The Express.
London, England, 1867-10-11 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 11, 1867.

Sweet Anne took np the running, and won en•ily by n
length. Paris was third, beaten tine.: lengths, the :star
fourth, •nil Purser laid. _ _

S%. K of 10 SOVS. each, for 2-yr•olds ; colts,
; and fillies, 6st Sib ; winner to be sold for 1:41/.
T.Y.C. (6 subs.)
captain Machell's shins Wine, by Claret—Barbers,
hst 101 h 'Custom) I
%fr. tlrewer's The Demon. bet 10Ib J Osborne 2
41r Johnstone's 01 Vernon, set loth (Parry, 3

THE TERRIBLE EXPLOSION IN EDINBURGH.

(From thu Edisiburjh C wraia.)

The most shocking disaster which it has been
our lot for several years to record as occurring in this
locality took place yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon in
the Canongate, resulting in the death of five persons, and
in painful and dangerous injuries to at least lone others. '
The calamity originated in the shop of Thomas Hammond,
a dealer in toys, tobacco, small wares, and, unhappily, iu
fireworks. By an extraordinary and fatal oversight on the
part of the authorities, Hammond had been metered to
manufacture fireworks on his limited and unsuitable pre-
mises, situated in the heart of a crowded locality, and
he had just received a large order, which he was engaged
in pervonaUy executing. According to his own account,
he wee in his back shop ramming the powder into a
rocket, when, from some GYM unknown to him, a spark
gut among the materials, causing instantaneous ignition
not only of the rocket in hand, but of the stuff which was lying
roundabout him. Though frightfully scorched about the
head, he was able to fly and to call to others, but he does
not remember the circumstances of his escape. It was
about twenty minutes before one o'clock when a tremen-
dous explosion took place, likened by those who were at
hand to • simultaneous discharge of several pieces of artil-
lery, and the sound of which was heard in all the quieter
parts of the town, and even in the btu), streets,
where sonic people took it at the moment for
the discharge of the one o'clock time-gun. To those
who were near, the fatal power revealed itself in a
great gush of flame projected across the street from
Hammond's door and windows. The blaze was
terribly fierce, and some who observed it mention that it
resembled the flash of cannon, except that it was sustained
along with a great volley of musketry—the rockets of the
shelves going off like extraordinarily rapid file firing. It is
styled by some that fire was seen in the shop before the
general explosion occurred, and this account seems to
agree with the events ascertained and the probabilities of
the case. Be that as it may, it is certain that aif the out-
break of the tire preceded the explosion, it was only by •
few seconds, and that it was the terrible crash that first
awakened anything like general attention. But before de-
scribing the melancholy incidents attendant on the out-
break, it is necessary to say a word or two as to the charac-
ter and dimensions of the building in which Hammond's
shop is situated. It is one of those stately lands
erected while the Canongate was still the abode of the
Scottish gentry. In the abaence of precise information,
we should take the house to be from 120 to 150 years old.
It extends to nearly 55 feet of frontage, and the height
from the pavement to the eaves may be taken at 10 feet.
It consisted of first, second, and third floors, extending
over the whole breadth of front above the shop and sunk
storeys, and of • tympanum gable in the centre, with
attics at the sides, formi
ng • fourth floor, the height of
the gable being about litl feet. The first and second floors
were very lofty, with tall windows. In the rear the
building extended about 66 feet over about two.thirds of
the front, the remaining third to the west going not over
60 feet in rear. Hammond's shop was situated in
the westmost corner of the building. To the back
the building "looked" into ChessePs-court, the
staircase being in the west corner of the
projected part. As an example of the original
elegance of the building, it may be mentioned that in the
third storey to the front the windows were arched, while
to the rear the corners of the edifice bore missive vases,
while all the mantelpieces were richly carved. The stair-
case was what is known as a scale stair, the windows being
on the half-stair intermediate with the principal landings.
The tenement was perforated in the centre by a wide
pen, forming the entrance to Chessel's-court, and by
Pine's Close on the west of Hammond's shop, opening also
into Chewers-court. The building is immediately opposite
Morocco Close, and at this point the Canongate is about
42 feet broad. The whole houae once so palatial in
its character, was now the abode of somewhat poor
but for the most part industrious and respectable,
families. There would probably be four or five
families residing on each floor ; but happily, the
disaster occurring by day, the men were at work,
and • good many of the children were at schooL The ex-
plosion took place mainly to the front, and, as Hammond's
windows were blown out, the debris was carried across the
street, shattering the windows of Mr. Davidson, a publican
opposite, while perforating many of the windows in the
domiciles above, and dotting the front of the house as
with bullets. But alarming as the explosion was in the
front, it was in the rear of the house that the terrible effects
of the disaster were chiefly seen. The awful volume of
flame now pouring out into the street seems to have driven
most of the inmates to the back windows to call for help,
and to fly to the stair for escape. Here, however, sad to
say, their egress was barred by a terrific flame
that, shooting through Hammond's back door, which
opens to the staircase, forbade all passage that
way. No sooner were tho inhabitants of the floors above
aware that they were imprisoned than an awful scene of
agony was to be witnessed. The women were to be seen
at the windows shrieking madly for help, and wringing
their hands with indescribable bitterness. Amidst the
heartrending shouts mothers were seen preparing to throw
