DISASTER JUST AVERTED

Hokitika Guardian, 11 August 1923, Page 4

DISASTER JUST AVERTED

LONDON, Juno L A ibi.v ;i i rumomlmis c\j:i;;sioH thill w:i:r»< 1 liiiVtA “blown siwuv l ho vJrclo ( oi|!itr\ •4div’ \\:ts iiiimiAvly jivorUM Livvrpou! by tho bravery of lour me*!*, v. as told to a meet ini' cl tit'.* *UeJs..y Dm Ls mid i lari our I'c-arti. A !rd“«' coMsifj.miH.-nl ol’ jriorif avid V -i 'it ti> | .iviTpUol by the Wit? Oiii I* Joi* shipment to Dort'lin utii. \Yi*i!e wagons Die explosne rhosiuaD were in north dock, a s 'am tram* 101 l arrows them. Dso h.uler UDie craim dropping u.udunuat?i i . ! a i iiiiK’ hi IV#t till top of two ; ; . I .• va;. on>. while the boiler lire ui ti •■matli blazed up to Dio under s;11»,■ of t' v.au mi iioor. At pvat risk to thom.-e)vus. Joseph 1 loss. a watchman, employed hy iho Cniiinl Company, (unstable -ilorjjjaii, .Michael Litvin, and Joshua Bambor. c\tincui.-hc<l the Dames in lime to prevent a terrible explosion. Air Arthur \Y. BiLLy moved a reeom)u< ndahou to milimriso payment oi awards to the men meiuiom d. The (loverni,;. he Mini, sent lz’d tons of pirn • acid, probably one of I he tnosl dangerous possible to imagine. Dj'lit into the t ent re of the cit y ( and docks. , If anything had happened to Dial < < meni. Die while .side of Die j eouiii.y would haw* been iiiov* u away. , and Die !o - •• of life aia.l property would . iiav.‘ been beyond dest rijn ion. It would have been a entnMrophe surli as tuav VMM Ml ,rc. ■ . i t mi- lied ret nnimcinh. d fur I i 'mid -!: g c:11 mt(i j i.r at any I * M ' -mi : ’: •!i irncr t .-I'i'eci I v eli I i ••• "i- I: i leer were • umiii:'/. I 1 ! M IP 1 saw d I lie 11..1 1 ar.d l!.e i ii v I I I m-i On- 1 re cm ly m the rid. 1,! iiicir | < "i :im sure.'' ominced Air JYl.pv. ( '.he! idle pi'e.'Cs-il A: ,T)'im'y uf (

for vYnr would !,•■? disgust rd and horrified its much ns any of us to think r'hnt such a thing could happen, and that we were at the mercy cf sene irresponsible and light-hearted officials at tlie Win' Office.” The stuff was made in Shropshire ami should have been sent, one would think, in the quickest possible way to Portsmouth, where it was required, instead of training it through a populous eitv.