Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 20 May 1881

Alarming Explosion at Mexborough

One Person Killed

An occurrence, the like of which has not been known in Mexborough for many years, occurred on Friday night last.

A little after 5 o’clock a loud explosion, followed by a great crash, was heard in the neighbourhood of Cresswell Row. It appears that a tinner named Thomas Speight, who lives in this row, and who is licenced to sell benzoline, had a cask of this oil in his back premises, and immediately over the cellar of his neighbour.

At the time stated, one of the family living in this town, Harriet Lawson, 19 years of age, went into the cellar for some coals, taking with her a candle. As soon as she got there the explosion occurred. The unfortunate young woman was enveloped in flames, all the back and front windows of this adjoining house were smashed, the front doors were blown into the street, the roofs of the rooms and a quantity of motor removed therefrom, and furniture was damaged. The next house was also much damage, the shock having been felt there with greater force than in Lawson’s House. Speight’s house would have suffered had not the cellar been airtight.

A large crowd soon congregated and there was great confusion. There were plenty of willing helpers.

The Reverend TJ Leslie is especially deserving of thanks for the ready manner in which he sent for medical aid and in the meantime procured the necessary appliances to relieve the poor girl. The flames upon were extinguished as soon as possible with a blanket, by her father, but not before she was frightfully burnt about the face, hands, breast and legs. She lived in a very pitiful condition until Saturday morning, when she succumbed to her injuries.

Another of the family, William Lawson, was also rather severely burnt on the face and hands. Whilst attention was being paid to the suffering girl, a number of men executed themselves to put out the flames in and around the blazing cask, by throwing ashes upon them. It is supposed that the cask leaked and that the liquid and gas therefrom had filled the cellar.

The local authorities were soon on the spot and the strictest investigation was at once made and the benzene tested. Inspector Beever sent some constables to the place to prevent any hindrance been put in the way of those were so kindly given their aid until the arrival of Doctor Sykes.