23 November 1901
DISASTROUS MILL FIRE AT HYDE
Damages Estimated at £10,000 – Grand
Work by the Fire Brigade
A disastrous fire took place at Hyde on Saturday
night at Long Meadow Mill, Clarendon-street. The
fire broke out in the top storey and the origin
of it is at the time of writing unknown. Constable
BASFORD was on duty in Market-street when Mr Walter
MARSLAND came to him and informed him that the
mill was on fire. Three of Mr MARSLAND’s
sons were in the office balancing the accounts
when they saw a red glow, but were unable for
some time to account for it. Eventually they found
out that it was a fire, and one of them ran to
fetch the overlooker, another went to the fire
station, and the other sought assistance elsewhere
.
About eight minutes past eight Inspector WATSON,
with four firemen, left the fire station with
the steamer, and were joined on the way by three
other firemen, and were taken to the mill down
Market-street, and through Lipton’s yard,
but Mr MARSLAND jun. Advised that the engine should
be taken down to the Clarendon-street entrance,
as there was a better supply of water. At this
juncture the Chief Constable appeared on the scene.
The fifth storey was burning
furiously, and pieces of glass and slate were
beginning to fall, which made things highly dangerous
to the firemen, and the Chief Constable had the
engine removed to the Market-street side. In the
meantime the other members of the brigade had
turned up and were ably assisted by employees
of the corporation and members of the old fire
brigade. A donkey fire engine, belonging to the
firm, was also on the scene, but for some time
it did not work very well. It was afterwards got
going and rendered very valuable assistance.
The scene at the time was one of awful splendour.
The whole of the top room, which is about 30 windows
long, was one mass of flame, slates and pieces
of glass were continually falling into the street,
shafting was dropping on the floor, and the crashing
of the timber and the falling of the roof were
almost as loud as cannon shots. A dense fog prevailed,
but in spite of this, the red glare of the fire
could be seen at a great distance. Great crowds
of people were gathered in the vicinity, many
with anxious faces as they saw the means of livelihood
being destroyed, and others who seemed to regard
the whole thing as a huge joke.
The fire for a considerable time simply roared
like a fiend, and the heat could be felt a great
distance away, and notwithstanding the excellent
work of the firemen, the fire did not appear to
decrease. The mill is situated in the midst of
much valuable property, and many fears were entertained
that some of it might be caught by the fire. Happily
their fears were groundless, but had there been
a strong wind things might and probably would
have been different. The stall holders on the
market ground were evidently afraid that some
of the burning cotton might be blown on their
stalls, for they quickly packed up and made themselves
scarce.
The huge blaze, the firemen on the outbuildings
working the hoses, the officers running to and
fro, the dense crowds of people, and the still
denser fog, and the falling of the roof and the
machinery was scene which will live long in the
memory of those who saw it, and apart from the
suffering which it must necessarily entail by
throwing people out of employment, was really
grand.
Inspector WATSON and several of the firemen ascended
the higher floors, where they found a line of
hose had been coupled up by one of the employees
of the mill. A length of hose was similarly connected
with the third floor and was supplied from the
hydrant in Market-street. Several lengths of hose
were carried up the fire escape and attached to
the hydrants in the street, from which there was
a good force of water. The engine was got to work
on the Market-street side under very great difficulty
owing to the dense fog. Four lengths of suction
had to be put down, and a hole had to be dug in
the ground before even a supply of muddy water
could be obtained.
The engine was kept working until 3.30 on Sunday
morning, when the flames were extinguished, but
steam was kept until five o’clock. Three
lines of hose were kept going from the hydrants
until twelve o’clock at noon. At 2.55 in
the afternoon it was again necessary to apply
the hose to extinguish some flames which had again
broke out on some beams. The town without doubt
owes a deep debt of gratitude to the Chief Constable
and his men for the very able way in which they
dealt with the conflagration. Mrs DENTON and Mrs
STANSFIELD very kindly supplied the firemen with
hot coffee which was most appreciated.
