FATAL GAS EXPLOSION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1807, 5 April 1888, Page 3

FATAL GAS EXPLOSION

The following particulars telegraphed from Napier on the 29th nit,, to northern papers seems by some oversight not to bare been sent to those south of Cook's Straits :— A terrib'e accident ooourred at the Walroa Bridge works, at 11 30 last night, by an explosion of gas, resulting m the death of two men, and severe injury to a third. It appears that about eleven o'clock three men were working m the last cylinder— Joueph Ball, Philip Beathie and George Slbbett. The first named was down at the bottom fixing the pumping plpei for the next shift. Beatie was m the air- lock waiting to pull up Ball after having lowered him down, There was nothing for Sibbett to do till 12 o'clock, ■3 he went home, leaving the other two workmen, and Mr Sellers, the contractor, ■landing over the staging alongside. At the hour named the cylinder blew up suddenly ; the air-lock waa hurled into the air, and fell into the river close to the staging, a portion of whioh It broke. Mr Sellers was hurled Bft or 10ft distant, and landed on the lower platform of the piledriver ; his right arm waa broken m two places, and he was much cut about the face, but was not unconscious. The Cylinder, which was down 16ft m the solid, was burst into fragments, and eight broken lengths have been already noticed. Joseph Ball lies dead at the bottom cf the cylinder, and Philip Beatie is euppoaed to be m the air-look m the botcom of the river, unless he was blown clear of It. Ball ii a married man and leaves a wife and three ohildren. The body of Ball has been caught with the hcoks, but as it llei across tho man-hole, whioh is about 2ft vide, some difficulty will be experienced In getting it up.