Saturday 04 May 1844 (p. 3, col. 2-4) SHOCKING ACCIDENT.EXPLOSION OF A LOCOMOTIVE BOILER.On Wednesday morning last great alarm was created in the Station yard of the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, at London Road, near this city, by the explosion of the boiler of the Adelaide locomotive engine. The engine had just arrived in the station-yard, with a train of empty coal waggons from the Canal Basin, and having taken in a supply of coke, the engine-driver, Wm. SIMPSON, was about to start forward when suddenly a terrific noise was heard, and the whole train became enveloped in a dense cloud of steam and smoke. On examination it was found that owing to some cause not yet precisely ascertained, the upper part of the fire box of the engine had burst, and that with such tremendous force had the steam rushed forth, that it had lifted the engine bodily from the rails to a distance of eighteen inches, and striking the engine-man between the legs and on the lower part of the body, had thrown him backwards a distance of several yards, and he was found at the bottom of the fourth coal waggon from the tender! The stoker, Peter SHORT, who was standing on the top of the coke in the tender was thrown into the first coal waggon. When the engine-man was discovered he was insensible, and it was found that the lower part of his body was dreadfully scalded, his head much bruised, by striking against the sides of a coal-waggon, and several contusions about his face. The stoker, though severely injured, was not dangerously so. No time was lost in having SIMPSON removed home and medical assistance provided. In the course of two hours he became sensible, but had no knowledge of how the accident had occurred. This (Friday) morning he is considered to be going on favourably, but cannot be pronounced out of danger. The stoker is rapidly recovering.SIMPSON, who is a careful, steady man, and well acquainted with his business, says the engine was "priming" when he passed the Dalston-road, which is only a few hundred yards from where the explosion took place, and therefore the supply of water must have been abundant. The most likely cause of the accident, however, is a deficiency of water. A FOUNDLING.Late on the night of Thursday evening week, the maid of Richard LAW, Esq., of Law's Lane, while engaged in some household affairs, heard a cry, outside the door, as if of an infant, and straightway went to ascertain whence it proceeded. On opening the door she found, lying on the step, a beautiful child, neatly dressed, and there being no one in sight who claimed it, she gently raised it in her arms and carried it into the house of her master who after giving directions for its careful custody, sent her in search of the mother whose quiver had been overburdened with "little responsibilities." The woman was nowhere to be found; so the unconscious "wee thing" was carefully tended and nursed until the parish officers were apprised of the discovery of a foundling. It was then conveyed to the workhouse, there to remain till some clue to its unnatural mother can be obtained. A handbill has been issued offering a reward to any person who will give such information as may lead to the detection of the mother of the child, which is described as "between two and three months old, of fair complexion, and has been lately vaccinated, dressed in a long pink frock, and a cap turned up with white silk, and edged with swan's down; a parcel pinned in a linen cloth was left with it, containing a small quantity of child's wearing apparel." CHILD MURDER.On Tuesday morning last, as two children were passing along the footpath on the east side of the river Eden, about 150 yards below Armathwaite Bridge, they observed the body of a female child lying about three yards from the land in six inches water. They mentioned the circumstance to an elder brother, who, accompanied by a neighbour, proceeded to the spot, and had it removed to the house of Mr. Richd. CHAPMAN, Red Lion Inn. The child appeared to have been about five months old, and had no covering, except a cap and shift. An inquest was held the same evening, before Mr. CARRICK. After the Jury had been sworn and had examined the body, the depositions of witnesses were taken, after which a post mortem examination was made by Mr. GILL, and Mr. BROWN, surgeons.The inquest was then adjourned till Monday next, to allow the parish authorities time to institute inquiries after the mother of the child. It has been ascertained that a female passed eastward, across Armathwaite Bridge, on Monday evening, carrying a child, and that person, answering her description, was afterwards, between 10 and 11 o'clock, seen returning towards Armathwaite, bearing a child who was crying. An advertisement has been issued by Mr. HARRISON, of Ainstable, the guardian and overseer of the parish, offering a reward of £5 for the discovery of the guilty party, and as the Carlisle police are making an active search, it is to be hoped that justice will not be defeated. In the interval the corpse remains at the Red Lion Inn, to be seen by any one who can give any information connected with this mysterious case. SINGULAR EPITAPHS.In some of the church yards in this county, the virtues and peculiarities of the deceased are recorded in epitaphs not a little remarkableeither for their quaintness or the singularity of the objects of distinction thought worthy of being thus celebrated. In Wetheral church-yard, for instance, we find the following: "To the memory of George SCOTT, of Coat-hill, who departed this life, May 15th, 1773, aged 16 years. "In this vain world short was my stay "And empty was my laughter, "I go before to lead the way, "And thou comes jogging after." ----- "To the memory of Deborah, wife of George LITTLE, of Watch Cross, who died march 3rd, 1840, aged 63 years. She died the mother of 15 children, 14 of whom followed her remains to the grave, the other one being in the Isle of Man." ----- The following is to the memory of Mr. JARDINE of, Duncowfold: "Tho' underneath this stone I be not laid, "Yet, I have the last debt of nature paid; "In death my body rests, 'neath Scotia's sod, "Whilst my soul, I hope, doth live with God." FATAL COLLIERY ACCIDENT.On Friday, three deputies went down the pit at Friars Goose, near Gateshead, to keep the workings in proper condition; and at noon, three others went down to relieve them. The former were not, however, at the bottom of the shaft, as they ought to have been. Search was therefore made for them; and they were at length discovered in a part of the pit under Byker Hill, on the opposite side of the Tyne. They had been seated on a rolley, to which an ass was harnessed, when they were buried by a fall of stone from the roof. Five hours elapsed before they were got out; and one of them (whose name we have not learned) had to assist in his own liberation, by sawing through a block of stone! Another named William RIDLEY, was dreadfully crushed, and is hardly expected to recover. The third, John CALDWELL(a married man with a family)was killed. Such are the hazards to which our coal-miners are continually exposed.Gateshead Observer.