CLAIM FOR LOSS OF A HUSBAND
Flowery Field Case at Ashton County Court
Esther HALLSWORTH, of Flowery Field, widow, claimed
from the Dukinfield Collieries, Dukinfield, compensation
for the loss of her husband. On the 31st July last,
applicant’s husband, Phillip HALLSWORTH, was
working at correspondent’s Dunkirk Pit, and
as he was in the act of getting coal, a portion
of the mine roof fell upon him, causing injuries
from which he died the same day. Deceased left the
applicant surviving, but left no children. She earned
15s per week as a cotton operative.
His Honour made an award for £150 and ordered
£20 of it to be paid to applicant forthwith,
and the balance invested and paid to applicant at
8s a week.
STABBING CASE AT ASHTON
At the Ashton Borough Court, on Monday, James Patrick
LAMB (18), labourer, was charged with unlawfully
wounding Alice GREGORY, by stabbing her with a knife
on the 9th instant. The following evidence was called:–
Alice GREGORY said: I reside at Bingham’s lodging
house, 19 Pitt-street, Ashton. Shortly after midnight
on the morning of the 9th instant I was in the house.
The prisoner came in. William MORRISSEY and Benjamin
DOWNING were there. LAMB said to MORRISSEY, "What
have you been again of my woman for?" He got
hold of MORRISSEY and tupped him in the stomach
with his head. MORRISSEY got hold of him to put
him outside. When they got in the street they started
fighting. I went between them to separate them.
LAMB said, "I’ll soon quieten you."
He took a knife out of his pocket and stabbed me
in the right arm. I fell to the floor and whilst
I was down he stabbed me in the side. I don’t
remember anything after that until I was in the
lodging-house. I was afterwards taken to the Town
Hall and seen by Dr HUGHES jun. On Monday morning
I was taken up to the hospital and have been there
until this morning. I feel rather weak now from
loss of blood.– By the prisoner: I did not
fetch a poker to you or strike you with anything.
Dr HUGHES junr. said: On the 12th Nov. I was called
to the Town Hall to see Alice GREGORY. She had a
wound on the back of the right side of the chest
clean cut, half an inch across and penetrated through
the skin into the flesh. It did not enter the chest.
She had another wound in the middle of the right
arm on the inside. A third wound on the right arm
close to the shoulder was of a superficial nature.
She was in an exhausted condition, and had lost
a considerable quantity of blood
.
By the Chief Constable: There must have been considerable
force to cause the wound in the side. It penetrated
her corsets. I did not consider it a dangerous wound
because the corsets protected her. Such a wound
could have been inflicted by a knife. The cut in
the corsets corresponded with the wound in her side.
Constable CORBETT said: I approached the prisoner
at furnished rooms at 19 Pitt-street, and brought
him up to the Town Hall. I there charged him with
unlawfully wounding Alice GREGORY by stabbing her
with a knife. He replied "I don’t use
knives. I never used a knife in my life." There
was no knife found upon him. I have searched his
lodgings and not been able to find a knife.
William MORRISSEY was charged with unlawfully wounding
James Henry LAMB on the 9th ins. – The Chief
Constable asked for a further remand.– Dr HUGHES
said he had seen LAMB that morning. He was doing
very well but was not fit to appear that morning.–
Remanded for a week.
ASHTON BOROUGH POLICE COURT
BAD LANGUAGE.– Andrew SMITH was fined
5s 6d costs for using bad language on the 10th inst.
and pleaded guilty. He had been convicted before.
VEHICLE WITHOUT LIGHT.– Joseph CRONSHAW
was summoned for using a vehicle without having
a light attached on 8th inst. He pleaded guilty
and was fined 5s and costs.
ALLEGED ROBBERY.– Rose DOWD and Elizabeth
FINN were charged with stealing a gold watch and
chain, hat, umbrella, the property of Elizabeth
WALSH, on the 12th.– The Chief Constable applied
for a remand for a week and it was granted.
