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Extracts from April 27th 1860

BOILER EXPLOSION AND LOSS OF LIFE

The village of Tunstall, near Halvergate, Norfolk, has been the scene of a sad casualty, causing the death of one man and serious injury to two other persons. An agricultural steam engine belonging to Mr. John Gillett, a farmer in the village, was engaged on Saturday in thrashing out wheat from some stacks, and at 8 30 a.m. the engineman reduced the fire and regulated the safety-valve before taking his breakfast. He then went away for the purpose of speaking to Mr. Gillett, and while absent from the engine the accident took place. It appears that a man named Moss, who had been engaged in bringing water for the engine, noticed that the fire was burning fiercely, and in order to check the combustion threw some water on the coals. He then went away a short distance, leaving three men named Marshall, Ward, and Walters near the engine. Very soon afterwards a loud explosion was heard, and when the steam cleared away it was found that the engine was completely shattered, and that Marshall had been killed, while Ward and Walters were dreadfully scalded and otherwise injured. The engine, which was in good repair, was constructed in 1853 by Messrs. Clayton and Shuttleworth, of the Stamp-end Ironworks, Lincoln. At the Inquest held on the body of Marshall a verdict of "Accidental Death" was returned, the coroner remarking that there was nothing to show that the boiler had been improperly tampered with, while the engineman stated that the valves, &c., were in good working order.

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December 2004