The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-13 00:00:00

AWFUL EXPLOSION.

Yesterday afternoonseveral explosions took place
at two firework factories, the result of which is that
serious injuries were inflicted upon a great many

persons.
The scene of the terrible casualty is the West-
minster-road, near the corner of the Waterloo-road,

and facing the newly erected district church of St.
Paul's, Southwark. At the corner of Charles-street

and Elizabeth-place stood the well-known factory
belonging to Madame Coton, the pyrotechnist ar-
tist to the Royal Gardens, Vauxhall, and at the
opposite 'oleo of the street was the building be-
longing to Mr. Gibson, late Cannon, also a well-
known firework maker. The present being the
most busy part of the London and suburban seasons
both factories were more than usually occupied in
preparing those dangerous projectiles. Madame
Coton having received the contract for Vauxhall-
gardens, had been since Monday week preparing
an extra supply for that establishment ; and last
evening about lialgpast 6 o'clock, Madame Coton
was inure building, but in what part does not ap-
pear quite clear ; there were also a young woman
and a little girl upstairs and a boy about 13 years
of age, named David Bray, in the tin-room in the
front kitchen ; the brother of this boy was in what
is termed " the -coloured fire-deptirturestiLeio Atha
back kitchen. All of a sudden the latter cried out
" Oh, the red fire is alight," and immediately rushed
out of the building. Tile brother followed, but be-
fore he could get to the top of the stairs he became
encircle' in flames, and we regret to say that al,
though he managed to get out of the building he
was fearfully if not fat illy injured. He was at once

removed to the surgery of Dr. Donahfio, No. 3,
Westminster roid, nearly facing, where that gen-
tleman did all that was possible that humanity or
surgical skill could devise, but while he was at-
tending to this sufferer the flares reached the dif-
ferent rooms, which became ignited, when a ter-
rible evait occurred.

ft ought, however, to be here stated that the
Waterloo-road and Southwark-bridge-road en-
gines, together with that of the West of Eng-
land office, hail just arrived, and Eund, the turn-
cock of the Lambeth Waterworks, had drawn a
main for the supply of the engknes ; but there
being another nearer the preraises of Madame Co-
ton, he was in the act of drawing the plu4, when
the whole building, except a portion of the external
walls, was blown into the air, as well as across the
full extent of the wide road, and at the same time
rockets, Catherine wheels, and tho more powerful
deacription of fireworks exploded, scattering every-
thing used in the business, in every direction,
kn.cking down firemen, and, it is said, 100 men,
women, and children. Tim flames ]ai t hold of
Thomas Dunn, the Write. ck, burnt his hat off.his
head, and so severely injured him that it is feared
lie is mortally hurt. At the same instant the rocket,
al they exploded, half spent of their destructive
contents, shot into the preinses of Mr. Gibson,
and the stock of fireworks in that place also became
ignited, and before Mrs. Gibson had time to escape
she was also fearfully burnt. For some minutes the
drewen and police hardly knew what to do, for ex-
plosions continued to follow each other until every-
thing in each building of an explosive character
was totally destroyed.
Just before the first explosion took place five or
six persons were at the fist floor window of Ma-
dame Coton's premises, and while they were making
an attempt to enter the combu,tibles exploded, and
they were all blown to the ground. It is hardly
'recess rry to say that they were all badly injured.

In less than half an hour after the ori'.break tot
fewer than GO suffirers had been removed to Dr.
Donahoo's surgery. Atnung the tenet serious case,,
and nue that demands especial attention, was that
of Mr. F. Bonham, a livery-stable:,keepar, of No.
2, Obelisk-yard, who ran to the front of the house
and to cued. a little gill, but had no sooner
done so than a rocket struck him on the head, blew
the child out of his arms, and they were both
seriously injured. At the same time Mr. Barnard,
of No. 5, Gibson-street, Lambeth, was passing
along the road in a light cart with four otherpersonp,
and so great was the force of the explosion, and so
fierce the shower of rockets and pieces of the roof,
that they wEre all blown down in the cart, and
Mr. Barnard much injured about the legs. Mr.
Patterson, a licensed victualler, who was standing
in a timber yard opposite, was surrounded with
burning rockets, and his legs were in consequence
much burnt.

