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Art. XXIII. — Account of the Explosion of a Steam-Boiler at 
Lochrin Distillery. By Robert Stevenson, Esq. F. R. S. E. 
Civil Engineer. 
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I HE alarming accident which happened at Lochrin Distillery 
about five o’clock in the afternoon of the 2d of April last, by 
the explosion of a large steam-boiler on the high pressure princi- 
ple, having created a very considerable sensation in the public 
mind, Mr Adie optician and I visited the spot on the following 
day, and were kindly received by Mr Haig, the proprietor of 
the works, who freely communicated to us every information on 
the subject. 
It would be foreign to the object of this notice, to enter into 
any detail regarding the extent of Lochrin Distillery ; but I 
cannot omit observing how important its operations must be in a 
public point of view, especially to the agriculturist, when it is 
considered, that, in the form of duties to Government alone, the 
proprietors sometimes pay Fifteen thousand pounds Sterling a- 
week , for spirits distilled from grain. Every circumstance, there- 
fore, connected with operations of such magnitude, becomes an 
object of general concern. 
A proposition having been made for boiling the large stills of 
Lochrin by means of steam at a high pressure, to be conducted 
through pipes into these vessels, as more economical and con- 
venient for the works, than the common furnaces,— an appara- 
tus was manufactured by the workmen belonging to the distillery, 
in which no expence seems to have been spared for making the 
steam-boiler as complete and effective as possible. The boiler 
and its appurtenances began to work about the 21st of March 
last ; but had only been in operation about twelve days, when 
someth ing^*onnected with the mercurial-gauge for measuring the 
intensity or pressure of the steam, was observed to be out of 
order. Before the engineer could be got to examine and repair 
it, an explosion took place, attended by circumstances which in- 
dicate the sudden production of a force uncontrollably great. 
The boiler measured no less than about 37 feet in length, 3 feet 
in breadth at the bottom, 2 feet immediately under the top, and 
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