DANGEROUS PLAYTHINGS

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 249, 22 October 1942, Page 4

DANGEROUS PLAYTHINGS

GELIGNITE L0ST FROM TRUCK children found in possession. HURRIED SEARCH FOR MISSING PLUGS. Highly dangerous playthings were discovered in Maxwell road early this morning by several children on their way to school. These were full-sized sticks of gelignite which had been accidentally dropped from a truck and had apparently for some time been lying strewn about the road, roughly between the Graham street and Muller road intersections. Later the authorities were advised that some of the plugs had been discovered in the possession of children, and immediate steps were taken to guard against accidents occurring. All schools in and near Blenheim were notified, and a hurried search of the area was instituted. Up to noon some ten of the sticks had been recovered, and efforts were proceeding to trace several others which are helieved to be still unaccounted for. The exact number lost is not known, but it is believed not to exceed a dozen. The dangerous nature of this type of explosive need not be stressed, and parents are advised to make certain that their children are not in possession of any of the plugs. Although the vehicle from which the explosive was lost has not yet been traced, it is believed that part of its dangerous load was lost overboard when the tailboard , became unfastened. The sticks are seven or eight inches long, and one inch in diameter, and are wrapped in brown grease-proof paper with five red bands at each end. The "jelly" inside is light brown or buff-coloured, and soft, and has the appearance almost of a skinned sausage. It should not be touched, as apart from its unpredictable explosive character, it is liable to produce violent headaches if handled. Any of the explosive that may be recovered should immediately be handed to the police, 01* returned to the Army Office in Charles street. V