FATAL EXPLOSION AT UPPER HUTT

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 656, 1 April 1914, Page 5

FATAL EXPLOSION AT UPPER HUTT

SIX MEN KILLED. A DOZEN INJURED. BODIES DREADFULLY MUTILATED. TWO BUILDINGS DESTROYED. Wellington, Monday. Six men were killed and at least a dozen injured by an explosion which occurred at a fire in upper Hutt during tfao early hours of Sunday. The cause of the explosion is a mystery. Messrs Benge and Pratt, general storekeepers, who occupied the wrecked premises, state that nothing in the nature of high explosives was kept on the premises. Half an hour after the fires broke out on the upper floor, there was a sharp and swift outburst. The floor was driven with tremendous violence down upon men who were on the floor endeavouring to salve goods. Five were killedoutright. Fragments of plate glass from shop windows were blown into the street, seriously injuring several persons. LIST OF FATALTIE3. The dead are:— Constable Dennis Mahoney, married, three chidren. Jamea C. Comesky, postmaster at Upper Hutt, married, grown up family. George Taylor, railway porter, single. John Wesley Vivian, grocer's assistant, single. William Flynn, railway guard, aged 35, married. W. Tuohey, bush worker, single. SERIOUSLY INJURED. Those seriously injured are: — Virgil McGovern, dentist, Upper Hutt. E. Pelling, blacksmith and boardinghouse keeper. Joseph Haga, Defence Department employee. These are suffering severely from concussion, and were more or less unconscious during Sunday. Pieces of glass were embedded in their flesh. Doctors had to operate to remove Hagan's upper jaw, which was smashed. His left ! hand and arm wore badly lacerated by glass. DEAD DREADFULLY MUTILATED. The dead were in some cases dreadfully mutilated, Constable Mahoney could scarcely b3 identified. Another victim has bis head and arm blown off. Tuohey, who wsa alive when taken from the ruins, had a fractured skull, and only survived till he reached Wellington Hospital. Mr Comssky, the postmaster, who was under ths the time of the disaster, was blown into the middle of the road, and was so badly injured that ha died before a special train, with the injured man, could be dispatched to the city. Benge and Pratt's store and Hazelwood's drapery store, adjoining, were completely destroyed, and one end of the Provincial Hotel was damaged. FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION. FELT TWENTY MILES AWAY. The fire was discovered by Constable Mahoney about 11.45 p.m. in a general Btore occupied by Messrs Benge and Pratt. The partners of the firm were notified, and the people in the adjoining premises were awakened. Constable Mahoney and others began to remove the goods from the shop, and continued for some minutes, until fears were expressed that the building would collapse and bury the men working inside. Constable Mahoney said he would go in and

"GET THE BOYS OUT,"

and is believed to have brought out two men, Stott and Vivian. He then entered the store a third time. Just aa he had entered the duor the explosion occurred, snd completely wrecked the store, and seriously damaged the neighbouring buildings. The post office clock stopped at nine minutes past midnight. The force of the explosion is indicated by the fact that big pieces of timber were thrown a chain away, while the hotel next door was riddled as if it had been shelled byjja field gun. Every window in the neighbourhood was smashed completely. The explosion was heard at Kaiwarra, riearlv 20 milea away, while at Lower Hutt and Petone, about 12 miles off, it is stated that the ground shook perceptibly. In Upper Hutt itself the force of the explosion was so great that windows were broken half a mile away from the fire. Constable Mahoney's brothers, James and Patrick, are well kijown in Auckland. They were sub-contractors on the Auckland drainage work;?, and are now said to be residing at Epsom and Whangarei. He is also believed to nave a married sister residing in Auckland. Constable Thomas Mahoney, of Hamilton, is a brother of deceased. NO FIRE BRIGADE.

Upper Hutt has just had a water supply service installed, but does not possess a fire brigade. There is only one fire hose available, and this waa used to good effect in preventing the spread of the fire. Fortunately there was no wind, for o f herwißß the town would have baen gutted. MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR Wellington, Monday.

The Hon. H. D Bell, Minister for Internal Affairs, has received the following message from his Excellency the Governor: "Please convey her Excellency's and my deepest sympathy with the relatives of those who lost their lives in the disaster at Upper Hutt. —Signed, Liverpool, Governor." A MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR. Wellington, Monday. The police are making diilgent in-

qui rise as to the cause of the explosion at the Upper Hutt fire, but bo far no light has been thrown on the mystery. Pellng. one of the injured men, is lying in hospital in a serious condition. He is still unconscious. McGovern ia much better. Bagan is doing fairly well. The destroyed building was an old two-Btoreyed structure, built about 40 years ago. The building and fittings were insured for £275 in the Commercial Union, and the stock for £IBOO in the Guardian office. Hazelwood's drapery store, next door, a brick building, was burnt out, ard only tne walls left. This was insured for £9OO.