NEWS BY THE ENGLISH MAIL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2325, 30 August 1880, Page 2

NEWS BY THE ENGLISH MAIL.

SERIOUS A YD RATAL EXPLOSION OF GAS IN LONDON. On the evening of July 5, as a number of men in the employ of the London Chartered Gas Company were connecting a now main service to their present supply, a very alarming and serious explosion occurred, which did great damage to the immediate neighbourhood, and by which, it is feared, several lives will be lost. Tt appears that the new main of the Chartered Gas Company is a metal pipe :3ft. in diameter and extends for about three-quarters of a mile. The pipe had just been laid and the explosion is attributed, to the carelessness of one of the workmen in applying a light too near the main pipe, which caused the main pipe to burst with a terrific report, and sheets of flame issued suddenly from the earth. Instantly the report seemed to run along Rercy-strect which was torn up for sixty or seventy

yards, the paving-stones flying on each side against the houses. Somewhat further clown the street a huge gap was made ; here the flames rose to a great height, groat pieces of main pipe were hurled against the houses, some over, and some against the area railings : the paving-stones rose into the air, fell on and through the roofs, and even over them on to the mows in the rear. At (he corner of Charlotte-street the basements of two houses were shattered, The paving-stones were also sent into the air, falling on and through the roofs of the houses opposite.

There were numerous marvellous escapes at the time of the first explosion. The house of .Major Owen, in Fitxroy street, is to all appearance a wreck, the whole of the windows in front being- destroyed, the cellar burst open, aml the front kitchen a complete wreck. Major Owen and Iris family, however, are out of town. AH a bootmaker’s shop at the. corner of Percy street and Tottcnhamcourt road, the shop was blown in, the men were knocked about, the tools were scattered about the shop, the proprietor was himself blown out of it, nevertheless none suffered save from fright. In Percy street a. horse and dray were thrown down and fell into the hole which had been made, in which they were for a time partially buried. As soon as the first fright was over help was speedily obtained, and the horse and dray were excavated ; the driver was found not to bo seriously injured. The injury done to the houses in Percy street can scarcely be described. Most of the houses have the windows wholly or partially destroyed, and have had their roofs badly damaged. Kerne of the cellars were hurst open ami tiio kitchens wrecked, All along the lino of the explosion those wlio felt the shock imagined that it was that of an earthquake. There were many narrow escapes,and various experiences are related by eyewitnesses. One says “ I was - ing down Percy street, when I !;;i .oc ground shaking under my feet. I immediately saw (ho centre of the sire-£ towards Charlotte street rising in the air. .A tremendous report followed,aid then there was a shower of bricks aid stones. I felt myself lifted from f'o ground, and the next moment I .s lying among the debris, at the bottom d' a dee]) hole in the roadway. The gas came out in volumes around me, nearly choking me, and with much difficulty I scrambled out of the trench. A horse and cart standing near me at th time were blown a distance cf ten feet into the cavity, tlio poor animal being shockingly injured, while (he cart was smashed to plows hy tiic lb!ling stones and bricks. A thick red dust enveloped the street, and I !• id no idea what had caused the exnb- , m. Some children who were playing in the street at the lime were also throw!- into the trench, and some of llie.se I h.-’ped to extricate and carry to their homes, which were quite near.” In addition lo the workman through whose carelessness the gas in the main is supposed to have been ignited, one of the sufferers whose log had to ha amputated has died in the hospital. Most of the remaining eases being treated in the Middlesex Hospital are progressing satisfactorily, lint several persons are still reported as being in a precarious condition. The following verdict was relumed at the inquest:—“That the deaths of the two men Burr and Beavis were cause I by explosion, that explosion being earned by a light ignorantly' placed to the pipe on the main, the gas having been introduced into the new main hy some defect in Hie valve in Howland street. The jury are further of opinion that additional care should be taken by the Has Light and Coke Company in tile testing of new mains.”