Before the New Year of 1883 was many days old a series of attempts was made which, together with the two subsequent years, afforded more trouble and anxiety to Colonel Majendie and his colleagues than any trio of years since these more serious efforts were made. Glasgow was the scene of operations, and on the night and morning of the 20th and 21st January three explosions occurred, in all of which lignin-dynamite was used. The first was at Tradeston Gasworks on the 20th, the remainder at Possil Bridge and at Buchanan Street Station on the 21st. No lives were lost, though considerable damage was done. Photographs are of the greatest possible use to the expert when engaged in making his experiments, in order to find out the probable cause of any explosion, and through the courtesy of Colonel Majendie, we are enabled to show a number of these. The picture of the explosion at the Glasgow Gasworks was taken in the interior of a holder, and shows the perforations of the plates by projected _débris_ on the side of the holder opposite to that on which the explosion occurred (Fig. 10). It is fortunate that the perpetrators of this deed--ten persons were convicted--possessed but a very crude knowledge of the best method of blowing up a gasworks. They adopted the same method as at the siege of Paris, but not with the effect desired. There is a common belief that it is an easy matter to blow up a gasworks; but the only condition in which a holder is really dangerous is _when it is empty_. If the holder is full of gas there is no air present--and gas must have air mixed with it if it is to assist the explosion. In this case the dynamite was applied, but it only blew great holes in the gasometer, the gas was consumed, and part of Glasgow was for some time in darkness. In the Possil Road Canal Bridge incident--the idea being to let the water out and do no end of damage--a miserable failure was the result. The detonator did not go off! [Illustration: FIG. 10.--THE GLASGOW EXPLOSION--INSIDE THE GASHOLDER.] Colonel Majendie tells a good story in connection with the Glasgow affair. He went to Scotland in a great hurry, only taking one suit of clothes. After spending a considerable time in the gasholder, his clothes--not to put too fine a point upon it--smelt. Indeed, the next morning at breakfast Sir John Hawkshaw comforted him with the assurance that he "smelt like a rat out of a hole!" When paying his bill in company with the engineer, one of the restaurant assistants turned to a companion and exclaimed:-- "Good gracious, Jessie, there's a dreadful escape of gas!" "Then here goes for the escape of the engineer," cried that gentleman, rushing out of the place.