THE RECENT FATAL EXPLOSION.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2412, 28 December 1881, Page 3

THE RECENT FATAL EXPLOSION.

[From Saturday’s “ N.Z, Times."]

Tho City Coroner (Dr. Johnston) held an inquest yesterday, at the Hospital, as to the causes which led to the death of Mrs Lydia Anthony, the wife of W. H. Anthony, the manager of Messrs Barraud and Son, chemists, Lambton quay, who met her death on Wednesday evening last by the explosion of some chemical compounds on the premises of the above firm.

Mr Duncan McDougall was chosen foreman of the jury, and Mr Fitz Gerald attended to watch the case on behalf of Mr Anthony. Dr. Diver, being sworn, stated that hearing tho explosion on the night in question, he went to the scene of tho catastrophe, where he found the deceased lying in the yard of the premises attached to Messrs Barraud’s shop. The witness stated that, having attended to the deceased lady, he deemed it advisable to order her removal to the Hospital, where he, assisted by Dr. Homy and other medical gentlemen, performed certain operations. The deceased succumbed shortly after admission to the Hospital, and died at nine o’clock on Wednesday night. William Henry Anthony deposed fhaa he was a chemist and manager for the firm of Messrs Barraud and Son, chemists, of Lambton quay. He had been fourteen veers in the trade, and served his time with Dr. Coward, of Christchurch. He had been the manager of Messrs Barraud’s business for the last eighteen months, prior to which he was manager of a chemist’s shop at Christchurch. On Wednesday afternoon last a customer visited the shop and asked for a pound of blue fire. Ha understood it to be for the Christmas festivities. Had no further conversation with the customer, who did not say for what particular purpose he required tho fire, fold him it would be ready in two hours’ time. Witness commenced to make tbe fire ordered, and composed it from a receipt in Beasley’s Receipt Book, form of recipe No. 5. The receipt was as fellows : Nino parts chlorate of potash, dried verdigris 2 parts, sulphur 1 ounce, and to this ho added 2 ounces black antimony. In testing it, he found the compound went off too quickly. It “ flashed ” too quickly, so he did not send it to the railway station as ordered. After teatime, witness took tho mortar containing the mixture into the back yard, in order to destroy it by burning it. Ho scooped the mixture out of tbe mass, and in small quantities fired it on the ground. It “fizzad” off, and did not explode, and no sound was occasioned. It was getting dark at this time, and bis wife was looking through the kitchen window. Deceased went to the back door and suggested that the compound should be put down the drain instead of burning it, as being an easier way of getting rid of it. Witness told deceased not to touch it, as he was going to light up the shop, and would return and finish it. He bad lit one light in the shop, when he heard a loud explosion, and thinking it to be that of a cannon, be went to the shop front door and looked up and down the street. On crossing the private entrance, he saw smoko rising from the back of the premises, and the thought of the fire striking him he ran to the bach. Before he reached the yard, and while in the passage, ho found his wife’s hand in the passage leading to the back door. He picked up tho portion of the limb, and called out to his wife by same. Ho saw her then lying on her back in the gutter leading to the drain in the yard. Witness saw that both arms were blown off, and he ran into tho street and asked a policeman to go for Dr. Diver. Witness was alone on the premises, except tbe niece of the deceased, Miss Clara Walkdcn, and his little boy, a child aged two years and two months. Miss Walkden was in the kitchen when the deceased spoke to witness just before the explosion. The order to make the fire was a customary one in Wellington, and witness had frequently compounded blue fires such as he had made on the day of tbe accident. There was nothing unusual in completing an order for a pound of blue-fire at a time. He had frequently made up similar orders. He of course was aware that the mixture was somewhat of a dangerous one, and therefore be kept it back in order to destroy it. He could offer no reason as to the cause of the explosion. There was chlorate of potash and sulphur in tho mixture, and any heavy friction would cause an explosion. The compound was mixed in an iron Mortar with a heavy pestle in the shop. There were about OOZ, P r 19°?? ;r, the mortar. Was not aware of any law being in existence forbidding the mixing of a compound such as described in tho city, nor was there any city by-law in existence, The black antimony was added with a view to make the fire slower, and it certainly would not add to the explosive nature of the compound. Could in iio way account for the cause of the explosion. He did not think that the explosion would have occurred by tho powder being thrown even very violently on the ground. The mortar used in the mixing of the compound was an open one, and was about ten inches in "diameter. Did not think that water thrown upon tho mixture would cause an explosion such as described, unless tbe disturbance or the shifting of the powder in the mortar caused a friction which ignited the compound. The powder was “ blended ” gently in the bottom of the mortar with the pestle, but net against the sides of the mortar. The day after tho accident witness found an empty pail outside the back door; but he did not know if deceased used it in connection with the compound in the mortar. The pestle was not in the mortar when the explosion occurred, so far as he knew.

