An accident waiting to happen

AT CHELSEA AN EXPLOSION injured thirteen persons very seriously. The scene of the accident was a six-roomed house and shop in Manor-street, occupied by William Monk, an oil and Italian merchant. He kept the cellar stored with benzoline, paraffine, gunpowder, and other explosive materials.

A shopman named Wilsmore resided with his wife and children on the premises. In the morning, soon after eleven o’clock, Wilsmore descended into the cellar, in order to see if the gas was in working order. He thought all was right, and he returned to the shop. While there he heard a loud explosion, and he then recollected that he had left a lighted candle in the cellar.

He cried out “Fire, fire!” Immediately afterwards a second explosion occurred, and the whole front of the shop was blown out into the street. A crowd of upwards of 1000 persons then assembled in front of the premises. Wilsmore, who was dreadfully burnt, was rescued from the shop by some policemen.

The flames spread rapidly through the whole house, and three other explosions followed. A fourth explosion caused the side of the house which lay in Manor-gardens to be blown out, and the timber and bricks were scattered in all directions. Three policemen and three firemen belonging to the brigade were terribly injured.

The fire burnt with fury for over two hours; and it was only after four land-steamers and one manual engine had thrown several tons of water upon it that it became subdued. Those injured were sent in cabs to St. George’s Hospital, and upon being counted upon their arrival they numbered thirteen.

The police instituted a searching investigation, in order to ascertain, if possible, the origin of the fire, and arrived at the following conclusions:-

First, that the fire was caused by an escape of gas in the cellar underneath the shop, and that the escaping gas became ignited by coming in contact with the candle left in the cellar by the shopman Wilsmore; and that the four following explosions were caused by the fire coming in contact with paraffine, benzoline, and gunpowder, which were all stored upon the premises.