On this day 1866.

ACCIDENT.—An inquest was held at the Crown Inn, before F.B. Marriott, Esq., Coroner, on the body of John Keble, aged 39, a bricklayer employed at the Chemical Works. The evidence, which was extensive, indicated that on Friday morning, the deceased was engaged in placing fire-bricks into a new column or flue, approximately 2 ft. high and 4 ft. in diameter, open at the top. A 2 ft. pipe runs from the sulphuric acid chamber to the bottom of two old columns, and to this new one, directing the nitric acid gas to these points. The deceased was lowered into the column in a basket, with no fresh air reaching him except from the top, while nitric acid gas was entering this column from the sulphuric acid chamber. The deceased descended for about twenty minutes at seven in the morning and did not return until half-past eleven. Mr. Murray, the manager, saw him then, and the deceased reported that the gas was very bad. Mr. Murray advised the deceased to block the pipe with manure bags and not to descend again until the gas had cleared. However, after taking a break for some beer, the deceased went down the column again and remained until he went home for dinner. When he left, he was so affected by the gas that he had difficulty walking. Upon reaching home, he went to bed, and in the afternoon, his wife sought medicine from Mr. Harper’s surgery. His condition worsened, and Mr. Harper was summoned at about two o’clock on Saturday morning, but it was too late for medical intervention, and he passed away at seven o’clock. The jury returned a verdict of ‘Accidental death,’ with a request to Messrs. Thomas Prentice and Co. to ensure that every possible precaution is taken at the factory in the future to make the manufacturing of acids as harmless as possible to human life. The deceased had been employed at the factory for twelve years and is survived by a widow and four children