The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-09-01 00:00:00

GAS EXPLOSION AT WEYMOUTH.

About ton o'clock on Friday night the residents near
St. Mary-street and St. Thomu-street were alarmed by
bearing • cry of fire, and immediately after a large sheet
of flame was observed issuing from the gas pipe in the
shop of Mr. Hann, confectioner and baker, Lower
Bond-street, and igniting the wood work near the front
of the shop. A messenger was sent to the police-station
and in a few minutes several ef the police w:th their
hand engine arrived. The firemen had to pull down •
part of the partition which separates the passage from
the shop before they could play upon the fire ; then,
having a good supply of water, they managed to ex-
tinguish the flames before much damage was done to the
stock in the shop. The Bre appears to have originated
through carelessness. Mr. Hann had • new meter
placed under the shop window board that morning, and
it seem, that the gas eornpeny's man left without pro.
perly sere•ing up the joints. After the shop was
closed Mr. Hann went up stairs, where he remained for
some time, and on descending again he noticed a strong
smell of gu, upon which he took *Dandle into the shop,
and, on testing the gas Pipe to ascertain where the
leakage was, by putting the candle close to the meter,
an explosion took place, and he was blown right across
the shop. A large tin canister awl various bottled were
sent flying in all directions by the force of the explosion.
Fortunately Mr. Hann was soon able to recover him-
self, but he was burnt severely abour the month, his
whiskers and eyebrows were scorched nearly off his
face, and hie bane were very much cut by the broken
glen. We understand that Mr. Hann's property is
insured.

ANOTHER AND MORE SERIOUS EXPLOSION :
A YOUNG WOMAN SERIOUSLY INJURED.
A sseond explosion widish has unfortenar,,
attended with serious injuries to a your •
C.oper, and caused considerable I.•i
took place at ten min& •
evening. It P. s
took 51,

, • , ..tay
elber ther°
, »ore all right. At •
.4 the shop was lighted, and
limn were engaged in inswing the

.1, t' : .11

.• up till ten o'clock. Just before tho explosion
took place several customers left and Ur. Hann went
out shortly after, no that Miss Cooper alone remained
in the shop. A fee minutes after a loud ex-
plosion took place, tho shop front and door were
blown out into the street, and Miss Cooper
was buried in the debris. In tho upper part of the
house two children belonging to Mr. Hann were asleep
in bed, and fears exi.ted as to their fate. Police-
constables A pssy and Itelamotte, who were on duty
new the spot, rescued Miss Cooper from her peril°ss
position, and the young children were brought oat of
the hour° by the same constables, and feirtunately they
were uninjnred. Mr. Sept. Lidhary shortly after arrived,
and after some difficulty he found the pipe from which
tire gas was escaping, and made it secure by
pinging it op. Miss Cooper was removftl to the
infirmary, and was attended by Dr. Moorhead, Dr.
Griffin, and Dr. Simpson. Upon examination she
was found to have sustained serious injuries. Her
nght leg was broken, and the heel soil
foot were frightfully cut with the broken
gliiss, while she hadespeerre contusions on both arms.
Upon inquiries at the Infirmary on San lay evening we
were informed that rho war progressing as well as the
circumst knees would permit. The houses adjoining Mr.
Ilann have suffered froiu thu explosion. Mr. WOOll,
jeweller, who terries next door, lied his shop front
blown out, snit two young women named I)ober, who
were in the shop at the time. were blown into the
street, hot they fortunately escaped uninjured. At Mr.
llatton's the windows are broken, as well as at Mr.
Deisch's. jeweller, at the coroner of St. Mary.street.
Messrs. Jeffery*, printer., hay., the whole of their office
window, blown out. The shop of Mrs. Southgate,
milliner, mu much injured, and the stock is damaged.
Mrs. Wood, in Lower Itond.street, has sustained • gnat
loss by the breakage of glass and china. At the shop
of Mr. Gregory, chemist, the assistant was knocked
down by the force of the explosion.