The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-02 00:00:00

The Gas Explosion at Nine Elms.

-a-

An inspection yesterday of the scene of the ter-
rible explosion on the works of the London Gas-

light Cbmpany at Nine Elms, and a further inquiry
into the particulars of the calamity, show that its
extent and the destruction of life and property as
reported in The Sun were not at all exaggerated.
In fact, it would be almost impossible to exaggerate
the misery and trouble brought on numberless fami-
lies through the explosion, for besides the nine men

who are known to be killed, and the many who are
known to be more or less injured, the homes, the
little all, of a large number of hardworking families,
have been completely wrecked, and they are for the
time houseless and homeless.

This description more particularly applies to a
row of about 20 neat houses opposite to the wall
of the gas-works, and known as Haward-street•

As a rule, two families lived in each house,
and all were of the respectable artisan class,
with homes neatly furnished. A visit yesterday
to these houses showd them to be in a most deplor-
able state.. All the front windows, and most of the
back ones, of every house had been completely
shattered, and in many instances the whole of the
framework as well. Street doors had been wrenched
off their hinges, and the interior of every house ap-
peared as though each had had cannon-balls dropped
through the roof, for the ceilings of the rooms were
shaken down, the inner walls were torn from the
laths, and in some instances the flooring had given
way. The people stood about their desolate homes
as though they were for the time shaken out of the
energy, characteristic of their race. They stated that
they had sat up the previous evening in a back place
called the kitchen—a sort of " lean-to"—as they
had not a bed to sleep in, and they were afraid of
the room walls falling down. They were of opinion,
too, they should have to sit up all last night. They
bore their trouble with a calmness and patience
which certainly could not be looked for under the
circumstances. One woman's only trouble was
that she bad not a piece of tarpaulin to 'keep the
,rain out of the roof, and to save her lodger's furni-
ture from further damage ; while another, who
called from a house destitute even of a window sash,
only asked that the chictor might be reminded that
he had a patient there, she having both hands and
arms bound up through injuries received on the pre-
vious day. The people were asked by Inspector
Silverton, one of the officers having charge of the
police stationed about the works, why they did not

move away at once or go and find sleeping places
elsewhere, and the answer returned was that they
could not leave their homes—for as such they still
regarded tho soot and plaster covered and shattered
articles they looked upon as furniture. It is fair to
state that the company's officers are using their best
energies, under the direction of Mr. Watson, the
engineer, to put the damaged houses in a condition
to be inhabited.

The works were yesterday visited by the directors
of the company and by many of the shareholders,
who appeared anxious to judge by their own eyes of
the extent of the damage. There was, as a matter
of course, much inquiry as to the cause of the cala-
mity, and it may be well to state some of the views
expressed by those present. It will be remembered
that the works were described as having two very
large gasometers, or gasholders, called Nos. 1 and 2,
about 400 f t. apart, and each at the time charged
with about 1,000,000 cubic feet of gas. At about
10ft. or 12ft. from No. 1, and between that and No.
2, was a large and strongly constructed " meter-
house," with solidly built brick walls and an iron
roof. The opinion is that it was within this
" meter-house" that the explosion, from an escape
of gas, "first occurred, and that the force of the
explosion burst No. 1 gasometer in the side, caus-
ing the flames to burst through the iron roof. It
is still strongly maintained that a gasometer
cannot burst. This may be the opinion
among those connected with the manufacture
of gas, but any one looking at No. 1 gasometer as
it now lies empty would judge that an explosion
from the inside had occurred, as the massive riveted
iron plates forming the top are thrown back like
crumpled sheets of paper. The appearance of No. 2
gasometer is very different. There is a simple hole
in the top, made, it is believed, by a piece of iron
which had been blown up in the explosion, and the
flames from the other gasometer catching the
escaping gas it burnt itself out. It is feared that
three of the large columns of No. 2 are very much
injured, and, with this exception, the damage at
this part of the works stops with the loss of gas
and the broken gasometer.
Arrangements have been entered into by the
company with other companies for the supply of
the districts which these two damaged gasholders
supplied, and yesterday workmen were engaged in
different parts in connecting the " London's" mains
with other supplies, so there is a hope that 'the
houses, and in some instances the whole districts,
which were on Tuesday night left without gas,
would last night be able to light up.
The dead in the works are recognised, and are
described as follow :—Edward Burke, foreman ; T.
O'Donnell, contractor for plastering ; F. Thomsett,-
foreman for Mr. Docra, the contractor for brick-
work ; T. Fielder, a carpenter (who has left a wife
and four children to deplore his loss) ; W. Carter,
carpenter ; John Dwire, apprentice to O'Donnell ;
and Frank Woodhull, also an apprentice to
O'Donnell. The two who died in the hospital soon
after admittance are, as was stated yesterday, Sid-
ney Smith, a foreman, and Patrick Shea. These
two both died from severe injuries on the head,
one having a piece of slate embedded in the brain,
and the other a compound fracture of the skull.
On inquiry late last evening at St. Thomas's
Hospital, it was stated that all the patients taken
there in consequence of this accident were going on
quite as favourably as could be expected, and that
lo other deaths had occurred.

