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belonging to the Kensington and Knights bridge Electric
Lighting Company. The footway was disturbed, several
windows in the vicinity were broken, and, by the nature
of the accident, the public seriously endangered, although,
fortunately, no injury to pedestrians resulted. The Board
of Trade were immediately written to, suggesting an
enquiry into all the circumstances in the interest of the public
safety,—a request which was at once acceded to. Major P.
Cardew, R.E., electrical adviser to the Board, reported that
the ignition of the gas was due to small sparks occurring
between the insulating covering of the high pressure
alternating current conductors. The enquiry also elicited
that the main which caused the explosion belonged to the
London Electric Supply Corporation, who had rented the
conduits from the Kensington and Knightsbridge Company
—a mutual mode of arrangement by no means contemplated
when the orders were granted to the various companies.
A copy correspondence furnished by the Board of Trade between
the Board and these Companies showed that the
responsibility was attributed by either Company to the
other, and that eventually the London Corporation in
justification went so far as to submit to the Board that if
such Companies as theirs, having several parishes comprised
within their authorised area of supply, were permitted
under suitable regulations to make such connections between
certain points as had been made in this instance, it would
be much to the advantage of the public, inasmuch as it
would facilitate the distribution of electrical energy. However
desirable from the companies' point of view such
arrangements might be, Major Cardew emphatically reported
'I consider that the renting of conduits from one com"pany
by another is distinctly against the interest of the
'public safety, as being liable to detract from the full re'sponsibility
of a supply company for its own mains." As
precautionary measures against the recurrence of a similar