The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-21 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AND EXPL

—" A fire, which although
the amount of pro-
pertyof a serious nature as regards
A Dublin paper says :
fortunately not attended
destroyed, was
with any fatal results, broke out about 4 o'clock on
Monday morning in the works of the Hibernian
Gas Company, Great Brunswick-street. So farse
the origin of the conflagration has been ascer-
tained with certainty, it was owing to the severe
frost which has prevailed for some day
past causing the hoops of a large tank con-
taining gas-tar to burst without any previous
warning of their being in an injured conditions
and the tank gave way completely on all sides, the
tar rushing out in a torrent and covering the
ground for a considerable space to a depth of about
three feet. The retort-house was speedily invaded:
and here the fluid mass, it is supposed, first caugb'
fire. The alarm was communicated by the fore-
man of the works to the manager in a few minnt/
after the flames were first observed, and he 8'
once despatched messengers for the different
fire-engines. Before the arrival of any °eh
assistance, however, the fire had extended tn
and seized hold of two of the large gas-holders'
which contained a large supply of gas intended fe
the requirements of the day, and these both expde,'l
in a surprisingly short time afterwards. There was
a plentiful supply of water obtained from the basin
of the canal, but owing to the severe frost, it NO.
with the utmost difficulty that the engines ware
worked. If there was a cessation of even a few ~„
mites in the working of an engine, the apparatus be-
came so clogged with ice that the aid of hot NOW;
was found necessary to bring it into working erdl3
again, and the police engine became so frequen,io
inoperative from this cause that in the end it had
be supplied with a continuous stream of hot water'
with which it did most effective service. A store-
house, containing 4,000 tons of coal, was for setniu
time in great danger, but, owing to the skill oil
vigour with which the engines were directed 1121 h:
worked, all means of communication between Ith
burning mass and this building were at len,F;es
successfully cut off. In addition to the difficulties
men had to contend with others
great fire, the work
usually attendant upon a
tremely unpleasant nature—the density
eft a 1,1)f the
smoke and the stench of the burning to frequent
so great and overpowering that a
change of hands was found indispens
Several of the firemen and others upon who'lltio
jets of water were thrown from time toi work
of ice, while numbers, including
were quickly covered with a shining Kcal'
being
tary, were covered with a more disagreeable coatingo
of tar. Fortunately, no injury whatever was
tamed by the working department of the premou,'
ithoug,'
or any portion of the machinery ; and a
• cd
by
some public inconvenience may be occasion
the large destruction of gas, the company
inea et
many of the
announced that any such inconvenience
the most temporary duration. The value of the 110 t
perty destroyed (which was not insured) has "
yet been ascertained, but it is supposed that it WO
amount to several thousand pounds.

suiIkuIIaYySTERIOUS DISAPPE kiI.ANcE —A Limerick cor"
responden.Ntiogfhtth..!frening :hail' • •it'es •--4, Pallas-gre?'
fsatilititiiloyli:
his family
111 rho mysteriousm' idisap pearance of In
(a
n l,creatingais enotginsr.eTa tl
uliliren, edaans:liinsnse
missing
O'Grady, f Castlerrarde, in the county 0,
without any luggage, torte Limerick Junction, whene°llo
proceeded to Dublin On business of a pressing nature. , it
arrived in Dublin on Friday last, at half-past 4 am., arrant
would gentlest
inst.,
would appear that he returned here by the 1 o'clock.
il_
the same day (Friday), for his greatcoat and travailing 11
ghti,n the minds et
were. found, shortly 'after the arrival of the train, by ..tl_,
police near the station ; and a farmer alleges he saw .IT. _
0' Grady at about the same hour (6 p.m.) walking across
LT!
fields towards Castlegarde, which is no more that
.1.!
miles from the Pallas station, Since that time every ingu,4
has been set on foot by the police and his friends, and to
beloved; but I deeply regret that, up to the presens,:.o3?._!
peasantry of the neighbourhood, by whom he..was gretatly_
tidings have been received. Hundreds of the peasantry, ±"
engaged
the rivers, &c. Mr. O'Grady had been for som© bur Prfa
all this day searching the country and dra,,gtO!
viously seriously unwell mid under medical treatment's, ut"
intterly he had been very much depressed in P!l!",t(i';', is
somewhat strange in his manner. Mr. Massy- 0 ylleib:Yho
greatly respected in the county of Limerick,. of wra 110 is
was to have been High Sheriff for the ensuing.
yea
also connected with the principal families of the and 10
being a nephew of the late Viscount Guillamorers
Siilco,
late Lord Massy. Ile was married about two Yea
and has all infant sou."