The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-17 00:00:00

GREAT EXPLOSION OF gAS IN BOL
BORN.

Yesterday afternoon a fearful explosion of gtis
took place in Holborn, opposite Great Turnstile,
the result of which has been to seriously injure se-
veral workmen employed on the works at the time.
For some time past the roadway from Gray's-inn-
lane towards Oxford-street has been under repair,
and the London Gas Company have availed them-
selves of the opportunity of relaying their pipes.
This has been carried on successfully up to the pre-
sent time without any accident ; but it appears
that yesterday, from some cruse or other, there was
an extraordinary escape of gas, and about half-past
four an explosion took place, which caused the
greatest consternation, not only to the inhabitants
and passers by, but to the men employed upon the
works.

The explosion was terrific. Part of the main was
burst, and the fragments of iron pipe went in every
direction, and the most extraordinary part of the
affair is that, considering the violence of the shock,
it did so little damage. One piece of pipe, about
7th. in weight, was cast up into the air and fell in
Great Turnstile, breaking the pavement by the force
of the fall, but fortunately not injuring any person,
the place being clear at the time. Another piece
was cast into one of the stories of a house on the
south side of the road, but without doing any
material damage. The explosion, however, being
close to the north side of the road, took effect there
with all its violence. The shop of Messrs. Warr,
stationers, at the corner of Featherstone-buildings,
had the front completely smashed in, while the win-
dows of the upper stories were broken from the top
to the bottom of the house—we do not mean every
individual pane, but panes in every window-frame.
The house that suffered next was that of Mr. Mul-
ler, an artist's colourman, residing next door to
Messrs. Warr. Many of the panes in his windows
glass
gate
eve wwienredobwroskefnro;ntainndg athltehosutgrehetthtehaltarzeusill
re-
ceived the shock obliquely withstood it effectually,
those placed obliquely from the street to the shop
door,which must have met the concussion full upon
their surface, though smaller, were broken.
So much for the damage done to property, but
the injury to individuals is much more serious. One

poor fellow, named John Morrissy, residing at 17,
Charles-street, Oakley-street, who was at work
near the mouth of the pipe which burst, bad
both of his legs literally shattered below the knees,
and escaped from his perilous position by dragging
his legs along the ground after him. Another poor
fellow, named Edward Rawley, of 28, Francis-
street, Westminster-road, had part of his jaw blown
away, and a compound fracture of the right arm.
A third, John Morgan, of 19, Walnut-tree-place,
Kennington-road, had a compound fracture of the
ankle.; and John Dooley, of 40 Gloucester-street,
Oakley-street, received a severe shock, but did not
complain of any very serious injury.
As soon as the explosion took place, police con-
stable Smart, 148 E, promptly procured assistance,
and had the sufferers conveyed to King's College
Hospital, where they met with prompt attention.
On examining the men it was found that Morrissy's
wounds were of so serious a nature that amputation
was indispensable, and the operation was ably per-
formed by Mr. Francis Mason, a surgeon belonging
to the hospital. It may be stated that the operation
was performed while the patient was under the in-

fluence of chloroform. The wounds of Hawley
were dressed and his fracture set ; and the fracture
of Morgan's ankle was also set by Mr. Henry
Smith, surgeon to the hospital, and his opinion.
was, that as the patient was a young man.
and apparently of a vigorous constitution, he
might be able to avoid amputation," notwithstand-
ing that it was a very serious compound fracture.
As regards Dooley, Mr. Smith considered his inju,
ries very slight, and we should not be surprised to
find that he would leave the hospital this day.
The exact cause of the accident is at present not
decided, but it is believed that in the laying of the
pipes the gas escaped in great quantities, and reach-
ing at last the fire which was used for melting the
lead for making the joints, it became ignited, and
the explosion took place. No doubt an inquiry into
the circumstances will be instituted by the authori-

ties, particularly if death should occur in any of the
cases. At present they are all going on favourably,

LATEST PARTICULARS.

