Mysterious Explosion In Boarding House

Chronicle (Levin), 19 September 1949, Page 5

Mysterious Explosion In Boarding House

WELi.INGTON, Sept. 18. A mysterious explosion sliook a lar.ge part of the eentral area of Wellington at 10 o'clock on Saturday night. The scene was the side entrance to the Mansions Private Hotel in Ghuznee Street. The damage incl"ded 35 window panes. Some windows in adioining premises were also "broken. Nohodv was iniured. The nature of the explosion is not known. No arrests have heen made. Beyond stating that investigations are proceeding, the police are reticent. The most snrpris;rig featnre of the oeeurrenee is that the proorietress of the Mansions Hotel, l\Trs. Hallam, who was working within 15 feet of the seat of the explosion, suffered not even shoek. The explosion was snflfieipntlv vioTo-nt to be heard over a wide area. The police and fire brigade were on ihe scene before most of those in the bniiding had time to recover from their amazement. The wonder is that nobody was killed or ininred. Afrs. Hallam. in an interview. said: "I was standing beside the ironer mending a little hole in a sheet and was iust about to call the maid to take it nnstairs. The first thing T knew was that glass from a window noar the door flew in and hif the ironer. Tho thonoht flashed throngh mv mind. 'hnllo, a hottle end' bnt at the same instant all the other windows erashed in. T was not even stunned. I jnst did not know what had happened. I thought perhaps it might be a praetieal joke. All windows that were elosed — 35 in all — were broken. All that were onen escaned. Two windows in tho hnnse next dnnr were blowti in and an intervenin^ fenee was blown down. O-lass was seattered pvervwhere inside and ont. Nobodv was hurt. T have abon't 50 gnests and rmite a number were m pt the time. Thev eame downstairs and stood around talking. ' ' TheVe had bo"n no stamnodo, gairi T^.Trs. Hallam. Her view was that when sneh things orrnrmd neonla phr>n>d ®it down and threat the mjatter with complete uneoneern. The Mansions was a nnrses' hofstel in 1043. Subseonentlv it waq nsed as an Ameriean trodnq hostel. later reverting to private hotel nse.