their children out of window, while some of those who
were earliest on the spot were adjuring them to wait for
ladders or other means of help. Dismay was on the
countenances of those who sought to help, despair
on the faces of those who saw no chance of rescue.
It is quite impossible to describe the concurrent
incidents with the rapidity in which they occurred,
or to narrate them 111 precise order. From the
first floor two women dropped from the window-
sill to the ground, and a child was flung out, which was
safely caught. Immediately the people in the storeys
above began also to look to this as their only chance,
and to aid them, Sergeant Auld (who hold a medals for his
valorous conduct at the Mound fire, in 1857), held out his
arms, being himself supported by several men from be.
bin& From the window of Mrs. Henderson, in the
second door, her own and some neighbours' children were
flung down, and the frightened mothers threw them over
so fast that the poor men below could not get a breath, or
get time to form. In consequence of this haste, one
girl, aged about twelve, named Margaret Casupbell,
had her skull fractured, and died immediately on ad-
mission to the Infirmary. Beginning with the in-
fants, the poor women now threw down some bigger
children, and one of them in the fall struck Auld a severe
blow on the face and cheat, which caused him great
vffering, although, after recovering, he returned to his
Poet. Meantime, help of • better kind was beginning to
arrive. Mr. Slater, slater, was in the Canongate when
the explosion took place, and immediately sent for ladders,
which by-and-by were forthcoming. The first which arrived
was planted against Mrs. Henderson's window, which was
about 28 feet from the ground, but was forted to be
several feet too short. At this juncture a sweep, named
Riddell, who behaved throughout these appalling mo-
ments with wonderful gallantry, nimbly climbed up,
caused Mrs. Henderson to trust her feet to him, and
slide down from the window until she reached the
ladder ; and no sooner was she safely on the ground than
be took out another woman in the same way. A long
ladder, about 60 feet in height, having been now obtained,
it was with groat exertion, and after some unsuccessful
efforts, raised against sue wall Mar the centre of the rear
projecting of the building. At • high window there two
women in • state of great_ agony were watching the prepa-
rations to aid them, and had been throwing out bedding
and other stuffs to prepare for jumping down. No wooer
was the ladder reared than assailer named Francis McKenna
climbed up to help the women out, and Riddell,
who had now extricated all who had gathered it
Heoderson's winnow, ran up under the ladder,
and after helping Id`Kenna to plant the first of
the two women on it, he remained above while
the railer helped down the first, to extricate the second of
the tarrified pair. At the staircase window between the
first floor and the second • boy was observed in a state of
great terror by Mr. W. Mackenzie. The flames were
vomiting out of the window below him, aocompanied by a
suffocating smoke which nearly concealed him. He was
called to drop, which, after lingering a while, be did, and
was caught by Mr. Mackenzie on his breast. This boy,
if we are right in identifying him with Hanimonirs
son, got his leg fractured, and was taken to the
infirmary, but is doing well. While this was going on
at the projected portion of the building, still more ter-
rifying events were occurring in the recessed portion on
the west side. At one of the windows of the highest
floor overlooking the corner of the court entered from
Pine's Close, three women presented themselves. One of
them, named Mrs. Ferguson, about thirty years of age, in
a frenzy of despair, leaped from the window to the ground,
and was horribly fractured and mangled. She only sur-
vived her frightful leap • abort time. She was carried to
the Royal Infirmary, hut died a few minutes after arrival.
But there were still two women to be rescued, and the
ladder brought being too short, ropes were got and
managed by a body of men, including George Greig,
fleshier, Police-constable Mui ray, Police-constable Mama-
tee, and others. From • stair window in the building in
Pine's Close, which stands at a right angle with the
recessed wall, • rope was thrown, and the woman nearest,
named Mrs. Johnston, who was by this time sitting
outside the window sill, passed it round her waist and also
under her arms. The rope was held from a window level
with that at which she was, and it was so managed that
in giving way she was swung down to the window imme-
diately below, and caught by the men wbo had stationed
themselves there. In this way also Mrs. Rae, an elderly
woman, was rescued, but in both caws considerable injury
was sustained, especially by the latter, in coming against
the wall in her descent. They were both taken in cabs to
the Royal Infirmary. The escape of these twowomen was
managed with remarkable address, and it may
well be supposed that the crowd of spectators
below looked on with breathless interest while the
attempt was being made. It was • moment of horrible
suspense to many to witness the poor women clinging, as
it were, to the wall, mid holding on by the Loan and win-
dow sill, in apprehension of the critical swing they had to
take. The fire-engines arrived and were at work in about
half an hour after the explosion. Many complaints were
made of their tardiness, arising not from • reasonable esti-
mate of the time required, but from the agonising circum-
stances of the moment, the flames raging higher and higher
every minute, and thredtening to envelop the whole build-
ing. At first, unfortunately, there was a feeble pressure on
the pipes, and a littletimelonger elapsed before theenguies
could work with practical effect. They made, however, very
speedy progress when once under way ; and the first
efforts were applied to subdue the fire in the staircase, so
as, if possible, to gain admission to the floors above, the
melancholy truth being known that several inmates of the
house were yet unaccounted for. Long Won such • pro-

