might right.

Great confusion ensued. The passengers forced themselves into the boat at the stern, as it hung on the davits, but there was no time to loose the ropes. Those who were saved were chiefly rescued by wherries belonging to Gourock, which instantly put off on the alarm being given. A Mrs Miller of Paisley was saved by clinging to a trunk, but she had lost her child. Another of those saved was & Miss Munro, who stated that on seeing the light of the "Ayr" approach she and a friend had gone towards the bow to have a look at the coming steamer, when the collision took place. She was knocked into the water and sank twice, when she got hold of a large black dog. The animal swam towards the shore, dragging her along with it. She afterwards got hold of some pieces of wood, but the dog never left her till she was picked up by the pilot-boat. When taken into a house the dog followed, and remained by her bedside till locked up in a cellar by the mistress of the house. Many attempts were made to lift the

Comet," but without success, till Mr Brown, of Aberdeen, contracted to do so. According to contract, Mr Brown was to receive £80 if his attempt failed, and £300 if his endeavours were crowned with success. The shattered vessel was raised, and taken to Gourock in July, 1826. She was found to be quite a wreck. Both stem and stern were smashed, and the deck torn up. The hull was sold for £31; and the copper boiler, which was collapsed and useless as far as a boiler was concerned, was sold for £500.

The next catastrophe on the Clyde was the blowing up of the "Earl Grey " on Friday night at six o'clock, 24th July, 1835, causing the death of six persons and the injury of a great number more. The vessel was in the act of leaving Greenock Quay to proceed to Glasgow when a tremendous explosion took place. The steamer was at once obscured by a dense cloud of smoke and steam, and outside of it pieces of wood, stools, coals, &c., were seen flying in all directions. A large portion of the boiler was driven forward against the funnel, which was squeezed flat, but still kept upright by the chains. Another part of the boiler was thrown upon the quay, and alighted close to a boy who was sitting there. Two persons who were on board were blown upon the quay. One of these was Angus Wilkie of Tarbert, one of the crew, and at the time of the explosion was

engaged hauling in the stern rope. One of his legs was broken, and the bone protruded through his trousers. He was removed to the Watch-house, but died almost immediately. The other was David Watson, a shoemaker in Dunoon, who was killed on the spot. Many of those standing on the quay were scalded and injured by flying splinters and pieces of coal. Many of the passengers were thrown into the water; but the most of them were quickly got out by boats. One of the six killed was a spirit merchant in Paisley.

In the following year another calamity of a very similar nature occurred in the blowing up of the "Telegraph." This vessel was built by Messrs Hedderwick & Rankine in 1835, engined by Messrs John M. Rowan & Co., Atlas Works, Glasgow, and was considered one of the fastest boats of the day; her ordinary speed was 18 or 19 miles an hour. She was 120 feet long by 14 feet beam, and 32 tons burden, with a double engine of 50 H.P. She was one of the first steamers whose wheel was amidships on a raised platform. The explosion took place between twelve and one o'clock, as the vessel was backing out from Helensburgh Quay. The crash was terrific, and she was split from stem to stern. Her timbers, part of the machinery, and boiler were thrown high into the air, several pieces reaching the shore. Thirteen persons were killed on the spot, including the captain and Mr Hedderwick, one of the builders.

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We now come to relate an explosion of much less magnitude, but which was attended with loss of life. About twenty minutes to seven on Thursday morning, July 11, 1839, the steamer Argyle," Captain M'Gill, bound from Glasgow to Lochgilphead, was hauling into Renfrew Wharf, when her boiler burst at the bottom, and three men belonging to the boat and five passengers were more or less scalded. The person most severely injured was the fireman, a young man named Thomas Craig, twentyone years of age. He was removed to Mr Wordrow's Inn; but died in about an hour and a half after. Another young man named Gourman, a printer in Finnieston, was also severely scalded. He was put on board the steamer "Victoria" and taken to Glasgow. The others were not severely injured. Some of the passengers who were bound for Loch

CONTRIBUTED BY J. W. C.

gilphead proceeded thence by the "Rothesay Castle," others, that were for Rothesay, were taken by the "Maid of Bute," but a great number went to Paisley by the railway, and returned to Glasgow, declaring that they would never set foot on board steamers again.

