TORRENT OF WHISKY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8831, 18 January 1907, Page 2

TORRENT OF WHISKY.

! 120,000 GALLONS IN THE STREET. Men were struggling for life in the Glasgow streets recently, waist deep in a torrent of hot whisky. It was during the breakfast hour that a vat collapsed at the Scottish Distilleries Company's Loch Katrine Distillery, Muirhead Street, in the Gorbals district of Glasgow, and between 120,000 and 130,000 gallons of hot liquid were let loose, flooding the distillery yard and the neighbouring streets, sweeping workmen and others before* it, and killing, one man and injuring many others. The distillery is one of the oldest in Scotland, dating back to 1827. Over one hundred hands are employed. The accident originated at the highest point of the building, which is probably about 60ft in height, and it is believed that it was caused by the bursting of the mastin pipe which leads into No. 6 washcliarger, a hug© vessel containing at least 40,000 gallons of hot j liquid. This fluid rushed down, and ; carried away two washbacks, or vats, [ containing about 30,000 gallons of wash. This tremendous quantity of liquid falling upon the floors of the different flats, I swept them into the basement, whore I the draff (or malt refuse) house is situI ated w and brust its way into the narrow street, where there had gathereld a number of farm servants with carts for | the purpose of taking away loads of draff. So great was the force of the torrent that men and horses were thrown across ta© narrow thoroughfare. The police were soon on the scene, and, assisted by the employees of the distillery, strove to get the sufferers removed from the surging mass of liquid, in which they were struggling waist deep. The first two men to be rescued were David Simpson and William O'Hara. They were in the draff house when overtaken by the descending flood. They were completely overwhelmed, and were washed from the basement out into the street, where they were found sunk in the rolling torrent, which with the admixture of draff had now almost the consistency of liquid glue. One man bore striking evidence of the force of tho flood, being found in a ee mi-nude condition. MEN LEAP FROM WINDOWS. An official connected with the distillery stated that in the building where the accident took place thereavere three huge covered vessels named* "chargers," from which the stills are charged. One is situated on. each of the three floors, and they each contain between 50,000 and 60,000 gallons of wash, a liquid decoction from malt and grain. In his opinion the occurrence w&e caused by the supports of the uppermost vat giving way, and the huge vessel, crashing down, burst, causing a terrific report and releasing the liquid Only one of four immense tanks erects ed together remain. The others collapsed like a house of cards. There were many exciting escapes. The liquid mass struck a bakehouse situated at the back of the draff house, and caused a panic among the workmen. One man was flung against the wall and stunned. The other men had great difficulty in getting out. Some of the machinery was swept along the floor of the bakehouse. In the upper storey of the same building four men were compelled to jump out of the windows to reach a place of safety, the staircase having been carried away. An old Irishwoman, Mary Ann Doran who occupies a house at 64, Muirheaa Street, was seated in her kitchen when the inrush occurred. Immediately there was an avalanche of reeking water, stones, bricks, and .wood, and the house was completely blocked up with the debris. She tried to escape by the window, but was unable to- lift it. Ultimately she managed to open the door and emerge safely. The man who was killed was James Ballantyne, a farm servant, of Hyndland Farm, Busby. He sustained severe internal injuries, and died shortly after admission to the 'infirmary.