AN EXPLOSION

Hokitika Guardian, 12 August 1926, Page 1

AN EXPLOSION

IN INVERCARGILL COURT ROOM

by telegraph—press assn., copyright.

INVERCARGILL, Aug. 11

A severe explosion occurred at the Court House to-day smashing the windows and the furniture. The cause is unknown. It is surmised that it was duo to the bursting of hot water pipes or to gelignite in* the furnace. Fortunately, the explosion occurred prior to the sitting of the Court. Othcrwiso serious casualties must have ensued. REMARKABLE FEATURES. INVERCARGILL, Aug. 11. Sheer chance prevented :i tragedy from occurring' at the Invercargill Court House this morning, when "the explosion occurred. About ten minutes past nine, the staff in the Court Office were startled by a tremendous explosion in tho Magistrate's Court room Going across to investigate, they found the room in a state of chaos. Apparently tho steam stove which heats the room had burst. Water was lying on the floor in largo pools, and several

sections of tho heavy pipe which carries the steam to various parts of the building were lying in different parts of the room. Four large windows which face the Police Station yard and take up practically the whole of one side of the court room were shattered, even the upright sections of wood which hold the glass in place being twisted and bent. The long table at which solicitors sit was very badly knocked about, and there were marks on the ceiling and walls in all parts of the room, showing where pieces of flying metal had struck. The press? table, which stands next to the stove, was also damaged, and there were several marks on the wall behind it, which showed that anyone sitting there would have been instantly killed. Several large marks above tile door leading to the Magistrate's room and in tho room itself, which is separated from the court room by a fairly thick wall of plaster had been knocked down from the corner of the ceiling. The marks on the walls and ceiling extended right round the court room some considerable distance away from the stove, and one of the doors loading to the room was also damaged. A very large number of eases were set down for bearing at the court today, and a special meeting of the solicitors of the town had been called to congratulate His Worship on completing his 25th. year on the bench, so that, had the explosion occurred only three-quarters of an hour later, the court rooub would have been crowded all the time, and many lives might have been lost.

It is not known how the explosion occurred, but two possible solutions are that there was gelignite in tho coal, or that the steam in tho pipe expanded and burst the stove. The stove was burning at the time the explosion occurred, the charwoman having lighted it in the morning. The theory that the steam caused the damage is almost, upset by the fact that there was no steam in the room v ben the clerks entered, but, on the other hand, had there been gelignite in the coal, it, might have exploded sooner. It is rather ironical to note that the court room was recently painted and improved in many ways.