Terrible Accident.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 346, 22 June 1894, Page 2

Terrible Accident.

« (PKR PRESS A88O0IATION. ) Auckland, June 21, A frightful accident occurred at the New Zealand Freezing Works at 11 o'clock this morning. Two men, John W. Lusher, of Auckland, and H. E. Kennedy, of Sydney, were testing a carbonic acid cylinder which was apparently leaking. To try and find out the leak the men each took a handle of the cylinder and placed it in water in a barrel so that by bubbles coming up they could locate the leak. The effect was that instantaneously the cylinder burst. Lusher was killed at once, his brains being scattered up the wall. Kennedy's head was smashed in and terribly mutilated. He lived only a few minutes. Later. Professor Brown, of the Auckland University, gives the following explanation of the explosion of the cylinder which caused loss of life today : — The explosion is probably due in the first place to a portion of the liquid carbonic acid escaping into the copper cylinder, where it would partially volatilise, becoming very cold and on the cylinder being put into the barrel the liquid carbonic acid would give off more gas owing to the higher temperature of water, and so rapidly increase the pressure. The leaky condition of the cylinder showed plainly it was taxed to its utmost strength, and the increase of pressure consequent on dipping it into water would be sufficient to cause the explosion. Lusher is son-in-law of the Mayor. The Council adjourned to-night without transacting business. Flags are flying half mast at the principle establishments.