Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3254720

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SYDNEY.    

A boiler accident took place on the 16th, at the Wateview Bay Dock, by which two lascars were very severely injured, one of whom has since died, and the other lies in a most precarious state.

The following abridged account of the balloon explosion, on Monday, is from the

Herald .

" The balloon rose from the' ground at about five minutes past five o'clock, first ascending gradually, and taking a rather westerly direction. Having attained a considerable elevation, probably about a mile, it began to move slowly, but steadily, for a while to the eastward, and then began rapidly to descend, passing again to the westward, across the southern extremity of the city. It reached the ground in the yard of Mr. Boyd's public house, the Woolpack Inn, adjoining the Haymarket, but its descent was followed by a fearful accident, which was the cause of severe injuries to several persons, being nothing less than the entire destruction of the balloon by the agency of fire.

It is stated that when Mr. Green found, from the direction of the wind, that the balloon was likely to go out to sea, he deemed it advisable, after having attained a con-

siderable altitude to descend without

going too far to the eastward ; and, get- ting into the lower current, he attempted to make for a paddock just beyond the Haymarket. In this ho was not success- ful. On the balloon approaching the earth, the safety-line was lowered and caught hold of by four men in Mr. Boyd's yard, three of whom, through some mis- apprehension, held on, although Mr. Wardell repeatedly called to them, as loudly as he could, to let go. Neverthe- less the balloon came down safely enough, and as might be expected, a large con-   course of persons began to assemble upon the spot, and in its immediate neighbor- hood. Mr. Green, apprehensive, as it would seem, that the locality was an un- suitable one for emptying the balloon, was desirous of reascending which he might have done by his companion leaving the car, and of again endeavoring to alight in the open paddock before alluded to. His friends, however, persuaded bim to remain where he was, and he was by them and the bystanders generally pro- mised every assistance. By the desire

of Mr. Green Mr. Wardell left the car directly after the balloon reached the ground, and proceeded, with the cheer- fully accorded assistance of those present, to take steps to bear down and to exhaust the gas in the usual manner. Captain M'Lerie and several of the police were immediately on the spot, exerting them-

selves in the most strenuous manner to

keep order, and rendering every possible assistance. By a very fortunate circum- stance, as the disastrous event proved, Mr. J. T. Bown also, the active and inde- fatigable superintendent of the fire brigade with William South and four or five more of his men, had likewise hastened to the scene ; and, it is needless to say, were as ready and energetic as they usually are in co-operating with the police. Soon there was something which came more immedi- ately within the province of their useful and dangerous calling. On Mr. Wardell lifting up the ' valve of the balloon to facilitate the escape of the gas, he disco- vered a large rent, about four feet wide by which the gas was rushing forth, and from which it was coming out in such large quantities that he was suddenly overpowered, and carried half-fainting into an adjoining shed. Through the rent and the valve a large volume of gas continued to escape into the air, in the yard crowded as it was with spectators, who were not only forcing themselves into the place by the gateway, but were sitting in considerable numbers upon the low shingled roofs of the sheds and sta- bling hy which the yard is enclosed. A more dangerous place," if a fire should occur in that vicinity, it is scarcely pos- sible to imagine.

" While the gas was thus issuing, by jets, as it were, from the,balloon, a man seated at the corner of the shed on the George-street ,side of, the yard had the incredible folly or wickedness to strike a match (as-if to light his pipe), and then to throw the burning match away. The

effect of this was horrible in the extreme.

Streams of gas, which had just issued from the balloon into the air, ignited instantly,

and vivid lines and sheets of flame tra-

versed the yard in all directions-to use the expression of a witness-like flying fiery serpents. During the time that this awful sight was visible, the terror and confusion that prevailed were such as baffle description. It must be borne in mind that, in spite of reiterated and un- tiring efforts of the police to clear the yard, it had been hardly possible for them to do more than to keep tolerable order in the excited throng--especially as multitudes were still endeavouring to get in, whilst those in the yard tried with desperate efforts to get out again into the Haymarket. When the fire appeared, and several in the yard and on the shed were singed and burnt, there was a frantic rush to the gateway, already blocked up, and numbers, breaking through the woodwork, escaped into Durand's alley on the one side, and over the stables into George street on the other. The fire at first did not touch the balloon, which was kept by the exertions of Mr. Bow;n and his men, in the middle of the yard,' at a great risk and with a courage and presence of mind which cannot be too highly praised. The fire-engine was promptly sent for and brought down by Mr. Bown's orders, but very happily was not required, as the old wooden buildings would doubtless have burned like touchpaper. All this passed rapidly, perhaps in less time than it takes to tell it. The fire, darting about in the air, caught the car ; and then, seeing any attempt to presorve the balloon utterly fruitless and fraught with extreme danger to life and property, the balloon was purposely cut, and the enormous body of gas yet remaining in the balloon-several thousand cubic feet of it-ignited, and

the balloon was consumed in one vast

mass of flame, which appeared for a moment

and then vanished.

" From, tho first sight of the fire till the second explosion-by which, from the cool skill with which it was managed, no

harm was done-the scene was terrible.   The screams of the women and children several of whom were thrown down and trampled upon-the shouts of the men, and the rush of the panic-stricken mob, were something appalling. By the untiring and vigorous exertions of the police, directed and personally aided by Captain M'Lerie, the rush was 'partially stopped in ' the gateway-so much so   that it is hoped that no lives have been lost, although many have been hurt, One young woman was knocked down, aud passod over by several as they fled. She was rescued at last by the police, carried out, and at length restored to consciousness., She appeared, however, to have had her face crushed under some man's boot. An infant of six-months old

was picked up by Captain M'Lerie, having been apparently thrown on one side as the parties in charge of it broke out through the fence into Blake's buildings. It is needless to say it was promptly conveyed to a place of safety. Another very young child was picked up and rescued from imminent peril by Sergeant Lee, and several persons of maturer years owe their safety-perhaps their lives-to the active courage and care of the police, amongst whom we ob- served, as prompt and watchful as usual, Mr. Chief Inspector Higgins, Mr. Inspector Singleton and others.

" It is not easy to ascertain at present the precise number of persons who have been burnt, singed, and otherwise injured

in this unfortunate affair. Five or six

individuals were taken to a neighbouring doctor's shop, to have their wounds dres- sed. A child of l8 months' old was stated to have been much burnt, and another child, still apparently senseless, was after- wards carried up George-street. One man, who was sitting upon the top of a shed, was much burnt. He was one of those whom the fire first caught. Two other men were also spoken of as having been badly burnt, and two boys were equally so. Altogether it would appear that not less than 10 or 12 persons have been injured in a more or less painful degree, but none, it is believed, mortally."

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