88 Account of an Explosion of Oil Gas 



correct, and found that there was not the smallest appearance 

 of leakage, or any symptom of smell in the place. 



Without the knowledge of his master, or any member of 

 the family, the footboy, Robert Whitewright, between fifteen 

 and sixteen years of age, had been in the habit, since the in- 

 troduction of gas into the house, of trying various experiments 

 with the gas, and of removing the burners or jets from the 

 knees, and burning the gas from these knees at full flame ; and 

 he had done so not only at his master's, but in the house of ano- 

 ther gentleman. He was also in the habit, it would appear, of 

 taking off paper bags full of gas and exploding them. The boy 

 had been strongly cautioned by different persons against con- 

 tinuing such practices, but without effect. Cleaning the knives 

 and shoes being his particular department, he had thus con- 

 stant access to the small shoe-house already mentioned, and to 

 the pipe and burner placed in it. 



On the night of Wednesday, the 23d March, about half- 

 past five o'clock, while Mr and Mrs Mackenzie were in the 

 country, the smell of gas was perceived by the family in the 

 dining-room, which is above (above M,) the area where the 

 shoe-house is situated, but after searching every where through 

 the house, they were unable to discover whence the gas issued. 

 The lustres in the dining-room were lighted at six o'clock, and 

 during the space of ten minutes the gas burned as brightly as 

 usual, but it afterwards became bluer, and at last went out. 

 Mr Mackenzie, jun. went down stairs to ascertain the cause 

 of this, and asked the boy if he had turned off the gas. 

 Having learned that he had not, he returned into the 

 dining-room, and again tried whether the gas would burn, 

 and on applying a match to it, it burned and lighted as usual. 

 At a quarter past seven the smell became so strong in the din- 

 ing-room, that the window was put up to ventilate it, and the 

 boy was then sent to the gas-office to give information there 

 of the smell ; but the inspector had not time to arrive before 

 the explosion took place. 



Besides the boy, there were two women servants in Mr 

 Mackenzie's house, a nursery and a kitchen-maid. The nur- 

 sery-maid does not know, and the other is unable, from the 

 state in which she is at present, to say at what time the boy 



