THE DYNAMITE FIEND.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1020, 11 April 1883, Page 2

THE DYNAMITE FIEND.

—♦ —; The London correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes ;—The good folks of Glasgow were greatly startled about midnight on • Saturday, January '2oth, by a huge explosion, which took place in the Corporation South Side Gasworks, near East Pollokshields, the largest of the three gasometers there exploding; It was a structure of such dimensions that, the completion of its masonwork was celebrated six years ago by a Corporation banquet inside it. It was inspected hourly by an employee of the Corporation, and on the night named he had just completed one of these inspections, and found everything apparently all right, when the gasometer exploded with a tremendous report,, and sent up a sheet of flame which was visible for 20 miles round the city. The vibration wrecked some small cottages' close by, even rending the stone walls, while 10 persons in them were severely burned by the flame, ;; A young woman who was among those injured said that a sheet of flame seemed to enter : the house and push - everything ‘ before it. The gasometer was about half-full at the time, and its contents were reduced by about onehalf by the first burst of flame, but it was several hours before it burned,.itself ‘out; The quantity of gas thus consumed was 625,000 feet. Most of the south side of Glasgow was instantaneously plunged into darkness, and a panic was nearly caused in the Royal Princess Theatre, where a performance was proceeding. Suspicion arising regarding the cause, a careful examination was made of the wreck, with the result of making it certain that the gasometer had been exploded with dynamite,. It is generally believed that the outrage is due to Irih The Corporation is in. communication with the Home Office, with a view to join action for the detection of the miscreants.