An explosion of a remarkable kind, attended by serious and fatal consequences, occurred in Albany Street, Regent's Park, about 10 o'clock at night. Soon after the shop of Mr. Loten, a dealer in Berlin wool, had been closed, a violent concussion tore the house to pieces; the ruins dashing in the windows of the shops opposite, and damaging the buildings in other directions: the remains of the house then burst into flames, and the fire raged for three hours. A servant girl was blown to the opposite side of the street; where she was found mangled and burnt, and quite dead. The only other persons in the house - Captain Loten, the brother of Mr. Loten, and Miss Burgh, the sister of Mrs. Loten - were dashed through the back part of the building; and it was found necessary to convey them to the hospital of University College. Mr. Loten's house was completely cleared away by the explosion; the houses on each side were shattered to their foundation; about a hundred more on all sides, but chiefly on the opposite side of the street, were more or less damaged, and some two thousand panes of glass broken.
The parties conveyed to the hospital having sufficiently recovered, an inquest was held on the body of the servant girl. Little could be ascertained from their evidence as to the cause of the explosion, further than that a strong smell of gas having been experienced, Captain Loten took a candle to ascertain whether there was any escape, and that upon entering the shop the explosion took place.
Dr. Arnott, having been requested by the Coroner to attend and state his opinion as to the cause of the explosion, was then sworn and said - “I am a doctor of medicine, and am author of the work entitled "The Elements of Physics", which treats upon subjects connected with the explosion of gases, to which I have directed my attention. I inspected the premises and neighbourhood of Albany Street a few hours after the occurrence, and having heard the evidence, I say that I believe an admixture of coal gas and common air capable of producing such an explosion. One measure of ordinary coal gas requires 10 measures of atmospheric air to render it in the highest degree explosive. The greatest explosion that can be attained will be effected from one part coal gas and 10 of common air. The result of such a mixture would in my opinion be to increase the volume about 15 times; that is to say, that one room containing one part of coal gas and 10 of common air would expand sufficiently to fill 15 rooms with the same mixture, and the explosion of the whole would be instantaneous. I see no reason to doubt that this catastrophe has been occasioned by an explosion of gas. Gas being much lighter than air, it ascends rapidly to the highest part of the room, and remains usually at the top of the air as oil does upon water, and the more it is mixed with atmospheric air the more explosive it becomes; and the probability is, in this instance, had Captain Loten held the candle lower there would have been no explosion. The surest remedy is to have a ventilator at the top of each room, in the chimney.”
The Coroner believed, that if the explosion had been caused by gunpowder it could not have been more terrific than in this case. Dr. Arnott said, gunpowder was nothing more than gas very much condensed; a cubic foot of the united gases, coal gas and atmospheric air, was equal to half an ounce of gunpowder. The doctor said he would not pledge himself as to the amount of expansion, as he had understood other scientific gentlemen differed with him, one declaring that it would only increase six times. The result, however, would be the same as regards explosive power.
Further evidence was then given, which showed it to be probable that, after the gas had been carefully turned off, the cock had been accidentally struck by the corner of a shutter and thus again turned on.
The jury returned a verdict amounting to “Accidental Death.”
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