ACCIDENTS ANDFATALITIES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 834, 4 June 1910, Page 6

ACCIDENTS ANDFATALITIES.

' ACETYLENE GAS EXPLOSION. SEVERAL PERSONS INJURED. (Br TeleeraDb-Prees Association.) Nelson, June 3. • An explosion of acetylene gas in a generator shed at Mr. W. R. May's establishment, Richmond, blew out the 'shed, and several persons were injured, including Mr. W. R. May,-his sou, and a man named David Hight;, an employee. Mr. May had lit a.match in the shed when the escaping gas caught ■alight, and an explosion- followed. iHight was the most injured, as.he was yhuried in the debris of a portion of tlie '■'shed. May and his-son were literally blown out of the shed, and marvellously, escaped with bruises and abrasions'.' Mr. May's beard was nearly burned off. Only , yesterday " May's butter, factory at the same establishment was burnt 'dowrii ■./•::• :.-•. :■:-:;■.'. .•'■■'■■■■.:'■■■ ■:■ ■ ■-.: , It appears that one of the valves wa>s faulty, so the generator, was emptied and the inside being examined when a tap was inadvertently turned on,, causing the explosion. The,plant was not damaged, and the gas is still being used. SUICIDE AT KARORI. ' YOUNG MAN HANGS'HIMSELF. An inquiry was held at Karori yesterday afternoon into the circumstances surrounding the death of a carpenter's apprentice named Ernest Hildreth, a young man, 18 years of age, who was found dead in the Lancaster Estate yesterday morning. . ■ ■ . Evidence was called which, showed that deceased had been missed from his parents , 'home at Karori since midday on Thursday. When ho did not appear at dinner on Thursday, a search was made for him, but without result. The search was resumed early. yesterday morning, and the dead body of the young man was,found suspended from a tree on the Lancaster Estate, about three-quarters of a ■ mile distant from deceased's parents' house. No reason could be advanced to account for the act other than that' the medical evidence showed that the young man had been suffering from melancholia. On Sunday last Mrs. Hildjeth said to deceased that she supposed he would be returning to' work with his former employer during the week, to which the son replied: "Yes, if lam alive." No particular notice was taken of the remark at the time. The coroner,-Mr. W. R. Haselden, S.M., brought in a verdict of suicide by hanging whilst in a state of temporary insanity. Tho police were represented at the inquiry by Station-Ser-; geant Darby.