On Sunday evening, about six o'clock, an explosion took place
at the South Metropolitan Gas Works in the Old Kent Road, which occa- sioned a good deal of alarm and some damage. It appeared upon in- quiry, that one of the men employed on the works having been told by a person that the supply of gas in a certain part of the district was deficient, went with a lighted candle into the purifying-house, as he said, to acertain the cause. It was found that a quantity of gas lied escaped, which was ignited and caused the explosion. The roof and the walls of the purifying-house were scattered in all directions, and the concussion broke the windows of several houses in the neighbour- hood. It was felt some miles off,—at Blackheath, Stepney, Bow, and other places. The two men above-mentioned were found buried under a heap of bricks and fragments of iron ; their clothes were burnt and their bodies much bruised, but they are expected to recover. No other personal injury was dote; and the damage to the buildings will not exceed 500/.
On Wednesday, a man in the employ of Mr. Arthur Willock, of the Customhouse, while steering his barge past Galley Quay, observed a black motionless object in the water ; which, upon attempting to draw it out, moved, and bit his hand. He succeeded in getting it into the barge ; when it proved to be a young alligator. It was purchased for, and removed to, the Surry Zoological Gardens.
In a heavy gale of wind which blew during the greater part of Wed- nesday night, the steeple of Bayswater church was blown down, and in its fall did some damage to the stone-work in front of the church.
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