One of the men in the warehouses now fired his gun at

      them through the window , having first broken the glass with its muzzle , and this inspired them with a momentary panic , in which they retreated to near the outer gate . Some of the leaders here called out to their companions , that they were " soft" if they were frightened at that , and they were rallied , and again advanced about seventy yards towards the inner yard . Four more guns were discharged at them from the warehouse , which evidently took effect ^ and led to a precipitate and general flight . The mob immediately evacuated the premises , and Sergeant Gillott and lis men now left by a back way , and gained the main road , where they found the rioters dispersing- towards Wigan . Mr . Superintendent Scott soon afterwards arrived with cutlasses for the police , and now took the command of them himself .

      It was not until half an hour after that the soldiers reached the besieged place ; the colliers had passed them , on the road . The night was pitch dark ; the long files of steel were visible only by the light of the fire in the yard at the saw mills . Groups of men were hanging about , and skulking b ehind the shelter of hedges looking on . Fifty soldiers were left at the mills as a guard , the rest returning to Wigan . The next morning a troop of dragoons from Manchester trotted into the town .

      Peace has been restored , but apprehension prevails in the borough . The military force has been increased to 280 men ; and three troops of cavalry—Dragoons , Lancashire Hussars , and Yeomanry are in the town . Messengers , well mounted , ride from point to point during the night carrying intelligence . Some of the colliers have returned to work , and those who stand out are reduced to great distress . The authorities were seriously alarmed , however , for orders were sent to Portsmouth on Wednesday for two regiments to hold th emselves in readiness to proceed at a moment ' s notice to the scene of the riots , on receipt of a telegraphic message ordering them to do bo .

      The latest reports state that the town and neighbourhood remained quiet , but there was no security for this state of things so long as the struggle between masters and operatives continued . The civil and military forces in tho borough and neighbourhood are sufficient to overawo the people for the present , but it would not be by any means safe to withdraw them .

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      THE DALHOTJSIE WRECK . TiiK loss by the recent foundering of tho Dalhousie is greater than was stated at tho time . Four young men—a missionary , a surgeon , a midshipman , and sailmakor—were drowned . "Joseph Heed , tho only survivor , was so far recovered yesterdny as to bo enabled to furnish Homo important dotailH of the catastrophe , in addition to those which wero embodied in the protest of the ship ' s loss . He says , it was tho chief mate ' s watch ' when ho took the wheel at 2 o ' clock on tho morning . she foundered ; but Captain Butterworth was up on deck the whole night , now and then going into the cabin , for short ; intervals . At 4 > o ' clock all hands were on deck , and ho continued . He did not see any of tho passengers until the vessel lurched over on her beam on < ln . Ho remained at tho wheel till the water came up to bin knees . A fow minutes bofbro she went over he remarked to Hurley , a fellow seaman , who was by him , that if slio had a few moro nuch lurches she would go over altogether . At 4- < x ' clock a . m . he began to suspect that Micro wn « a considerable quantity of water in her hold . Tho 1 oh ( , time he heard the captain give orders was when ho was among "the men directing them to throw the deck load overboard ; tTiis was about , 6 o ' clock . After tho whip wont ovor on her starboard beam onds , he saw Captain

      Butterworth abreast of tho maintopmast backstay , and ho thought ho must have como up tho poop ladder . The larboard quarter boat remained , and , with Burley , endeavoured to gel ; her clear . Ho had arranged tho tackling , and called some Lascars to keep her head up wliile ho got tho atom round . In doing so , however , tho Lascars got frightonofl and let go , when sho swamped , and went down between tho main and nrnnn masts . When slio was on her beam ends , Captain Buttorworth , seeing that tho ship was lost , told them to do tho bent they could to oavo their lives , not forgetting tho paHsongors . Ho pointed to tho schooner , apparontly hearing clown to tho wreck , which might flayo thorn , Tho paesojigorfl who

      were dragged through , the galley window were Mr . and Mrs . Underwood and two children , and the ypung lady who was taken out of the water , and had come out of one of the poop cabins , was Mr . Underwood ' aeldest daughter , a young lady about 19 years of age . Just before a fearful sea had swept off Mr . and Mrs . Underwood and the two children he observed them embrace each other and in earnest prayer , evidently quite conscious and resigned to their fate . Captain Butterworth was holding on near him , when Miss Underwood , in her night dress , was washed out of the poop , and he exclaimed , pointing to the unfortunate girl , " For God ' s sake , look here ' . " She was floating away , when he ( Eeed ) caught her up under the arms , and with the aid of Burley he got her out . He

