16th September 1878

Men are killed by an exploding threshing machine

A pair of French workers, Auguste Le Goubey and Lacques Le Luan, were killed when the boiler of William Lane’s steam-powered thrashing machine exploded. An inquest was convened, which ruled that the deaths were the result of culpable negligence – a charge to which Lane should answer. He was arrested, imprisoned and, eventually, released on £50 bail.

 

 

Other events that occured in September