A Shop Blown Up.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7726, 31 January 1905, Page 4

A Shop Blown Up.

, ELEVEN TERSONS INJURED IN , » DLOOMSBURV, ', REMARKABLE ACCIDENTS.. A gas explosion which occurred in SouthamptonH-ow, W.C., about two ; o'clock on the afternoon of December i 15th*! wrecked an extensive block of usiness premised,, seriously damaged \ several large shops, and caused in- , juries to many people, eleven of . iWhom were afterwards treated in the \ hospital. The cause of the explosion was . onlined to the basement promises , t the corner of Southampton-row '. and Cosmo-place, occupied by Mr P. . ,W, Barber, draper, but so serious r srere its effects that tho Wavcrley _ |Hotel, the main establishment an , Uhe same block- of bui'dings, was in- | ternally wrecked, the Cosmo Hotel I on .the opposite corner was badly \ damaged, while nearly every pane of _ glass in the whole length of CosmoP.lace .was shattered.. _ Futher damage was threatened by r frre, which licked its way up through [ jthe basement and along the wood- ( Work of the shop front, but the t jflames were quickly subdued, and the ( work of rescuing the injured was ]tarried out with the utmost des- . patch* ' I The escape of gas was noticed bv | Mrs Barber some time before the f ctual explosion occurred. Proceeding to the basement, where two men , were connecting now jjas fittings with [ jtho mam pipo, she found that both !©f them had been rendered i;i:roi.uit After taking, off -.he cap from ,tho main they found tlut ih.. -Joint s had not fitted. They had tried' lo Pop the .scaping gas with ilieir , |hands, but the volume was too great - arid they had been overcome. J I That a large volume ol gas was niakmg its escape was generallv |known, and the policemen on point 3 ', ty wo"*** pedestrians in the vicinh .Ity, Then some timw later in the j |afternoon there was an explosion, L .[whieh was heard three-quarters of a j toile away, I The five girl assistants in Mr j parbcr's shop were picked up in an s toconscicms condition.; One, who was , ( diie.ssina the window, was dun-.} 1-rst "_ |UP to tho ceiling and then through ; .thlu glass into the street; another „ ; .was found lying across the counter ■ ; Bnd two others were prostrate on ;. i.the floor. They were all suffering from shock and slight cuts. i I Jn Southampton-row and Cosmopace the pavement was ripped U ii /or many yards. Great pieces of the } togstones crashed through a travelf fcr a brougham, demolishing the ve.hiclc and injuring the horse. Other . portions were liurled tm-ough the ;jwindo«s and on to neighbouring ~ .iouse-tops. On a rank not far «ay a cab was overturned, and the | agstalf over the Wavcrley Hotel -ln aS K« t . hroWn dnto the street. Mr P a '-ber s shop itseif was abso-lutelv jrrecked. * People rushed hutless and terrified into the streets. Policemen blew ! thcir whistles continuously, and above the din and the groan's of the injured rose the shrieks of frightened , women, t =====