in Edinburgh, on the 23<i March 1825. 89 



returned. It is certain, however, from the declaration of Lady 

 Ramsay's butler, that the boy was in Mr Mackenzie's house 

 at ten minutes past eight o'clock. 



In the mean time the smell of gas continued to be perceiv- 

 ed in the house, and by passengers on the street, very strong- 

 ly. It was so strong in the dining-room of Lady Ramsay's 

 house, (above N,) which is immediately adjoining Mr Mack- 

 enzie's, and the windows of which are very near that part of 

 Mr Mackenzie's area, in which the shoe-house is situated, that 

 the ladies complained of it. At ten minutes past eight o'clock, 

 Lady Ramsay's butler accordingly went into Mr Mackenzie's 

 area, and knocked at the door C for the purpose of informing 

 the footboy of the smell, and also that the gas was escaping. 

 The boy came to the door with a light in his hand, and told 

 the butler that he had been to the gas-office, and that a person 

 was to come to examine the house. While they were speak- 

 ing a woman servant came into the passage leading to the 

 door C. Without mentioning his intention, but, as Lady Ram- 

 say's butler supposes, for the purpose of examining the state 

 of the shoe-house, the boy proceeded towards it with the light 

 in his hand, and had no sooner opened the door D than the but- 

 ler observed the gas issuing from it in a blaze, he heard an 

 explosion, and saw the wall of the shoe-house blown outwards. 

 This was all the work of an instant. He was at this time 

 about two paces behind the boy, and was instantly thrown 

 down, and remained insensible, but he neither saw what be- 

 came of the boy, nor of the woman that was in the passage at C. 

 In the course of a few minutes the boy was found extended in 

 the area quite lifeless at A, and the woman was found insensible 

 within the passage of the house at C. The butler has received 

 no material injury, except being scorched in the face; and the 

 woman, though very severely injured, is considered not to be 

 in immediate danger. The windows of the house were shat- 

 tered by the explosion, as well as those of some of the neigh- 

 bouring houses. The walls and doors of the shoe-house were 

 driven out, and the cellar-doors at 1, 2, and 3, driven in and 

 broken, but, with the exception of the windows, no part of the 

 house, nor any thing within it, was injured. 



Shortly after the accident, the shoe-house R was examined by 