reeding could be considired safe, Mr. Slater, who had
worked heroically in directing the aorta at rescue from
the wiii.lOws' ran up the stair, accompanied by Mr. It. M.
Reliant ine, of lifeboat celebrity, and other daring persons,
and explored the whole house, tilled as it was at this
moment with • dense and overpowering smoke. In
the upper story, near the window from which
the unfortunate Mrs. Ferguson leaped, Mr. Slater
found her child, a girl of about four years of age.
She was breathing when taken up, and Mr. Slater burned
out with her and took her to Davidson's shop, where
every attention was paid to her, but it was found she was
dead—the little spark of life that remained having proba-
bly been lost in the 7
laege through the suffocating stair-
came. There was as • ht scratch on the body, but there
could be little doubt t t the cause of death was asphyxia.
This poor girl was the granddaughter of Mrs. Rae already
mentioned, who thus lost daughter and granddaughter in
the melaneholy disaster.
The search in the building being continued, it was found
that nearly every house and apartment had by some means
or other been emptied of its inmates. But in the east corner
of the third floor, looking to the street, two women were
found locked in each other's embrace, having evidently
been overpowered by the smoke, and in this way taken an
affectionate farewell. It was hoped there might be life in
them but the bodies appeared quite inanimate. A number
of gallant fellows carried both bodies down, and they were
laid in the open air in the upper end of Charnel's-court.
Hero they received the immediate attention of Dr. G. A.
W. Wright, of the Army Medical Staff, Dr. David
Wright, Dr. Matthews, Mt. Forrest, and others, who en-
deavoured by injections, artificial respiration, and
mustard poultices to restore life. In the ease of one of the
two women named Mrs. Taylor, they were happily
' successful; but in the case of Mrs. Wilson, her companion,
the vital spark could not be rekindled. About half-past
two o'clock the body of the latter was carried to the police-
office, while Mrs. Taylor was conveyed to the Royal
Infirmary. - It is stated that the two poor women bad at
the outbreak of the fire been seen at the windows of the
room in which they were found calling for help, and threat-
ening to leap over. They were caned to to be patient,
for the ladders were coming, but after they arrived they
were not again seen. They had evidently pulled
down their windows, when by keeping them up it is not
improbable the smoke might have had less deadly effect.
One significant circumstance noticed by those who made
the search was, that in nearly every house a suffocated rat
was found, and in one or two eases • dead canary. We
have still to speak of the case of the firework maker and
his family. The household consisted of Mr. Hammond
and hie wife, their boy, their shop girl, named Isabella
Reid, and their little servant girl, named Mary
Elmalie. The girl Reid escaped by the shop door,
but was struck by several pieces of the dibris thrown
out by the explosion. Hammond called to his wife
and to the servant girl. His wife escaped with him-
self, but was dreadfully injured, but the little servant
who was but twelve years old, was overtaken in her flight
Her cane was for some time forgotten in the oonfusion it
the afternoon, but all inquiry made for her was unavailing
and at length, after the fire had been sufficiently god
under, a search was made for her in the debris of the
shop. Here, between seven and eight o'clock, the body
of the unfortunate girl was discovered, in the kitchen ad-
hoining the back shop. The boy Hammond was, as we
ave before mentioned, rescued from the window of
the staircase. The escape of the family and workers
of Luke Duffy, basket maker, occupying the sunk
door below Hammond's shop, has yet to be noticed. Duffy
was at work with several assistants when he heard a
frightful explosion, and something came down upon his
head, and looking round he saw the roof giving way. He
ran to the foot of the staircase, ascending to the street,
but found the way blocked up by debris from above and by
his own baskets being thrown from the shelves to the floor.
He got out, along with several of his workers, by a small
window alongside the door. His wife was not in
at the time, and Duffy, in great consternation and
alarm as to the fate of his children, hurried though
Pine's Close to the back window, where, taking out one of
the stanchions, he got in and lifted his infant out of its
cradle and escaped with it. One of his children he knew
to be at school, and another out at play, but of his little
girl Mary, just older than the infant, he could get no
tidings, and she was not to be found either at the door or
beck window, all within being a heap of burning rubbish.
Some anxiety BIM was felt for one of his assistants, named
Isabella Morrison. She was afterwards found to have
escaped and her account of Mary was that she followed her
to the stair-foot, but whether she had got out or not her
agitation disabled her from observing. Great anxiety was
felt on the ground about Duffy's child, and • search was
about to be made by turning over the dibris in Duffy's
cellsred workshop and abode, when it was ascer-
tained that the child was safe in the house of a
neighbour, but as to how it was rescued no one could
tell. The engines, under Mr. Mitchell's command,
continued working at the spot till • late hour in
the evening. Their efforts were fortunately suc-
cessful in confining the havoc of the fire to Ham.
mond's shop and the house immediately above, occupied
by Mrs. Morley, and to Luke Duffy's. The fire penetrated
slightly to the second floor, but did no material damage
there. Over two-thirds of the frontage the tenement
escaped, and in the remaining (westmost) third the fire
waslimited to the lower stories. It is not considered
that the stability of the edifice is in any way endangered,
although, as matter of precaution, the inmates have
not been allowed to return to their homes, but are
temporarily accommodated in the House of Refuge. The
property affected, which, we believe, belongs to a lady in
England, whose husband happened to be in town at the
time, is insured, but the furniture of several of the domi-
ciles bas been destroyed by fire and water, and is not in
any case insured. It may be hoped that there are funds
in the hands of the town council to give assistance in such
instances; and fora purpose no less urgent—namely , toreward
by medals or pecuniary benefit several of the men who, by
their courage and daring, laved lives on the occasion.

