Newspaper Extracts
Accident at Blast Lane
15th November, 1865An inquest was opened yesterday at Sheffield on the body of Mr. David Davy, the head of a large and well-known firm of engineers having their works at Blast Lane, Sheffield. The circumstances under which the unfortunate gentleman came to his death were as follows:
A large fan, one of Schiele's patent, had been fixed in the works to supply the blast for a furnace, and on Monday night Mr. Davy was watching it at work, when it suddenly broke in pieces, some of the fragments striking him on the head and loins and killing him. A workman named Manuel Wing was struck and dreadfully mangled at the same time, and one of his legs had to be amputated.
At the inquest, yesterday, Mr. Vernon Blackbird, barrister, appeared for the surviving members of the firm. The jury having been sworn, the coroner said an application had been made by Mr. Blackbird to have the inquiry adjourned, in order that the construction of the fan, the breaking of which had caused Mr. Davy's death, might be inquired into.
Mr. Alfred Davy, engineer, was then sworn, and said the deceased, whose body the jurors had viewed, was his father, and he was 59 years of age. He died at his house on the 13th inst.
The coroner informed the jury that on the present occasion he intended to pursue the inquiry no further. To facilitate the subsequent inquiries of the jury, they afterwards went to view the place where the accident occurred. The fan, which was one of Schiele's patent, and supplied from the Moorhead Foundry, Oldham, was put down about 12 months ago. It was worked for some time at 700 revolutions per minute. The blast created was found to be insufficient, and the makers were written to on the subject. In reply they instructed Messrs. Davy to increase the revolutions to 900 per minute. This was done, but still the blast was not so great as required, and when the makers were applied to a second time they directed the fan to be worked at 1,300 revolutions per minute. The instructions were acted upon, but the fan had scarcely been worked a minute at this extraordinary velocity before the accident occurred.
The immediate cause of the breakage has not been ascertained. It is supposed, however, that the support of the fan spindle gave way; the driving strap would then pull the spindle from the centre, and smash the facing of the fan, several of the pieces of which struck the deceased and caused the injuries which resulted in death.
The maker of the fan has been requested to be present at the adjourned inquiry, to give any explanation as to the cause of the accident that may be in his power. The inquiry will be resumed on Wednesday next.