By ten o'clock the fire that remained was so far
got under as to allay any fears of further mischief.
As far as can be at present seen the explosion ap-
pears to have extended in no less than five or six
directions, and to have been most severely felt in
the Westminster-road, Borough-road, Waterloo-
road, Duke-street, and Charles-street. The pre-
mises of Madame Coton and all they contained, in-
cluding the furniture, fixtures, and stock in trade,
are entirely destroyed ; the adjoining house, on the
south side, is likewise nearly destroyed ; the
various houses in Charles-street, and several others
opposite in the Westminster-road, independent of
those before enumerated, as well as the district
church, are greatly damaged ; and Mr. Gibson's
stock iu trade awl building are almost destroyed.
The present is the tbitd or fourth time that
Madame Coton's premises have been destroyed by
a similar casualty, and her predecessor, Madame
Hengler, lost her life in the same way, by an ex-
plosion of fireworks.
A police-constable, No. 95 of the L division,
picked up a child very severely burnt who lives in
some part of Duke-street, the flesh being all burnt
from its back. Police-constable 89 L was blown
by the force of the explosion under a cart and
horse, the latter treading on his kneecap.
The police under Mr. Superintendent Beckerson,
of the L division, with Inspectors Harmsworth,
Byron, and Reid, of the M division, together with

Air. White, of the County Fire-office, were soon on
the spot ; and, had it not been for their exertions
and that of the firemen and turncocks belonging to

the Lambeth and Southwark companies, the damage
would have been far more serious than it unfor-
tunately has been. Besides the GO persons treated
by Dr. Dinahoo' Mr. Bateson, surgeon, of No. 2,
Haddon-place, Waterloo-read, had six sufferers
brought to his surgery. Among the most serious
cases were the following :—A daughter of Mr.
Pugett, confecicner, of 85, Waterloo-road ; a per-
son named Manning, of 20, Duke-street ; another,
named Hart, GO, Apollo buildings ; another, named
Wallace, of 42, Webber-street ; and Mr. L jek, of
the Borough-read, who was knocked do Nu and
trodden upon.
At St. Thomas's Hospital the following were re-
maining. at midnight :
John Bo iinctt, of 54, Duke-street, much injured.
Joseph Brooks, of 46, Oakley-strew, run over,
and severely injured.

--Richard Sampson, of 16, Valentine-row, burnt
very much.
Edward Hart, of 16, Apollo-buildings, very
fearfully burnt.
Richard Corner, of 5, New-street, Borough-road,
knocked down by the explosion, and much injured
by being trodden upon and run over.
George Delaney and, EMIII9. Delaney, of 21,
Apollo-buildings, severely burnt by the explosion,
in passing along the road.
John Murray, 22, Francis-street, Westminster-
road, seriously buret,
Mrs. Gibson, the wife of Heury Gibson, pyro-
technist, of Melina-place, much burnt.
Enily Clark of 56, Duke-street, severely burnt.
A child named Frampton also much injured by
the c-xplosion.
In Guy's Hospital are lying G. Glue, of Strat-
ford, very much burnt ; Mrs. Frances Ellen Coton
also dangerously burnt ; serious case.
Caro'ine Bridges, of 42, Duke-street, is also
setiouily injured by burns, and i 3 not expected to
get over ti.e injuries.
The official report describes the damage done to
property as faows :
" Madame Coton, firework maker, No. 4, Eliza-
b;:th place and Charles-street ; house and contents
all but destroyed.
" No. 2, Charles-street,—W. Shipwright, ma-
thematical instrument maker; back premises
destroyed by fire and explosion.
severely
Let-maker ; house of three room-,
" No. 1, Charles-street.—Mr. A. Taylor cabi-
damaged byitire and explosion.
'
c:mist ; front scorched, and back windowsh burntd
" No. 2', Molina-place.—Sarah Milton
out. • so. anar-
" Ditto.—Mr. Henry Gibson , p ptobac-