DYNAMITERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1579, 9 October 1905, Page 2

DYNAMITERS.

TERRIFIC EXPLOSION AT CHARTERS TOWERS.

A terrible explosion occurred in the Qaeon Cross mill engine-bouee, Charters Towers, Queensland, on Sunday before last (as reported in our cablegrams). AecordI ing to an exchange, the engine was completely wrecked; The damage is estimated !at over £4OOO. No one wa3 injured. The mill ceased work at midnight. Two watchmen sat up till 2 a.m., and then went to bed. Exaotly at four o'clock a terrifio explosion rent the air, and was heard 17 miles away. An immense ooiumn -of black smoke, which in a second or two burst into terrifio flame, illuminated the district. Mr MacLaren, the manager, bis wife and four ohildren, were in a house 50 yards away, which was partially protected by a wood heap A piece of the end of ' a oylinder crashed through the wall of the house, cnt the piano in two, and dropped on the floor, just as Mr and Mrs MacLaren were rushing through to the children’s rooms, The explosion set the firewood afire, but the fire brigade extinguished the flames. Two watchmen, James Shannon and James Ellis, after a few minutes’ delay, crawled from under the* debris. Shannon was uninjured, and Ellis received cuts on his toes. Many neighbors’ bouses were bombarded by pieces of iron 21b to 81b in weight, doors were blown open, and hundreds of windows were smashed. All small china and glassware were broken within a radius of >SO yards. One: garden 150 yards from the explosion contained a cylinder 601 b in weight, and ironwork was strewn all over the looality. It iB believed that a case of dynamite was deposited between the high and low pressure cylinders. The whole engine was blown into spaoe, except the crank shaft, which is bent, aad the flywheel. The roof of the engine-house and the mill were wreoked. The self feeder pulleys oh the shafting at that end of the mill were [ stripped, off. The boiler-honse roof .had gone, and the boilers were covered with debris. They may be strained, but the briokwork appears to have protected them. The mill cleaned up gold on the Thursday, and as no amalgam was on the plateß, the watchers, as is oustomary, went to bed. ShannoD, one of the watchmen, said he was awake at the time of the explosion. The explosion was deafening, and the flame appalling. Then came a noise of rending timbers. He expected to be killed every moment in the pitoh dark. He was afraid the chimney would fall, but it was quite uninjured. This is the third explosion eince Christmas, 1896, when an explosion in the Brilliant Deep Levels damaged the brace to the extent of £SOO. In December, 1897, the Mills United magazine was ex-.-ploded, wrecking the engine house, which oost £IOO. It also did great damage to the town.

Muoh consternation and nbeasiness was

I felt at the presence of dynamiters in tbe I community. Great precautions will now Ibe taken. On Saturday night and SuQday I morning is ths ouly time the mill is not I working. The watchmea escaped because I of the concrete foundation of tbe dynamite room between them and tbe centre of explosion, which was only 30ft away. ! Amazement is expressed at the daring of the dynamiters, who had to carry at least I a case, probably two oases of dynamite I through a closely-settled locality, then enter a door only 30ft away from tbe watchman, deposit tbe dynamite, and light a sufficient length of fuse to onable them to get away. The force of the explosion may be gathered from the fact

that over four tons of solid metal were blown iDto space. The foot that the dynamiters chose the quietest time shows that they were prudent as well as daring. Work will not be stopped at the mine, where 200 men are employed, but crush.

iags are likely at other mills until repairs are effected and a new engine installed.