6.10.1874 76. Mr Mercer reported that an explosion had taken place on the Regents Canal on the Friday 2nd October…….he had called in the aid of the Company’s solicitor Mr Roscoe, under whose authority he directed Mr Thomas to obtain the aid of the Company’s labourers and overseers from the Southern and Middle Districts to assist those of the Regents Canal in clearing the Navigation.
9.10.1874 79. Mr Rogers proposed that no gunpowder or any other matter of an explosive character be shipped by the Company.
80. That the Company for the present discontinue the carriage of gunpowder for the general public.
21.10.1874 82. The Chairman reported the result of the Inquest and after mature consideration of the subject, Mr Roscoe being present, having been consulted, it was resolved that the Company (Mr Mercer) reply to those making claim “reference to the unfortunate accident which has recently occurred on the Regents Canal and I am instructed by my directors to say that they do not admit any liability in connection with that deplorable event.”
4.11.1874 89. ….Mr Henry James QC, also Mr J C Matthew retained as Junior …
30.12.1874 101. ….also retain Mr John Day, QC, Mr Grantham, Mr Dugdale and Mr Anderson….
27.1.1875 105. ….to continue to defend the action…
18.5.1875 148. The Chairman reported that the verdict was adverse to the Company…Resolved that the damage done to property be admitted and that parties claiming compensation be called upon to send in particulars of claims for investigation with a view to settlement. Also resolved that the £8332. 8. 4d invested under the names of Winthrop M Praed, Edward Thornton and Richard Howe-Brown and the £3625 Consols in the names of P H Pepys, W M Praed and R Hore-Brown …..be sold.
31.5.1875 Letter from Messrs Praeds that £40,000 be available for loan if required
1.6.1875 153. That the carriage of gunpowder be continued
5.8.1875 I understand that the Grand Junction Canal Co is constructing a canal barge for the conveyance of combustibles. Would you kindle inform me where it is being built as the War Department are about to have a barge made of a similar description for the conveyance of Government powder through the canals.
6.8.1875 Reply: I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter S5280 of yesterday’s date. Our boats especially constructed for the conveyance of gunpowder are all at work. We have none just now in course of building. The next time we have one of the boats in London, I shall be happy to let you know where you can see it. If I may be allowed, I would suggest that this Company’s boats could carry any quantity of Government powder over any of the canals of the Kingdom, quite as safely as barges built by the War Department and with great facility seeing the boats are constantly in the work manned and horsed ready to proceed to any part where they are required.
8.9.1875 185. Reference repairs to Macclesfield Bridge and the North Lodge. The Company to offer to reconstruct the bridge at a cost of £1500 and offer to pay £600 towards the Lodge.
3.11.1875 Due to the provisions of the Explosives Act 1875, the Company should discontinue the carrying of explosives as soon as practicable but not later than 1st December next.
17.11.1875 211. 766 claims so far amount to £84417. 2. 0d, 589 of which amount to £43553. 6. 0d have been settled for £33763. 9.4d
24.11.1875 214. Government Inspectors had prevented Mr Thomas from replacing the old stone work, which would cost an extra £30 - £40.
7.12.1875 217. North Lodge repairs have been settled for £850
22.12.1875 The Chairman reported that a serious boiler explosion had occurred on board the Company’s steamer Pincher at Yardley Wharf on the morning of the 21st inst by which the two Engine Drivers lost their lives and the steamer was entirely destroyed. The Pincher was on her way from London to Birmingham laden with 13 tons of Potash and towing a train of five boats; she had stopped at Yardley Wharf for the purpose of landing some grain from one of the boats, and had been lying there about an hour before the accident took place. The cause of the explosion was not known. The boiler had undergone a thorough repair in February last and was in very good condition.
1.3.1876 Read a letter dated 24th February from Mr W J Hodgekins of Birmingham, written on behalf of the parents of Thomas Hartland, engine driver who had lost his life by the explosion of the boiler on board the steamer Pincher applying for some relief for the parents who were represented to be in poor circumstances. The Committee directed that the sum of £5 be presented to them for expenses of the funeral.
15.3.1876 That the present circumstances of the carrying trade are such as to make it expedient for the discontinuance of the carrying trade of the Company at as early a period as practicable.
22.3.1876 250. Letter dated 20th inst from Mr Hughes, the Traffic Manager stating that he wished to hire some 15-20 of the Company’s boats (at 7/- per week) also to take up the gunpowder trade and wished to have the use of the Company’s gunpowder boat Highbury….Resolved that the Company agrees to the hire of the boats but not to the gunpowder trade.
