The Express.
London, England, 1867-11-15 00:00:00

FIRE AT THE IMPERIAL GASWORKS.

Shortly before 12 o'clock last night a fire broke
out on the premises of the Imperial Gas Company, which
are situate immediately behind the Great Northern Rail-
way station, King's-cross. In the yard at the rear of the
exhauster engine-house is a tar well, 20 feet deep and
about 15 feet in circumference. This took fire by the
falling of a small iron pipe at the mouth of which there
was a gaslight. The flame, which instantly sprang into the
air, was of a terrific character. It flared like a gigantic
torah, and, toweling high shove the neighbouring build-
ings, was seen from considerable distances. Steamers and
manuals at once proceeded to the spot from distant
parte of London. Before the arrival of the first engine,
the authorities on the spot, thoroughlyappreciative of
the immense danger which threatened, that the
whole of the rota is should be fired. .
There were four re-
tort-houses in full operation at the time, each of which
contained from 30 to 40 beds, making a total of upwards
of 900 retorts. The lids of these were slackened, the gas
fired, and the flames, stretching right across the houses,
created an appearance which cannot easily be described.
The houses seemed to be entirely full of fire, and moving
about in the flames were the workmen, naked to their
waists, with faces and bodies blackened with the smoke.
The gas that had been generated was also let off into
the air, and rolled away in huge clouds, blown by
the wand in a direction contruy to that where the
pillar of fire stood consuming the tar. Not very far from
the tar pit were two gasometers, and some of the workmen
stated that the iron an one gasometer became almost red-
hot before effectual means were at hand to prevent an ex-
piation. So fervent was the heat that the iron piles sup-
porting the floor of the purifiers became almost redhot.
Water was found to be of no use whatever upon the flame,
and it was finally deadened by the throwing of sand upon
the mouth of the well. As soon se the great body of the flame
was thus extinguished, the mouth of the well was closed
up with sand. Meanwhile in other parts of the yard it
required the utmost vigilance to prevent a calamity. Two
small explosions did take place in one of the retort-houses,
and two men were slightly burnt, one of whom was taken
to the hospital. The men who continued their work amid
the flames of the retort-houses deserve the utmost credit for
their resolute daring. There are six huge gasometers in the
yard, and had any of them exploded the destruction in the
neighbourhood both of life and propsity must have been
immense. Round about the works there cluster • great
number of streets occupied by people of the poorer class,
and the alarm which prevailed amongst them was ye)/
great. Superintendent Webb of the Y, and Supeenten-
(len t Getnon of the G, diCsion were on the spot with
bodies of men, and rendered valuable assistance. Cap-
tain Shaw was in charge of the fire brigade.

