The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-17 00:00:00

Fatal Boiler Explosion in Glasgow.

On Friday afternoon a boiler explosion, which
has already occasioned the death of two men, and
which there is only too much reason to fear may
fat give rise to fatal results in one or two other
cases, occurred in the chemical works of Messrs,
Charles Tennent and Co., St. Rollox, Glasgow.
The portion of the establishment in which the
accident occurred is an extensive shed-like building
where the maganese recovery process is carried on.
A good deal of machinery seems to be employed in
this portion of the works, and the engine which
affords the necessary power is supplied with steam
from a set of boilers placed, not as is often the case,
in the open air, but within the building. The
boilers, which are five in number, have, we believe,
been in use about three years, and certainly, to
judge by appearances, they seem to be of the most
substantial construction.

At the time when the accident occurred only
three of the boilers were in use. It was about a
quarter to four o'cicck when the men employed
about the works and the people in the imme-
diate neighbourhood were startled by a pretty
loud report, and presently those in the imme-
diate vicinity of the boiler found themselves
enveloped in clouds of steam and exposed
to streams or plashes of scalding water. When
the panic occasioned by the catastrophe had par-
tially subsided, and the steam had begun to clear
away, the nature of the accident became apparent.
It was discovered that the boiler had been lifted
bodily a foot or two from its bed, and had settled
down again on the ruins of the brickwork which
had enclosed it. The brickwork at both ends was
blown down and lay in two heaps of debris, and a
considerable portion of that which had supported
the west side of the boiler was also displaced. The
boiler itself seemed externally to have sustained no
damage, but on looking inside it was found that
the flue had been torn to pieces. Giving way ir. this
manner, the boiler had belched forth the boiling
water, with which it was charged, through the flue
apertures at both ends. Fortunately, at the north
end, the scalding steam was arrested in its course
by the opposite wall of the firehole ; while at the
opposite extremity the wall of the kiln above re-
ferred to interposed an equally effective barrier to
its passage, Had it not been for these obstructions,
the water must have been dashed about the pre-
mises to a much greater extent than it was, and in
that case a much larger number of persons than those
who have actually been injured would have suffered
from the calamity. As it is, the results are exceed-
ingly lamentable. When the real magnitude
of the disaster had been ascertained, it ap-
peared that seven of the men employed in the im-
mediate neighbourhood of the boiler had been more
or less seriously injured. The engineman, John
Richmond, who happened at the time of the acci-
dent to be standingin the fire-hole immediately op-
posite the end of the boiler, was exposed to the full
farce of the stream of scalding water, and thrown
down by a mass of falling brickwork. When ex-
tricated from the debris the poor fellow was found
to be fearfully scalded, the skin all over his body
peeling off in shreds. Ho was a good deal bruised
about the upper part of his person by the rubbis
i h
which had fallen upon him. The other persons n-
jured had suffered chiefly, if not entirely, from the
scalding effects of the water and steam. John
M.Lachlan, a labourer, was frightfully scalded
all over his body. Andrew INPFarlane, labourer,
was very badly scalded about the arms and upper
part of his body; and four other labourers, named
Thomas 11PDonald, Samuel Guthrie, Patrick
I‘l'Donald, and John Glancey, were more or less in-
jured from the same cause.
Richmond and Al‘Lachlan died in the course of
the evening.
With regard to the cause of the accident, we have
as yet heard no explanation: The boiler, we under-
stand, is to be allowed to lie in tho eondition in
which the explosion left it till it shall have been
inspected by a properly qualified person.— Glasgow
Herald.

THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF BUCKINGIIAM are
entertaining a large party at Stowe House, Buckingham_

shire.
Lord Brougham arrived in Paris on Friday after-
noon, and proposes to remain a week. He will then pro-
ceed to his seat at Cannes. His lordship attended the
sitting of the National Institute on Saturday, and will re-
peat his visit to-day. Ho is in excellent health.
TLIE BATTLE OF THE STITCIIES. 0 the per-
fection to which mechanical science has brought so
many of the conveniences of domestic life, a beautiful
illustration is furnished in the instance
or
a sewing machine
,r
of Messrs. Wilcox and Gibbs, of Reb..ent-street, which for
family use seems quite unrivalled,
•110 main principle of
it is wonderfully simple and yet extremely ingenious. One
recommendation of this machine is the elegance of its con-
struction, which renders it quite an ornamental piece of
O
furniture for the parlour the drawing-room. The
machine will stitch a yard
isk
rdolfer
i cloth thoroughly and beauti-
fully in 12 seconds. -e magic, and yet it soon be-
comes as familiar as any ordinary household utensil. The
twisted loop stitch is a peculiarity of this machine. The
twist strengthens the hold of the thread and produces a
strong and durable seam that will stand any amount of
washing or friction.
done justice to by t: re
machine of this sort cannot be
Wilcox
and
Gibbs' re description. When seen at work.
really is, ‘, sewing machine appears to be what it
the perfection of mechanism realised." We have
seen
this
frequently seemachine in use, and can,therefore,
speak of it from
experience, and have observedhe facility
with which it is worked after a very few words t
of inst rue-
tion.—Court Circrclar.
THE BURNING OF KAGOsIMA.—On the first
TueEtZay after Parliament meets INlr. Buxton will move the
follcwis resolutions :—" 1. That this house views the
burning of the town of IC agosima by Admiral super with
deep regret." "2. That the burning of the town was not
justified by the instructions issuod to Colonel Neale."
It appears from official returns that the number
of letters transmitted through the French post-office in the
year 1861 amounted to 300,000,000, of which 1,820,000 were
money letters, value not declared, and 976,047 letters of
which the declared value WM 600,000,000 f. The produce
of the receipts of the Post-oflice during the year 1861 was
66,781,363 E, and the expense 42,748,373 f., leaving a balance
to fbe Treasury of 21,032,990 f. The gross receipts of the
Frenen Post-office in 1862 rose to 96,906,800 f. The num-
ber of private telegraphic despatches transmitted in 186"
vial, 4621,000, and the f:cy;eipts 5,315,0001. '

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.---Tliis Days

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGBAPII.)
SHREWSBURY RACES.—Tuts DAY.

SALOPIAN STAKES.

Caroline
Alpheus
SHORT'S HANDICAP,

Southport
1-ig,il... 1
... ....

SO UP, ItY lIANDICA.P.

Prf ts siphon 1
Neilgherry
SIIItEIVSBURY C

Donne Canne
Bluckdown

0000000000
............
Eight rtm.
Barchaliaa was scratched at 12.40, and Captain Crow at
1.10 Oa, day.