12.4.1876 261. Mr Hughes listed the names of the boats, barges and tug he was desirous of hiring…. Approved
10.5.1876 Resolution that the Company
should discontinue carrying from 1st July 1876
5.1876 The Chairman stated that among other work in hand at the Company’s Dockyard, two new engines which had been intended for steamboats were in a forward state, and could be completed in the shop at a further expenditure of about £70 and that the hull of the steamer Forward had been rebuilt and was now ready to receive one of the new engines and wished the Committee to consider what had better be done with these engines now that the Company will probably give up the carrying business on the 30th June next. The Committee directed that the engines be proceeded with and completed so as to be saleable or ready to be turned to account in any other way, but not to be fixed in the boats.
19.7.1876 293. That the Blisworth and Braunston Tunnel Tugs be placed under the management of Mr Thomas…
27.9.1876 Read a letter dated 17th inst from Mrs Bewn (Bevan?), widow of the captain of the boat Tilbury, destroyed at the explosion in October 1874 applying for further assistance…..resolved that the sum of £5 be given to her in full discharge of all claims against the Company.
25.10.1876 £10000 to be repaid to Messrs Praed.
8.11.1876 326. Letter from Mr W Jones of the Shropshire Union Canal Co offering £120 for the tug Wolf at present in their use….Resolved that the offer be declined
20.6.1877 391. Letter from Mr Hughes on behalf of the London and Staffordshire Carrying Co asking to continue the hire of the steamers, barges and boats for 6 months after the expiration of the present agreement….Resolved that the period must be 1 year and after inspection of the boats by Mr Cherry and Mr Thomas.
4.7.1877 3. Mr Hughes of the L & S C C. requesting terms for the sale of the Steamers, boats and barge….Resolved that £3000 be paid viz £1000 cash and £500 every 6 months from 1.7.1877. There to be 5% interest on balances.
The final terms agreed with Messrs Hughes, Fellows and Holcroft of L & S C C were £2352 made up as follows £750 on 6.8.1877, £500 1.7.1878, £500 1.1.1879 and £602 on 1.7.1879.
10.10.1877 28. The final instalment of £5000 repaid to Messrs Praed.
23.10.1878 165. Letter from Mr Thomas stating that the boilers of the steam tugs Spider and Pilot require renewing and he proposed a different class of boiler to that now in use and had obtained tenders for one of the portable type as an experiment from Ransome, Sims & Co, Fowle & Co and Rushton, Proctor & Co and recommending the tender of Messrs Rushton, Proctor as the most suitable and least expensive for the purpose, the price being £125 and extra fittings £13. 10/-….Resolved accepted
8.10.1879 260. Letter from Mr Thomas stating the boiler of the steam tug Pilot requires renewing and recommending a similar one to that lately put in Spider which is working very satisfactorily and that he had obtained a tender from Ruston Proctor who supplied the former one at £128 without fittings….Resolved accepted.
7.6.1881 22. A letter from Mr Thomas stating that 2 new shafts should be sunk and opened in the Blisworth Tunnel for better ventilation. He will apply to the Duke of Grafton for agreement and offer 2/6 per shaft as at present. Agreed by the Duke.
17.1.1883 175. A letter dated the 10th inst from Mr Thomas in respect of the Steam Tug Badger which has been principally used for washing out the boilers of the tugs at the Blisworth & Braunston Tunnels and which he had removed to Braunston for examination and reporting that the hull which is wooden is no so defective as was expected but that the chimes (sic) are considerably worn and the upper planking very defective and to repair it fit for a tug would cost almost as much as building a new one, also that the engine is not of sufficient power or the boiler safe for more than about 50 or 60 lbs pressure. Consequently it had been seldom used for tugging and recommending that the boat be converted for the use of the Canal and the boiler with two other old ones be disposed of. The engine can be altered to be of some service and at some future time could be put in a new boat with a new boiler but which need not be done until one of the 3 tugs now in use at the tunnels fail. ….Approved
14.3.1883 198. A boat owned by Mr S Wise sunk in Blisworth Tunnel caused by the fault of the driver of the tug and which damage to the boat is estimated at £12 and that he had made arrangements to remove the driver, it not being the first boat sunk by his neglect…..Resolved accepted
11.11.1891 98. Messrs Mead & Co had applied to hire a steam tug for use on the Paddington Arm for a month for the haulage of boats….Resolved granted
11.4.1894 295. New steam launch ordered from Edward Hayes for about £750.
13.6.1894 306. Report of the 9th inst from Mr G C Thomas that the engines and boilers of the Company’s steam tugs Pilot , Spider and Hasty were very much out of order and suggesting that the necessary repairs were put in hand at once….Approved
10.4.1895 367. Letter of the 15th ulto from Mr A H Beasley of Uxbridge asking if the Company would object to his running steam tugs on the Paddington Level for haulage purposes and cost thereof.
8.1.1896 29. Report from Mr G C Thomas that repairs to Spider and Pilot had been carried out at £462. 15. 4 and Hasty was now at Bulbourne and found ton be past repair. He therefore recommended the building of a new tug, it being absolutely necessary to have a reserve in case of accident. …Resolved that a new tug be built at a cost not exceeding £500
| << Page 2 |