AUCKLAND EXPLOSION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 42, 18 January 1938, Page 9

AUCKLAND EXPLOSION

ELEMENT OF MYSTERY. ANALYSTS PUZZLED. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Jan. 17. Analytical tests made by two chemists have so iar failed to establish the nature of the gas supposedly responsible for the recent mysterious explosion that wrecked the chemist shop of Mr R. D. Wylie at the corner of Remuera Road and Victoria Avenue. In a report to the Auckland Electric Power Board, the general manager (Mr 11. H. Bartley) said that, unfortunately, an explanation for the explosion was still not available, but investigations wore still being continued. Materials taken from the spot where the fault developed in an electric cable on the occasion of the explosion had been analysed, the report continued. Earth, including that adjacent to the cable and to the shop, in addition to water found lying in a trench dug to inspect the cable, had been tested by Mr A. Parker, public analyst and consulting chemist, und another person appointed by the insurance authorities. A quantity of bitumen used in the sealing of cable joints was also submitted for analysis. “There was nothing exceptional with regard to the fault in the cable.” Mr Bartley added. “Through cracks in the ground caused by hot weather, rain water had apparently penetrated and found its way to a point at the end of the cable crossing Victoria Avenue. Without doubt there was a poclcdt of gas of some nature in the shop and more particularly underneath the floor. The heat from the cable fault must have ignited this gas and caused the explosion. When visiting the scene after the explosion investigators could distinctly smell a gas of some sort. In order to have an independent party make nil investigation I arranged with Mr Parker to carry out the tests. “I do not think for one moment that bitumen gas was responsible for the explosion,” said Mr Bartley. “We have had too much experience with this not to be able to determine very readily the effect due to an explosion of such gas. None of the effects in this instance was consistent with bitumen gas.” In reply to a member of the board, Mr Bartley said there was no question of the cable having suffered damage by a workman. The fault was quito a minor one, which made is doubly difficult to ascertain the cause of the trouble.

Referring to the occurrence as a most unfortunate one, the chairman (Mr S. J. Harbutt) recommended that the board should express to Mr Wylie its extreme regret that the trouble had arisen. This was approved in addition to steps taken by Mr Bartley to locate the cause.