IRONMASTERS' QUARTERLY MEETING.

BIRMINGHAM, THURSDAY Eva-nw.

The second meeting of the ironmasters for the
current quarter was held in the Town-hall here this after-
noon. In all respects the assembly waa a great improve-
ment on that of Wolverhampton. The attendance was not
much below what it usually is, and the trade in all the
iron-producing districts was well represented, as were also
most of the principal London and Liverpool firms who are
interested. From the commencement to the close quietude
was the order of the day, and no attempt was made to
stir up the semblance of anything else ; there was, how-
ever, a fair amount of business done, and so far as reports
may be relied on the conclusion arrived at is that a larger
quantity of finished iron was sold than there was three
months ago. This was chiefly on account of home con-
I lumen, those engaged in the export trade mani-
festing little disposition to operate. The orders
now given out will not be nearly sufficient to put the mills
and forges in full work, but they will keep them steadily
going at least as much time as for many months past.
The principal demand of late has been for bars and angle
iron ; as to plates, oomparatively little I. being done in
this district. For sheets and rods some few orders were
given at this meeting. With respect to the American
trade, North Staffordshire has now the larger portion of
that which comes into this quarter, but the demand on
account of that market is moderate, which is to be sc.
counted for from the circumstance of gold having been
quoted in New York of late as high as 1411, though later
telegrams show an improvement. There was a larger busi-
ness done to-day in pig iron ithan had been anticipated.
We Trite the price of best hot-blast, all mine,
South Staffordshire, at 3/. sa. to 3/. Bs. ltd.
per ton. (Inc or two of the pig-masters spoke of N. Ms.,
but that is quite au outside price, and was not in all pro-
bability obtained in any instance. In reference to the
other quotations given, the actual prices at which transac-
tions took place would depend on the conditions of sale.
There are men in the " jog " trade to whom it is not only
of great importance to plans two or three thousand tons,
but also to have cash immediately on delivery. In a case
of that kind the buyer would moat likely obtain au advan-
tage of half-a-crown a ton. The Shropshire men in the
hall to-day reported the trade in that locality steady.
There was the usual business in Lilleshall and other
"pigs," the make of that district.