EXPLOSION AND FIRE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 629, 5 October 1909, Page 7

EXPLOSION AND FIRE.

SEVERAL INJURED. SYDNEY CHEMIST UPSETS SOME OIL. A GENERAL FUSILLADE. .«■ ■■ (By Telegraph-Press Assoefatlon-CopyrlehU •■ Sydney, October.4. A chemist's shop blow up this morning with a terrific report. The debris took fire, and tho adjoining premises were destroyed. . A number of people had narrow escapee. Several had to be treated at tho hospital. The cause of the explosion is unknown at present. ' ■ , -' , FIRE SPREADS TO ADJOINING SHOPS. NARROW ESCAPES. . ' (Rec. October I, 10.3Q; p.m.) . . , "' Sydnoy, October 4. The explosion occurred in the, eitensivo premises occupied by tho East Sydney Pharmacy Company, in Woolloomboloo. The concussion was tremendous, and was felt in the centre of the city. ■■■ i' ■ • , \ :■' Flying Glass; Wreckage All Around. The East Sydney Pharmacy' Company's pre-.-mises were completely wrecked."' Tho front* of several adjoining .shops were'blown in, and practically all the windowe within 108 yards iadiu3 woro Bhattored. Ceilings. ; and fittings wore wrenched from their places arid destroyed. An outbreak of nrss followed th'o\ explosion, and spread from the East Sydney Pharmacy Company's premises to ■ fonr adjoining premises. Though the fire brigade quickly got tho flames under, water added .'considerably to the losses. •.. . .•■. . • ;' {' ..' ..■ . ' Besides the destruction at. . the Pharmacy Company's building, the. most.furious'damage was done at tho premises of Anderson (grocer), Griffiths (grocer), Russo (fruiterer), Frosbeys (furniture warehouse), the VerthoinY Sowing llachino Company, Euroki ~ > He11,..''.-and two hotels. .'.■..'• ;.;.-■

Flying debris and glass destroyed, large quantities of stock. This was specially the case in the "hotels where valuable bottledstock was broken. . : :'■ '.-. ' ' Houses on the opposite fide ; of William Street and Riloy Street present the appearance of undergone a ■ fusillade. '• ~ '. ■ ";■..■■!, How the ChemitU Fared., Two chemists named Binderand- Sharp were in the Pharmacy Company's premises at the time of -tho explosion, and had a marvellous escape. Sharp was pinned !under a mass of debris, surrounded by'flames. Binder : was 'knocked over, and was found lying among tho ruins.'.'.-. •. ■ ■"• • ■"•;■'.■..■■■■..;,: .;■, ;.-. ' ■•■■ Both were rescued, though' they were severely burned. and' lacerated by flying glass. Sharp's injuries are such that he remains in the hos-: pital. Four others, were also,treated at the hospital for lacerations inflicted inrtho'street by flying glass, i .-.; "■;.'■.'.,-.■. Luckily, most of the shops'were closed and the bulk of tho people wore away watching: the Eight Hour procession; othorwise the casualty ■list, would have been much heavier. Two heav-ily-laden tramears just got clearYo'f the"'spot as the explosion occurred. .' ■'. .-/.-.■ ■■ ' .. Sharp states that he,wos boiling a couple of: gallons of camphorated oil on the- counter,, when the liquid, ran.oyer.and flared up. In an' endeavour to extinguish tho .'flames, the vessel! ccntaining the camphorated_6il was' upset,_and'. ttt explosion resulted, ..;■ ,■ ■".' .',>': : .. .-;

;;.rThe scene of the explosion is evidently .the intersection .of William and Eiley Streets, a littlo over half a mile from' the Sydney Post Ofllco. William Street runs up from the Town Hall through Hyde Park, and Eiley Street crosses it near Phillip Paik.V .'