Alfred Swaine Taylor to Faraday   24 April 1855

15 St James’ Terrace | Regents Park | April 24, 1855

My dear Faraday

I have great pleasure in replying to your question from authentic documents in my possession¹[.]

There was no nitrate of potash on any part of the premises.

There were 128 tons of Nitrate of soda, and there were 2800 tons of sulphur[.] Of these quantities there were in the seat or focus of explosion 47 tons of sulphur and 45 tons of nitrate of soda. These quantities were in a strong vault in the basement,- the sulphur being exposed and occupying the lower part of the vault:- and on a tarpaulin, placed on the sulphur, were piled the bags containing the nitrate of soda. The capacity of the vault was such that these articles (which alone were in this vault) - reached to within a foot of the ceiling[.]

There was a large quantity of sulphur amounting to some hundreds of tons stored between the entrance to this vault and the Woollen factory in which the fire commenced. This probably ignited, as it was in contact with the Woollen-factory-wall, and thus communicated like a train to the sulphur on the lower floor of the vault[.]

The quantity of sulphur consumed was enormous. It flowed out in rivers of blue fire from the two ends of the building, and made its way into the Tyne, realizing the description of Phlegethon² given by the poets.

Any documents in my possession with a plan of the building and an official table of the whole contents at the time of the conflagration are at your service.

I send for your perusal my Report to Lord Palmerston³ which you can return to me on Friday evening next⁴[.] Believe me

Dear Faraday | Your’s most truly | Alfred S. Taylor

M. Faraday Esq