A HOUSE DESTROYED BY DYNAMITE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 249, 19 October 1881, Page 4

A HOUSE DESTROYED BY DYNAMITE.

The house of Mr. Geo. Cooper, Cleveland-street, Bedfern, Sydney, wa? rendered a complete wreck by the explosion of a quantity of dynamite aod blasting powder, at half-past nire o'clock on Saturday evening, 24tb September. Mr Cooper had been em ployed in executing some sewerage works, and was in ihe habit of keepiug dynamite, blasting powder, and other goods required in tunnelling, stored in hie dweilingbouse. At the time mentioned be wbb rolling a keg of dynamite under his bed, when it exploded, tearing the bed into atoms, breaking np the furniture, heaving up the rcof, snd doirg great damage (o tbe bouse, besides breaking tbe windows of tbe adjoining houseF. Cooper was pulled from onJer the debris of the bedstead, suffering from severe burns acd bruiees, and war conveyed to iho infirmary, where be was found to be in a critical condition. Mr Cooper's son, who was sleeping h the room adjoining that in whichYae explosion occurred, escaped with comparatively slight itjuriee. Some : deu of tha violence of tbe explosion may be gathered from thi fact tbtt the roof of the house was blown hiah in tbe air, and prrjected across the street several sheets of iron alighting upon the balcony of a house opposite. Many houses in the borough of Darlingtoi felt the shock. The iorce cl the concussion extinguished nesrly ail tht keropine lomp-j in tl c street in which Mr Cooper's house wat &i-u;t; ■>. MCooper, who was conveyed to the Infirmary* was found to nav^ •t. i the While tf the skin barocd frocn Lis face and one of Lis f.rms broken, and to br suffering t Ktides from bruiees and contagions. He was in a very precarious plate for some time, bat recovered euffi-

cist. corßciouioppg to be able to c

piain how tbe explosion occurred. He says that bt tbe time be was rolling the keg of dynamite under tbe bedstead he was smoking a ciear