      should never forget the look she gave him . He had cut a piece of rope to secure himself to a spar ( the spare mainyard ) , but seeing there was no chance for the girl , he said , " You had better let me lash you to this ; it is your only chance , and you may be picked up ; if you perish , there is some hope or your body being found . " She looked up inv-E loringly at him and said , " Yes , do . " He immediately ished her to the spar , and when it was sent adrift from him she ejaculated to Reed , " May God bless you , and spare you to get ashore ! " ( Reed was moved to tears while reciting this scene . ) He observed the spar going to windward full 10 minutes after the ship had foundered . There were also clinging to it Captain Butterworth , Mr . Fitch , second mate ; James Burley , the young assistant sailmaker :

      a youth named Simpson , ( son of Mr . Simpson , cabin passenger ) , and three or four Lascars . From the heavy sea which was sweeping over the spar he thought it ver y improbable that any of them could live many hours . He was unable to form any correct conclusion as to the cause of the ship going over . He did not think that the ship had shifted , and if she had touched a wreck he fancied they must have felt the shock . If a bolt was rusty a sudden strain might start it ; but he would not say that was the case in this instance . He saw nothing in the ship up to that morning to give the least uneasiness as to her safety ; in fact , he was quite proud of being on board such a

      vessel , so well had she rode out the gale in the Downs . -He believed the Lascars sometimes quarrelled among themselves and would get sulky , but he observed nothing in their conduct to indicate that they intended mischief . The chock just enabled him to kneel upon it , and with a piece of deal planking he held up a sort of sail . He adhered to the former statement regarding the conduct of the schooner which bore away from the drowning people . The weather would prevent her lowering- a boat , but he added , that she could easily have come up to windward , and as for only seeing three men in the water , as she had reported to the Cowes Pilot , moro than thrice that number must have been observed .

      Reed ' s escape altogether is most marvellous ; besides his ordinary clothing , he had on a heavy oilskin coat , with a thick Guernsey underneath . Fortunately he is a very expert swimmer , to which circumstance he mainly owes hia life . He , however , has expressed himself in most thankful terms to tho captain and crow of the Mitchel Grove , Captain Ransom , who picked him up and for the great kindness he received on board . " The body of Mrs . Butterworth lias been picked up off Hastings ; an inquest has been held , and a verdict of "found drowned" returned . A subscription baa been opened in the city for tho relief of tho widows and orphans of the lost men .

      Tho master and crew of the steamer alluded to have published a statement of tho facts . They deny that they sailed awa y before they were compelled by tho weather . They describ " ,, in nautical phrase , what was done to keep tho schooner on tho spot . "The vessel would not come to windward , or new the unfortunate men who were struggling in tho water . All hands were in attendance with head-lines , cork fenders , in fact , everything we had available for tho purpose of saving life , hut it was of no avail . By reason of tho distance wo were from them , wo could render them no assistance whatever , tho sea at this time making- clean breaches over our little vessel , being- only 119 tons , and heavily laden with coals . " Ah they were drifting on a lee shore , they determined to steer down channel , a resolvo come to , we are assured , " with anything but enviable feelings . "

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      BOILER EXPLOSION . Titerk has been a terrific , a fatal boiler explosion at Blackburn in the factory of a cotton wpinncr , Mr . Ilesketh . The engine was slopped at eight for breakfast . At halfpast eight o ' clock it wan started again , arid almost immediately afterwards tho boiler exploded with a tremendous report , tho back plate Hying through tho engine-house into n yard behind tho houses in a street ciillod Kalford ; whilst the boiler shot in the opposite direction a distance of about twenty yards right across Hlarkie-slroet , nnd imbedding itself in one of the lower rooms of the Fleece Liinj at tho corner of Peniiy-Ntreot . It panned through three walls in its passage ; ( ii'nt the outer wall of tho lioilor-houtio ( nino inches thick ) , then a 14-inch boundary wall in front of tho public-house , niul lastly through tho wall of tho house

      itself , also about nine inches in thicknenH . The effects of the explosion were of the most widely rtnmid an 1 disastrous character , the whole of tho boiler-houHobeiiig levelled with the ground , as b ! ho the ono- » tory portion el' the weaving plied ; and the upper story of tho remainder , tho lower story of the back part of this building , and also the engine house , were completely gutted . The merest of the two cottages before spoken ofwiw flhakon entirely down , not n fragment of a wall being left standing , oxcopt the party wnll dividing it from tho next cottage , And a short piece of tho front wall , where it joins tho latter . A piece of calico from the looin . i was found after the accident carried ovor tho top of thin piece of wall , find twisted tightly among tho exposed raffcen * of tho roof of tho cottage adjoining . Two roonw ( ona oyor tho othor ) at tho ba . ok of this uooontl

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      November 5 , 1853 ] THE LEADER . 106 $ ™ ¦ ' ' ' ™"" — ^^^*^^^^^^^^^ --- ____ ^ _ __ —^———

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 5, 1853, page 1063, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2011/page/7/