HIGHLAND RAILWAY CONVERSATION.—My fellow
passengers on this journey were small farmers,
artisans, clerks, and fishermen. They discussed every-
thing, politics, literature, religion, agriculture, and even
scientific matters, not in the heavy style of the Mutual
Association for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, but in
a light and airy spirit of banter and fun. An old fellow,
whose hands claimed long acquaintance with the plough,
gave a whimsical description of the parting of the Atlantic
telegraph cable, which set the whole carriage in a roar.
"Have you any shares in it, Sandy ?" said one. "Na,
na," said Sandy. " I've left off speculatin' since my
wife took to- wearing crinolines. I canna afford 'it
noo." "Fat d'ye think of the rinderpest, Sandy ?"
inquired another. " Weel, I'm thinking that if my
coo taks it, Tibbie and me winna ha' muckle
milk to our tay." The knotty question of Predestination
came up, and could not be settled. When'the train stopped
at the next station, Sandy said : " Bide a wee, there's a
Doctor of Deveenity in ane o' the first class carriages. I'll
gang and ask him fat he thinks aboot it." And out Sandy
got to consult the doctor. We could see him parleying
with the eminent divine over the carriage door, and pre-
sently he came running back, just as the train was start- I
ing, and was bundled in neck and crop by the guard.
" Wool, Sandy," said his oppugner on the Predestination
question, " did the doctor o' deveenity gio you his opi-
nion ?" " Aye, did he." "And fat did he say aboot it ?"
" Wee], he just said he didna ken and he didna care." The I
notion of a doctor of divinity neither kenning nor caring
about the highly important doctrine of Pi edestination so
tickled the fancy of the company that they went into fits
of laughter.--Dickens's " All the Year Round."
THE ORIGIN OF KISSING.—That it is a custom of
remote antiquity appears from the book of Genesis
(xxxvii. 26), when Isaac kissed his son Jacob. This kiss
is remarkable as the first recorded in history. Indeed the
Bible abounds with all sorts of kisses. We have the kiss
of homage, in Esther, v. 2 ; of subjection, in 1 Samuel, x.
1; of reconciliation, in 2 Samuel, xiv. 33 ; of valediction,
in Ruth L 14 ; of approbation, in Psalms, ii. 12 ; of humble
gratitude, in Luke, vii. 38 ; of welcome, in Exodus, xviii.
7 ; of love and joy, in Genesis, xxix. 11 ; of sorrow, in
Acts xx. 37 ; of peace, in Romans, xvi. 16 ; and of idola-
trous reverence, in Hosea, xiii. 2. There are also spiritual
kisses, as in Canticles, i. 2; sensual kisses, as in Proverbs,
vii. 17 ; and hypocritical kisses, as in 2 Samuel, xv. 5.
Kisses are also traitorous, such as Joab's to Amasa, when
he kissed and then slew (in 2 Samuel, xx. 9), and that of
Judas to Christ, when he kissed and then betrayed. It was
customary to kiss tho mouth, and also the beard, which
latter is still practised by the Arabs. Kissing the hand is
not biblical. Kissing the feet was an expression of lowly
and tender regard, in Luke, vii. 38. We are told that the
members of the church at Ephesus wept sore at St. Paul's
departure, " fell on his neck, and kissed him." Tho kiss of
peace was an apostolic custom, and continues to be one of
the rites in the Eucharistic services of the Roman Catho-
lics, which for obvious reasons is omitted on Good Friday.
--Picsse and Lubin, Flower Farmers.