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Fgff. J8, 16fi2.] . THE LEADER. 197
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HOLMFIRTH CATASTROPHE. The Bilberry rese...
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A SUBSCRIPTION FOR EUROPEAN FREEDOM. To ...
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National Defences. A.Nnrx.K Club Having ...
Mr . 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 front Her Majesty ' s Goyernment . Two separate applications have been made to the Government from the town of Sheffield , proposing to form volunteer corpsi 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 weU-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 would receive due consideration . " A second application was made by the Nether HaHam 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 ilivasion ; That a standing army is dangerous to the liberties and well-being of ihe 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 tlie 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 i . n 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 legal 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 . Mr . Waddirigton , in his reply to these spirited resolutions , enclosed , '' fin * their information /' a copy of the answer which he had previously sent to the other application . We understand ,-however , that active measures are ' bemg taken at Sheffield for the formation of these two volunteer corps . . Experiinents have lately been made in Woolwich marshes-with a -rifled-cannon , and some shot xa & shells constructed on a plan of Lord . Clarence Paget ' s . They
are of a conical ' form , " made of cast iron , with a ring of lo ^ d 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 held 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 forei gn 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 crcntcd in the public mind on the subject of an apprehended French invasion is ritterly unfounded and mischievous , and that , according to the language of Lord Palmerston , ' there is no subject at present likely to arise which enn expose this country to the danger of war / ennnot but regard with surprise and regret the proposals mndo to increase the armament , and especially to enrol the militia ns a permanent forco , 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 neighbouring nations ; That this meeting regardawith especial repugnance tho proposal for enrolling jlho niilitia , « b a measure pregnant with moral and social cvila to the community , fostering warlike feelings utterly opposed to tho spirit of Christianity , inflicting groat hardships upon tho population , especially the working classes , oxortwg a most deleterious influence upon tho public woruls , by deranging tho habits and corrupting tho character of tho young , w ] , iio jt will tend to encourage still further that wasteful and enormous expenditure of the national funds for military p ' urpoBen , which hna already absorbed' more than 600 ^ 00 , 006 / . sterling since the peace , on the pretext of nutting the country j « 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 oiir past experience . proves . that ho permanent advantage can accrue from such forcible interference to thegreat interests of humanity and freedom ; that this meeting desires to record its conviction that the great bulk o | the enlignteued French nation cherishes toand friendl
wards this country no other than pacific y 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 Key . 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 Napoleon ; but the meeting impatiently heard him , and his arguments produced no effect .
Fgff. J8, 16fi2.] . The Leader. 197
Fgff . J 8 , 16 fi 2 . ] . THE LEADER . 197
Holmfirth Catastrophe. The Bilberry Rese...
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 , and drowning a hundred of these , was constructed in 1838 , for the purpose of securing a constant supply of water for thevarious mills in the valley . " Since that date there have been continual wWninge-giveri of tlie unsoundness of the worts , 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 Holmfirth . 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 tho embankment washed away the outer slope , and took away tho support of tho puddle , which would already have been weakened by its subsiding . Then , inasmuch as there would very likely be a space or crack between the puddle and tho inner slope of tho embankment , tho water getting in there would cause it to give way in a mass . Had tho waste-pit been seven or eight feet below the embankment , tho inference was that it would have stood . If a hose of 18 feet had been made in tho waste-pit above the shuttle , tho accident would , in all probability , havo been prevented . Ho himsolf would have lowered the waste-pit below tho level of the embankment . This could have been done at a trifling expense ; in fact , would only cost about V & L 10 a . ( Sensation . )"
Tho most direct evidence was given at tho same inquiry as to tho fact that tho fatal result surprised nobody . Mr . John Roobuck , a mombor of tho sluico eommitteo , and living clo . sobjr , was on tho embankment on tho 4 th . " Tho stream was coming in vory strong . " Mr . Roobuck said , in tho prosonco of tho drawcr Chas . Batty , " Tho rewcrvoirwill burst if tho water continuos rising / ' And ho appears to havo hod good reason for what ho said . Tho ombankmont had settled down in throo places . Thoro wore tliroo large leaks in it . Tho water , instoud of running through , boiled up tho wnato-pifc . All tho delects wore pointed out continually to tho commissioners . John Woodcock , who saw tho water boiling up tho wasto-pit , heard the samo John Roobuck , who scorns to have boon tho male Cassandra
of tbo evening , say that " he would see siich a scene as he ' had never seen in his life before by 2 o ' clock , and that there would not be a mill 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 puddle-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 ? \ Yoodcock . —There were two sent off , but who scut 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 was no me in figuring . ( Laughter . ) He knew the book was never intended to be inspected .
Mr . Jaeomb . —Were you discharged by the commissioners for being absent and leaving the shuttle-door open ? Woodcock denied being discharged . The Foreman . —Why did yon 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 lie 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 " accidont , " Mr . James Armitage , surveyor , of Huddersfield , made an important statement . On the 17 th inst ., by tho order of Captain Moody , I went down to the shuttle of the Bilberry reservoir , through tho swallow . I found this large stone ( produced ) standing close against the inner shuttlo , with three smaller one , supporting it . The large stone was inside tho iron pipe , touching the valve , two corners being within the iron frame ; tho shuttlo was entirely up ; but there was wreck , earth , sticks , and other matter , which , with the stone , entirely filled up the circle of the valve , so that no water of any moment could get through . Tho surface of the
stono is 20 in . by 17 in ., and it is an average of 5 m . m thickness . It weighs 91 Jib . The valve ia 18 in . diameter . Thcro -was a great amount of stono and wreck in the swallow ; and tho sodiment at tho bottom was about four feet thick . It would bo possible to place the large stono designedly in the position in which I found it ; but I don't think it probable . With the excepiion of one , which was ji wull-sionc , nil tho stones in tin . *\ vullow appeared to 3
A Subscription For European Freedom. To ...
A SUBSCRIPTION FOR EUROPEAN FREEDOM . To the People of Great Britain and Ireland . It is no longer a time in which tho pcoplo of theso inlands can stand aloof from European movomonts . Our presont and futnro interests , our honour , perhaps our oxisteneo , aro nil moro or loss involved in tho result of tho war which , begun four years since in Europe , will havo soon to bo ronowod . Whothor Into Had events in Franco may or may not rotard tho moment of ronowal , still it is oleat that tho present state of tho Continent is but q state < Jf truce—a moro breathing time until
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 28, 1852, page 9, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_28021852/page/9/
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