We cannot think of any other accidents to Clyde passenger steamers resulting in loss of life; but, many other mishaps have occurred to the injury of or entire loss of the vessels. The "Fairie Queen", launched in 1835, had a great liking to be under the water and was several times at the bottom; tht "Mars" was wrecked off Largs in 1856 ; the "Dumbreck" was run down between Dumbarton and Glasgow in 1850 or 1851; the " Eclipse" ran upon the Gantocks, off Dunoon, about 1855, the first "Iona" was bought by the Government of the Confederate States of America in 1862, and on her way out was run down by a large screw steamer between Fort Matilda and Rose. neath, where she still lies; the second "Iona" was also bought, presumably by the Confederates, in the following year, and on her way to America went down off the Isle of Ilfracombe; the "Elaine ran ashore on the Island of Bute, opposite Tighnabruaich, in 1878.

XX.

In 1845 Gilmour Street was continued to the Cross by the removal of the old passage called "Hole in the Wa'."

During the years 1846, '47, and '48, trade was very bad in Paisley. In January, 1847, there were 5500 unemployed in town, and in January, 1848, there were 7000 persons dependent on the Relief Committee for food. Subscriptions kept pouring in, and soup kitchens were established throughout the town. Messrs J. & P. Coats, and their brother, Mr George Coats, of Victoria Coal Works, distributed 216 tons of coals to the poor. The following were some of the principal subscriptions raised :

Earl of Glasgow,

:

Sir John Maxwell of Pollok, Bart.,
Archibald Campbell of Blythswood,

John Henderson, Esq. of Park,

Colonel Mure of Caldwell, M.P.,

£100

THE TOWN OF PAISLEY:

In the end of 1848 cholera broke out in the town. The most of the cases were in Charleston, which was in a dirty and unwholesome state, and not supplied with Stanley water. The new water supply was at once introduced into that part of the town, and the Water Company granted the supply gratis till the old wells should be examined. The old cry that the doctors were killing the people for the bodies revived, and the attentions of the doctors were at first not well received. A cholera hospital was erected. The following is a daily list of

HISTORICAL SKETCH.

The following table shows the distribution of the cases between Charleston and other parts of the town up to Feb. 9; also, the number of each sex attacked up that date :

Cholera returned in the Autumn of 1849, and the hospital was again in full operation. It did not, however, last long.

fu 1849, trade was in a most prosperous condition, and often there was not a single hand unemployed in the town.

In 1851, the population was 47,952.

The

In 1851, the Neilson Institution was built. It is the result of a legacy of £20,000 bequeathed by Nr John Neilson, a Paisley merchant. site of the Neilson Institution was where part of the old Roman camp existed till the middle of last century, when, during a time of dull trade, the weavers, under the authority of the magistrates, obliterated it, cut down the trees, and made a bowling-green.

On 24th December, 1857, John Thomson, alias Peter Walker, 26 years of age, was condemned to death at Glasgow Circuit Court of Justiciary or the murder of Agnes Montgomery at Eagleham. It was the first trial in Scotland for poisoning with prussic acid, and the third case where a conviction had been obtained in Britain for poisoning with that substance. The mur

derer was a native of Argyleshire, and his proper name was Peter Walker; but, on his return from undergoing a period of transportation, he had changed his name. He was a tailor, and Agnes Montgomery a millworker. Agnes Montgomery died very suddenly, as was supposed, of apoplexy on the 13th September, 1857, and was buried on the 17th. Thomson left Eaglesham on the 25th of same month for Glasgow, where he arrived that night. He lodged with a Mr and Mrs Mason, and on the night of his arrival gave each of them a glass of whisky. Mr Mason took very little, but Mrs Mason took rather more and was exceedingly ill after it. In the morning Thomson was taken by the police on a charge of theft at Eaglesham, and the bottle of whisky was left at Mason's house. It was tasted by several, who all agreed that it was very bad whisky." It ultimately came into the possession of the police; and, on Loing ana yzed, was found to be strongly impreg nated with prussic acid. The sudden death of Agnes Montgomery then forced itself on the

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