DRUNK AND DISORDERLY.– Mary Jane WILSON
was charged with being drunk and disorderly in Cotton-street
on the 13th inst. She was making use of bad language.–
Fined 7s 6d and costs.– James STOTT, drunk
in Chester Square on the 14th was discharged on
promising not to come up again. Betsy SIMPSON was
fined 5s 6d for costs for being drunk in Bow-street
on the 15th.
SON IN AN INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.– William
WRIGHT was once more at the insistence of the Home
Secretary to contribute towards the support of his
son in an industrial school.– In reply to questions,
defendant said he was a cop carrier and earned £1
per week. He had five children, one working. He
was willing to pay 1s per week.– The Chief
Constable asked for 1s 6d and the bench decided
to make an order for 1s 6d per week.
TRESPASSING ON THE RAILWAY.– James HARROP
was charged with trespassing on the Great Central
Railway at Guidebridge Station.– Inspector
COTTRELL said the offence was sleeping on the company’s
premises during the night time. They had had trouble
with him before. When found, he said he was running
the racket as he had nowhere to go.– Constable
INGHAM, one of the company’s officers, stated
that at 3.15 on Sunday morning he found the defendant
sleeping in the first-class gentlemen’s waiting
room. He woke him up, and asked him what he was
doing there. He seemed a bit stupefied for a bit
and did not answer, evidently having been drinking
on the previous night. Ultimately, he said, "Well,
I know I have done wrong, but I had nowhere to go
and I thought I would run the racket. I have been
kicked out before." Witness added that he warned
the defendant against a similar act on the 28th
ult.– In reply to the Clerk, defendant said
he was a mechanic by trade, but had only just come
back from America. He had been waiting for work.–
The Clerk: People who wait for work never get it.
Work does not come to them. They have to go to it.–
The Chief Constable said defendant said had been
up once before for an offence which occurred at
a certain club.– The Clerk said on that occasion
he was bound over to be of good behaviour and come
up for judgement when called upon.– Defendant
was fined 5s 6d, and costs, and warned that if he
came up again he would be dealt with more severely.
THE SHOCKING DISCOVERY AT
LIMEHURST
About noon on Saturday a shocking discovery was
made in the vicinity of Limehurst, a man being found
in the fields with his throat cut and a deep wound,
as from a stab with some instrument, on the right
side of his neck. Information was immediately given
to the Waterloo police, and Constables HENDRY and
NEWTON, along with Sergeant DOVE, had the body removed
on a stretcher to the Dog and Pheasant Inn, Limehurst.
The body had evidently been exposed for some time,
as it was frozen, and it was with some difficulty
that the clothing was removed.
Large numbers of people were naturally attracted
to the spot to have a look at the body, and late
in the afternoon it was identified by some relatives
as that of James TAYLOR, a twiner minder in an Oldham
cotton mill, who resided at Scott-street, Oldham.
A diligent search was made at the spot where the
body was found, and ultimately an old pocket knife
was picked up. Whether the wounds were self-inflicted
or nor is a matter for conjecture, especially the
one which had been inflicted on the neck. About
a fortnight ago, it appears the deceased had an
attack of influenza, which made him very low-spirited
and he could not take his food. He left home about
eight o’clock on Wednesday morning, saying
he was going for a walk to see if it would give
him an appetite.
Alfred TIDSWELL of Higher Alt Hill, Parkbridge,
said that on Saturday morning last at about quarter
past eight he was out shooting and found the body
of the deceased in Fairbottom Clough. He was on
his back in a leaning position against the side
of the clough. He could see the wound in his throat,
but observed no weapon about. He did not disturb
the body, but went and informed the police. There
was no appearance of a struggle in the vicinity
of where deceased was found.
The Coroner said there was very little doubt that
it was a case of suicide. The question was the state
of mind the deceased was in. There was very little
evidence to show what state of mind he really was
in, so the best thing to do would be to return an
open verdict as regards that. Accordingly, a verdict
of "Suicide, there being no evidence to show
what state of mind deceased was in at the time"
was returned. |
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