Upon inquiry at the King's College Hspital
this afternoon, we were informed that thFi unfor-
tunate men who bad sustained such serious injuries
by the explosion were still alive.

LIABILIT OF A HUSBA t D FOR DETTS
OF BIS WIFE'S PREVIOUS HUSBAND,

A case of some importance was heard on Friday
last in the Wolverhampton County Court, before A.
NI. Skinner, Esq., Q.C. The plaintiffs in the, case,
were Messrs. Parkes, wiredrawers, Willenlyall, and
the defendant was a lockmaker, named. Atkin, re-
iding the same place.
Mr. Stirk appeared on behalf of the plaintiffs, and
Mr. J. Walker for the defendant.

The proceedings were under a scire facias summon s
to revive a judgment. An original summons was
taken out and judgment given upon it in 1858, the
defendant's wife being then sued for £l2, as the exe-
cutrix and de eon tort of her late husband, a curry-
comb maker, named Kershaw. On the hearing of
that case both parties wererepresented by their attor—
neys, and judgment for the plaintiffs was signed
the court books in the ordinary manner. The
object of the present proceedings was to make Atkin
liable on this judgment—recovered against the wife
in 1858,

Mr. Walker contended that the judgment being
signed generally in the books of the court must be
taken as a judgment against Mrs. Kershaw in her
representative character as executrix, and conse-
quently could only be a judgment de bonis testatoris
and not de bonis propriis. Mr. Walker said he could
also prove that Mrs. Kershaw was in a destitute
condition when she married Atkin, that Atkin, never
received a farthing benefit from Kershaw's estate,
and that shortly after the judgment had leen ob-
tained in 1858, the landlord entered Kershaw's
premises and swept everything away,
Mr. Stirk contended that the judgment entered
on the books was a judgment against Mrs. Kershaw
as an individual ; it was final and conclusive be-
tween the parties, and could not be questioned
except in the ordinary way—by an application for
a new trial, which it was now too late to make.
In giving judgment his Honour said that it was
a well-known law—when a man married a woman
became liable for her debts, and he could make no
distinction in the case now before him. He could
not deny that it was a hardship, and considering
this he should make an order for payment of ss, for
the first three months, and 10s. a month afterwards.
In addition to the debts of Mrs. Kershaw, Atkin
also had the courage to take her family of seven
children.

DEATH OF MR. BRANDT, COUNTY COURT JUDGE.
—We announce the death of Mr. Robert Brandt,
t
and highly respected Judge of the Man-
chester Court, which took place on Tuesday evening
at q
rter to eight o'clock, at his residence in Pendleton.
Mr. Brandt, who was in his 66th year, has been suffering a
well-knowarCounty
ge
t tl
good deal during the last few years from gout, and latterly
from water on the chest, Which last disease proved fatal.
fie was the son of a Manchester merchant carrying on
business in Morley-street, Manchester, and was called to
the bar in 1821.
THE STIEFFIP.ID MURDER.-EXPULSION OF
THOMPSON FROM THE TRADES UNION.—It will be remem-
bered that at the last assizes at York a man, named
Thompson, was charged with throwing a can filled with
explosive substances into a:dwelling-house at Sheffield,
in consequence of which a woman was killed. He was
acquitted, but before the trial he had made a most extra-
ordinary statement to the chief constable of Sheffield, in
which he confessed that he had been aware of certain
violent outrages which have been committed, and that he
had conversed with other members of his (tbe fender
grinders) union with reference to the manner in which such

" jobs" could be done, and the price to be paid for them,
Since the trial there have been public discussions on tho
subject of trades unions, at which the working men have
assembled in large numbers. A few days ago, a general
meeting of the members of Thompson's trade Nva, held,
and his conduct was brought under discussion. He made a
lengthy explanation of his confession, several points in
which tended to fix the guilt upon some of his fellowwork-
men ; but, after hearing all he had
.to say, the Union
formally resolved to exclude him from its rains,