The Portland daily press., 1870-12-19
The Terrible Explosion Mt the Worcester
Gas WOrka.

loud report, aud general jariing Of the
ci'y sta.l'ed everybo in its limits at tNeniy.
nine minutes past O'Clock last evening; nd,
led by the director from which the sound
came, thousands. rushed toward the junction.
IL was soon a.certa ned that the explosion was
at the gas works, and that one of the purifiers
a.a h"w" %. uenolish'ue The building con
tanning the four purifiers, and badly SCATTERING
the oLuer buildings OF the works.
w hen the news was conveyed to the crowd,
which was surgng down SOuthbrdSe street,
they were told to go back, for another explo
sion would in all probability follow in a few
moments. ACCORDINGLY the fire engines, hose
carriages and the people (who were 10 a PANEL
turned anu rushed back, not daring 10 appruac, 4,
the Scene OF disaster for several MINUTES There
was a collection of people around the burning
gas, however, who had arrived be ore the eau
ion went out, and On seeing them around the
flames the crowd pushed forward, and the fire
department was soon pouring stream of water
ID he burning gas.
The fact that thirteen workmeu are employed
all night led TO the fear, which grew into a ru
no., that several men were killed, aud The
widest confusion prevailed, until word MAS
given out, and rapidly circulated, that the men
we're all accounted fur,uoue of them KILLED,
and but two injured Mayor Blake and one of
The foremen, Hmolhv Macaul'ff, boib OF
whom were severely, though not dangerously,
burned about The head and hands
Just how the accident happened is a ques-
ton, the answer to v bich is AS vet "a matter of
conjecture; but the facts. as near as can be
gathered, from the mayor himself and the
workmen who were in the retort house, lead to
he brliei that cock must have been left
open, thus allowing The gas to esca oe, and that
light in the hands of Macaullff isnit. the
gas in the lower part of the house containing
the purifiers, which OF course communicate
with the leaking purifier.
Mr.. Blake, Superintendent of the works, ac-
cording to his usual custom, was making the
rounds to see that all was right before leaving
for the night, and had stepped into basement
under the purifiers, followed by Macauiiff who
probably carried liehs, although to do so is
against the rules. However that was, the fact
that these two men were in the basement of
that building at the time of the explosion,
makes the conjecture appear reasonable, when
it is also Known that the material in the puri-
tiers, through which the gas passes for purifica-
200, has been changed during the last TWO
days.
La changing the, gas is shut off from one and
let into another, there being four of them, and
neglect to close one of the stop cocks would
cause leakage sufficient to bring about this
result The purifiers are large fat tanks,
made of boiler iron, and the passage OF the gas
through them is the last stage in its manuac-
ture; from them it is conducted directly to the
meter They are placed in large brick build
ing, built for their accommodate on, with base
ment underneath through which the pipes
passed; and in this lower room Mr.. Blake and
the foreman were at the time. It is indeed
wonderful that they were not killed outright
as it was, they escaped with burned beads and
bauds both losing their hair, which was sipced
off. The heavy beard worn 10y Mr. Blake
saved him from fatal cOnse quences although he
was considerably burned around his mouth, so
that it was with great difficulty that he could
talk.
The face of Macauliff was burned black but
his eyes seemed not to be injured. A man
named Thomas McHugh was also slightly
burned
The four principal buildings of the gas works
are the office, the retort house, the coDdensipg
and engine house, and the purifying house =
The TWO latter were badly torn to pieces, the
roofs being blown completely off and the walls
thrown down. The Office is also much damage ed,
the windows broken, the doors aud partitions
thrown down, and the whole interior badly
shaken 20 pieces. The retOrt house sustained
lit injury, but the sheds around the buildings
were thrown to the winds, and the boards scat
tered for rods outside the high enclosure with
which the works are surrounded We cannot
ascertain that any damage was done to the
neighboriDg houses, although they were 30
badly Jared that the inmates left. and IN many
eases came up the street, fearing a second
shock.
tits difficult matter to make an estimate of
the exact damage, .bnt it is thought from fifteen
to twenty thousand dollars will cover it.
The shock of the explosion opened doors on
Main street, and was distinctly heard in Whit
insville, Milbury, Grafton and Oxford; proba-
bly, also in other places from which we have
not he ard Worcester Spy, Saturday.
From despatch from Worcester we learn
that Mayor Blake has died OF his injuries