THE DESTRUCTIVE EXPLOSION OF GAS AT DUB-
LIN.—An explosion,which caused the destruction of a con-
siderable amount of property, and almost entirely de-
stroyed that part of the building in which it occurred,
took place this morning in the upper pot Lion of the
offices attached to the Courthouse, Green-street. The ex-
plosion which took place shortly before 9 o'clock,
has been ascertained to have resulted from an accumu-
lation of gas in one of the offices, but how the gas escaped
is, up to the present moment, merely a matter of surmise.
It would appear, however, that the gas had been accumu-
lating in the Clerk of the Peace's office, which was
abut during the night. This morning, a few minutes
before 9 o'clock, • woman entered that office for the
purpose of putting it in order and lighting • fire. The
gas must evidently have settled in the upper portion of
the room, for the woman on entering observed nothing
unusual, and had actually succeeded in lighting the fire
some time before anything occurred. Soon, however, as she
had opened the ivindow„the gas being disturbed or ren-
dered ignitable by the current of air, exploded with fright-
ful violence. The roof was carried away, the place strewn
with lath and plaster, all the furniture destroyed, the
glass an window frames were broken in pieces, and the
walls, and papers which were on the shelves in the room,
scorched by the momentary flame. Many of the windows
on the opposite side of the Meet were also broken. Strange
to my, however, the woman escaped quite unhurt. The
force of the explosion extended along between the ceiling
and the roof, and also along the corridor. The roof was
partially blo-'n off the Registrar's-office ; and in every one
of the rooms the furniture was broken in pieces, and the
plaster torn off the walls and ceiling. The doors leading
off the corridor were all broken open by the violence
of the concussion. Fortunately the jurors had retired
to their breakfast-room, to which place the explosion
did nut extend. One juror, we were informed, had
only retired from a washstand, where he had been making
his toilet, when the door was suddenly burst open, the
washstand smashed in pieces, and the floor covered with
mortar and defnis. All the rooms present an ex-
traordinary appearance, and are piled with articles of • most
heterogeneous description, which are either altogether or
partially destroyed. Shortly after the explosion the engi-
neer of the Tinworks was communicated with. He made a
personal inspection of the premises, and expressed himself
satisfied, from his observation, that the destruction was
occasioned by an explosion of gas. Captain Ingram was
also in attendance, and his opinion is confirmatory of this
view of the matter. Soon as the occurrence became known
this morning, considerable excitement was caused among
the public, many persons being quite ready to ascribe the
explosion to other senses.—Deblin Breant9 Mail.
VOLUNTEERS FOR ABYSSINIA, FROM YARMOUTH,
rN Tug INLE or WIGHT.—About Wgunnets belonging to
Nos. 3 and 5 batteries of the 12th Brigade of the Royal
Artillery, garrisoned at the fortifications in this district,
have volunteered their services for the Abyssinian Exp.-
dition, for which purpose they left the island on Saturday
morning last, via Lymington, en rade to join the depot at
Sheerness, from thence to embark on board the Himalaya.
A CHIMNEY-swEEPER'S ESCAPE. —A curious In-
cident occurred on Wednesday in the head police-office at
Dublin. A boy named Conlon, an apprentice to a chim-
ney-sweeper, was charged with attempting to commit a
felonious assault on hie master's daughter. The charge
was proved, and he wan sentenced to be imprisoned for 14
days and kept to hard labour. While awaiting the arrival
of the police van which was to bring him to gaol he was
placed in a room at the basement story of the court, which
Is used as a lock-up, and there left in company with other
prisoners, it was supposed, in safe custody. Scarcely, hew.
ever, bad the key been turned in the door, when, turning to
account his professional skill, be plunged into the chimney,
ascended the flue with amazing agility, and getting
acmes the roof descended another chime and made
good his escape. His fellow-prisoners in envious
admiration, and bore without a murmur t e murky shower
which came down upon them during his flight. The ex-
pression of disappointment in the face of the constable in
charge when he found that his vigilance had been baffled
would have formed an interesting study for an artist.
Diligent search was made for him, but without effect.
The people in the streets were greatly astonished by see-
ing big, unwieldy policemen trying to clamber over the
roofs of the houses.
ANOTHER BOILER EXPLOSTON.—Yesterday morn-
ing, at 11.30. a Cornish boiler of 30 or 40-bone power ex-
ploded at the chemical works of Meters. Illingworth,
Brothers, of Cister-hill.road, Bradford, and two men,
named Noble Howard and William Barker, mechanics,
who were at the time employed on the premise., were
killed, buried beneath • heap of stones and rubbish, and
damage was done in the complete collapse of the premises
to the estimated amount of 1,0001. Several other men
were severely scalded and otherwise injured, and were re-
moved to the Bradford Infirmary.
SNOCKINO ACCIDENT AT AVOLVERNAMTTON.—On
Wednesday night • shocking accident happened at the
London arid North-Western Railway Station, Wolver-
hampton. On the arrival of the train which leaves Liver-
pool
at 7 o'clock, and is due in Wolverhampton at 10.23,
a person from Birmingham, and who is a regular attend-
ant at the Wolverhampton cattle market, a+ it is
thought, a salesman in the pig trade, ran from the down
platform across the line at the north end of the station
just as the train was coming in. The engine knocked him
down, and he was dragged beneath it for some distanoe.
When the train was stopped he was found entangled in a
portion of the machinery beneath the engine, one leg off,
the other fractured, and suffering also from Internal inju.
rise. He was conveyed to the South Staffordshire Ho.epi-
tal, where, when this was written, he was gradually sink-
ing. He is supposed to be one M'Sbea, late of No. 6
Court, Bartholomew-street, Birmingbam.—Birmingham
Post.