Dr, Diver (re-called) said he had often made chemical Area from recipes taken from different books when studying practical chemistry in laboratories, and afterwards. He thought it was part of a chemist’s business out here to make up such compounds for retail sale. After the experience which Mr Anthony has had in the trade he should be quite competent to undertake the compounding of such receipts as described. All such compounds are dangerous ; but he did not think that the receipt used by Mr Anthony was more dangerous than others of a similar kind if properly handled. The course pursued by Mr Anthony to destroy the compound by burning it in small parcels was not a dangerous method, as it is done on the stages of the theatres every night. Witness thought that the deceased must have taken a spoon to empty the mortar of the substance. She very likely was in a stooping position at the time, and the friction of the spoon against the side of the mortar created a spark. Thought the deceased must have had the mortar in her hand at the time of the explosion. He ar rived at this opinion from the nature of the wounds on the deceased.

Clara Helen Walkden, being sworn, deposed that she was the niece of the deceased, with whom she was living at the time of the accident, on the promises on Lamhton quay. About a quarter-past 7 o’clock on Wednesday evening last, witness was with her aunt in the kitchen, watching Mr Anthony burning the blue fire, Mr Anthony at this juncture went into the shop to light up. There was no fire in the yard. Mrs Anthony, as soon as her husband went into the shop, asked witness to give her some water to wash the powder down the drain. Witness was looking round for something to put the water in, and while doing so she heard the explosion. She previously had seen her aunt go into the yard. Did not see Mrs Anthony get any water, and witness did not give her any. Just before the explosion, and as she was leaving the kitchen, deceased said she would throw some water down the drain in order to wash the powder down. So soon as witness heard the explosion she ran into the yard and picked up the little boy, who hud gone into the yard with his mother. There was a bucket in the yard, and deceased had sufficient time to have taken water from the tap after she left the kitchen. About two minutes elapsed between the time of her aunt leaving the kitchen and the explosion occurring. Mr Anthony and his wife lived together on most affectionate terms.

The Coroner summed up briefly, and, in doing so, remarked that the jury would have but little difficulty in arriving at a verdict as to the cause of death. He did not think, however, that the duty of the jury would be fulfilled unless they expressed an opinion as to the danger of mixing chemicals for stage or other purposes in the heart of a city like Wellington. It was ridiculous that the civic authorities were so careful of the lives of the citizens that they made it imperative that a competent plumber should alter the gas fittings of the houses, and yet they had passed no by-law regulating tho mixing of dangerous chemical compounds. Personally, he knew Mr Anthony to be a competent and careful chemist. The blame rested with the municipal authorities, who ought to forbid tbs preparation of dangerous chemicals in the city. Certainly no blame or negligence could be attributed to Mr Anthony.

Tho jury deliberated in open Oonrt, and after a few minutes returned a verdict oE “ Accidental death,” adding the following rider :—“ That the attention of the Government be called to the fact that large quantities of dangerous explosive powder are mixed up in the city and sold without any steps being taken to regulate or limit such sale.”