A FOURTH BOMB

Hokitika Guardian, 7 November 1932, Page 5

A FOURTH BOMB

AT GREYMOUTH

BUT ,NO EXPLOSION RESULTS.

GREYMOUTH, November 7.

The public of GreymoUth were, in all probability, deprived last evening or yet another bombing sensation. At, anyrate the police can claim the crecut of navmg secured what may be called “bomb number four” before its manu-' facturer was able, to , greyent the" possibility or its discovery by expipding it wherever he may have destined it to go off. ' ,1 ’' .

Many people had apprehended the likelihood of an explosion of tEe kind on Saturday, night, when it was anticipated the Guy Fawke’s fireworks would afford an appropriate setting for such a sensation. The circumstances of last night’s discovery ,by the police go to indicate that they have been keeping a very keen look-out, and they are now in possession of valuable evidence, which had hitherto been lacking, as to the nature cf the device that has been responsible for the recent alarming explosions. V

The facts of the discovery were briefly indicated by Inspector C. W< Lopdell, whose statement was to the following effect: —‘.‘About 8.35 o’clock the suspicious movement of a man carrying ‘a sack, which he hurriedly dropped, and then bolted over the Blftke'town bridge, -caused ,investigation to be made, and the result wa# that a bomb, all ready for lighting, was discovered in the sack.” “When the bomb was taken down to the police station by the detectives, it proved to be a highly powerful and dangerous machine.” * \ “Fifteen feet of fuse was well wound around the bomb. 1 ” V 'h.-V

In reply to a.. further question as to whether the police had yet. .made any arrest, the Inspector’s reply was in the negative. * He. had meantime no further statement to make' oft the matter. '

One of the most significant facts About the discovery . which the police have made, is ' the presence of r shell a • generous length of fuse with the bomb. It is reliably estimated that* such a length of fuse would take at least from seven to eight minutes to burn, thus allowing the person firing it :to travel. the better part, of a mile the' scene' of the explosion. For instance, the speed of burning of better grades of American been determined 1 by .’’the United; •’ States Bxireau of Mines to he about 30 seconds per foot of length, with a variation of about 1 per cent. (8 seconds) either way. ■ v ; It is a matter of conjecture, meantime, a» to. whether the act of the police observing the man bolting across Blaketown Bridge is an indication that his place of abode, is in that locality, as the police are keeping their own counsel on that point, Whether, on the other hand, it was the intention of the bomber to stage last night’s explosion somewhere in that vicinity at about the’ same hour as that on which explosions have occurred prevously’is a question also suggested by the discovery. It should however, meAn at least'that the bombing incidents will nqw cease, in view of the probability that the police have secured such definite information as that obtained last evening. , • '