Workington and District News.

Workington Dock and Harbour Bill. – This bill was on Tuesday again before the Committee of the House of Lords on unopposed Bills, Lord Redesdale presiding. Lord Cosmo Gordon came forward and gave his personal assent to the bill, and the committed again adjourned until Friday next for some further consents.

Change of Primitive Methodists Ministers. – The duties of the Rev M P DAVIDSON, the Primitive Methodist minister resident in Workington, will terminate with the expiration of the present month; he having accepted an invitation from the Primitives in the Crook circuit to labour in their district. His successor will be the Rev Charles GOODALL, who, some nine years ago, officiated as superintending-minister in the Whitehaven circuit. He has since then been labouring in the mission field, and leaves that sphere of work in Motherwell to take the new appointment which was made by the Conference held last week, and which has given general satisfaction among the members.

Change in the Managing Staff of the Moss Bay Iron and Steel Works. – The present manager of the Moss Bay Iron and Steel Works, Mr John WHARTON, will shortly leave Workington to discharge the duties of a similar office at Blenaven, Wales. For five or six years the works of the Moss Bay Company have been under his supervision; and during the last three years some very extensive improvements have been carried out, by his immediate direction, in the steel department. The output of rails, consequently, has been considerably facilitated. His business qualifications have made the works a prosperous concern, and he had gained a large number of friends.

Improvements at the Workington Iron and Steel Works. – Various improvements are being introduced in the different ironworks in Workington, and prominent amongst them are to be found those which have been made in the Workington Iron and Steel Company’s Works, which will be more familiarly known as the "Old Company’s." These works were formerly owned by the Messrs LINDOW and others, but owing to the state of trade in 1876 the proprietors were compelled to suspend operations. The works remained closed until 1879, when negotiations were opened for the purchase of the works by some local gentlemen, and they passed into the hands of Messrs VALENTINE, KIRK, QUIRK, WHARTON, LEDGER, and WATSON, with Mr John WHARTON as managing director. Important alterations and improvements are just now being carried out under the direction of Mr COOPER, the manager. A new blast furnace is being erected; and altogether, the works are in a prosperous condition, having two furnaces in blast, with a large output.

Accident. – A man named John LAWLER, married, and residing in Botany-street, received severe injuries at the Workington Iron and Steel Works on Monday evening, about eight o’clock. In conjunction with other men he had been engaged changing a tweer at one of the furnaces. The tweers are clothed with about six inches of clay when placed in their respective positions. When a new one is required the old one is taken out and the clay with which it was surrounded remains in its place, and has to be gradually burnt out. Such a process was being carried out on Tuesday evening when the clay had almost burnt away, and the iron commenced to make a passage through a small hole. Lawler procured a hook and endeavoured to prevent the waste of iron; but so thin had the clay become that when he did so the hook broke the clay and into the furnace it went. The molten iron, with a strong force of blast behind it, immediately came out and dreadfully injured Lawler, particularly about the left arm. He was conveyed home, where he is now progressing as favourably as can be expected.

Fatal Accident. – Mr WEBSTER, coroner for the lordship of Egremont, and a jury, held an inquiry on Tuesday morning, at the police-station, Workington, into the death of Thomas WALKER, 65 years of age. Elizabeth Walker said she was the daughter of the deceased and lived in High-street. Her father was a husbandman by trade. He had not worked for the last three years, as he had independent means. He had not the use of his right side owing to an infirmity. On the 7^th of June, about ten minutes past eleven, witness left him sitting in an arm-chair, in the kitchen, while she went out on some business. There was no one in the house but himself. Saw him again about a quarter to twelve o’clock, and he was then burned on his left side, He told her that there was no blame attached to anyone. He had been lighting his pipe with a piece of paper, and he threw the burning paper down, and it set fire to a newspaper. He tried to put the flames out and in doing so they caught his jacket sleeve. He then made his way to the tap to extinguish the flames, and at the same time shouted for assistance, and the neighbours went in to him. The burns extended over the left arm, left breast, left side, and a part of the body, She called in medical assistance immediately after learning of the accident. Isabella HALL said that on the day in question she heard several screams, and went to Mr Walker’s house and found him in flames. Had a woollen cloth in her had, and with it tried to put out the flames, A woman named KELLY then came in and threw a bucket of water on the deceased, and it put out the flames. Witness and Kelly then took him upstairs to bed. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental Death."

Workington Board School. –The Workington School Board held a meeting yesterday morning, at the Board-room, Guard-street. There were present: Revs J J THORNLEY (chairman), T DICKEN, Messrs A PEILE, J W RANDALL, G GRAHAM, and J DAND (clerk). It was resolved that the common seal of the Board be affixed to the indenture securing a mortgage of £1,000, and further advances not exceeding therewith £3,642 from the Public Works Loan Commissioners for the enlargement of St John’s and St Michael’s Board-school, Workington. It was decided that the common seal of the Board should be affixed to the Commissioners’ certificate for the first advance of £1,000. The next business was the consideration of the draft lease for the piece of ground near to Westfield-farm. The clerk pointed out that there was some mistake in it, and he was instructed to get it rectified. A letter was read from Mr HODGSON, contractor, asking the Board to postpone the summer holidays until the 7^th proximo, so as to allow him to make a connection with the old and new schools. On the motion of Mr Peile, the request was acceded to. A letter was read from Mr LEWIS, the schoolmaster at Lawrence-street-school, requesting the payment of his salary every month, in preference to quarterly payments, as is now the case. On the motion of the Chairman it was agreed to accede to the application for the present: and a notice of motion was given to consider at next meeting Mr Lewis’s salary, and the desirability of placing it on the same basis as the two other head master, namely, a stated salary and a portion of the Government grant. A letter was read from Miss H PEARSON, head schoolmistress of Lawrence-street-school, reminding the Board of the promises which they made to aid her in raising the per-centage of children passing at the yearly examination; it also referred to the pupil teachers who stand as candidates for examination, and requested that the choosing of them should rest with the head-mistress. It was ultimately agreed that the matter should be left with the School Visitors. The agreement between Miss FEARON and the Board, as mistress, was laid before the Board and signed by the chairman.