Inquest report from The Times 1863

On Friday morning, Mr. William Carter, coroner for east Surrey, opened an investigation at the Queen Adelaide Inn, Kingston-road, upon the bodies, or rather the remains of the bodies, of the three unfortunate men who lost their lives at the frightful explosion which took place on Wednesday morning last at the gunpowder mills carried on by the firm of Messrs. Sharpe and Adams, and Co., situated about a mile and a half distance from Ewell, on the road to Kingston.

From the fact that the corning-mill house, where the explosion took place, had been completely blown to pieces, it was for some time deemed impossible even to conjecture the cause of the disaster. A careful and minute search has, however, resulted, it is stated, in a portion of one of the copper shamps, or glazing-barrels, being found as some very considerable distance from the premises that were destroyed, and as the bung was found in its place, it furnished abundant evidence that the work of unloading, in which the men would have had to be engaged at that part of the premises, could not have been completed when the sad fatality happened. These shamps or glazing-barrels contain from a hundred weight to a hundred weight and a half, but so far, it is not clearly ascertained upon any reliable authority how many shamps there were, or what gunpowder there was in the mill.

The jury having been sworn, with Mr. Robert Henderson as foreman, proceeded, accompanied by the coroner, to view the ruins of the mill, or, as rather should be stated, the charred and blackened ground on which it formerly stood, for not a vestige remains. On inspecting the premises, it certainly appeared that every precaution had been adopted that human ingenuity could devise, to prevent even the possibility of an accident. The corning mill was far removed from all other works, and a large pond (the best non conductor) separated it from a which wood which intervened between it and other buildings.

The jury then performed the painful task of viewing the remains of the unfortunate sufferers, and it is perhaps needless to say that the task was a most harrowing and sickening one. The fragments of the copses had been collected, and as far as possible properly set together in shells. The remains of Henry Hockham showed only the trunk of the body, with the back part of the head, the face being completely blown away, and the left arm blown off at the shoulder. This poor old man had been upwards of 30 years at the works, and was recently pensioned off, but for a few days past had been working as a substitute. He was a thoroughly experienced man. The lower part of the body only of James William Baker was found; and that, of course, could not be identified until Thursday evening, when part of the skull was discovered and recognised by the hair. This unhappy man has left a wife and six children. The other man, Thomas Warman, or Woolman, had his left leg blown off at the thigh, and the other just below the knee. There was no difficulty in identifying him, as his features were quite perfect.

Dr. Barrett, of Ewell, who was attracted to the spot by hearing the explosion, has since the finding of the bodies, superintended the painful work of putting the fragments together in as near a complete form as possible. It may be added that fragments of fingers and toes are being found all about the place.

The witnesses were for the most part the workmen about the premises, and they described the bode in which the manufacture was conducted, and the precautions taken by the owners of the mills to ensure safety; but as might be expected, they could throw no light whatever, nor suggest any reasonable conjecture as to the cause of the explosion.

The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death from the explosion of the mills”.