BIG POWDER MAGAZINE BLOWN UP

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 32, 2 November 1920, Page 7

BIG POWDER MAGAZINE BLOWN UP

TTATr. OF BULLETS LASTS FOR/ HOURS. Luton was shaken by a series of explosions. aud for hours afterwards, wrote the "Daily Chronicle" correspondent ill describing the blowing up of a big powder magazine early in August, there was a scene in lvingsway almost resembling ft sector of a battle front. I'ivo men and a boy employed by tlio Inter-Continental Trust. Ltd., had been working-all night at a factory for the reduction of ammunition, thorinen using machines which seoarate powder from case. The powder collects in heaps under the machines, and at six o'clock one of the men saw that the heap under his machine was on fire. The flames were spreading along the powdered floor. 'Tor God's ' sake run for your lives," shouted someone. The doors fortunately were open, and the party of six dashed out.

They rushed a short distance, and then flung themselves down just in tijne, for with a terrific report the shop in which they had been working was hurled into the air.

Iron girders-and masonry (lew around as smaller explosions signalled the bursting of cases of cartridges and powder, and for three hour there was a scene of fire and explosion. The burning debris fell on other shops and stores, and these in .turn exploded.

Cases of cartridges and other material flew ill the air and. bricks and mortar rained upon the surrounding meadow and buildings. About a score of ..email fires were started at tho adjoining chemical factory, and upon these the fire brigade set to work. The fumes from the burning chemicals almost mastered tlio firemen, but they stuck to their task. They were successful, and then turned their attention to the powder factory. Although the groater portion of the stores li.id vanished, there remained thousands of cases of cartridges, from which bullets were issuing continuously. .• Iron-framed windows hurtled through tlier air like shuttlecocks, and • one of these widow-frames, . about ISt't. by 6ft., fell in a field 31)0 yards away. Portions of masonry weighing from a few ounces up to nearly a ion were'scattercd about the fields, and hundreds of boxes of small ammunition were lifted into the air and fell blazing two or three hundred yards away, Micro to explode, sometimes singly anil sometimes in one big report. Tlio fire lasted until after nine o'clock, and throughout tho morning bullets were flying out of the embers..

No one knows how tho powder took fire, as no workman is permitted to carry matches or anything likely lo create an explosion. '

Tho stock involved included: 300 tons of tlnji'malloy, which gives off a heat of SOOOdeg. cent.; .20,000,000 to 24,000,000 rounds of email-arm ammunition; 25 tons of smoko powder; various other munitions in cases.

Ono of the employees who had been burned said to the correspondent;

"It is marvellous that any ono of Ihe six of us is alive. Someone said suddenly/ 'There's a heap of powder on lire.' We tried to put it out, but it was well alight, and tneai someone shouted, 'llun for your lives, for God's sake. Tho building will go up in a minuto.'

"Tho doors wore open and we rail as hard as we oouUI. Tho llnmes were in the way, and 1 got my burns going through them, as did some of the others. Tlin heap of powder that was on fire was .right in my way, but X got through. "Another chap was at the other ond, and was late in hearing the alarm, and tho flames took liiy shirt off.

"We had just reached the hedge and dropped when th<; whole place went' nji with a roar. Girders and bricks and concrete came flying, all round, and bullets e'amo all orer the place."

Chief Officer Andrews, of tho Luton Fire Brigade, said it was absolutely impossible for nnyone to gn into tho building. It seemed to bo raining bullets, and the helmets of the firemen were, struck on sereral occasions, although they wero some distajope away.