OHAKUNE EXPLOSION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 67, 23 June 1916, Page 2

OHAKUNE EXPLOSION.

THE JURY’S FINDING. Per Press Association. Oliakune, June 22. Alfred James Baker, Eesident Puniic Works Engineer for Taumarumii district, said he was satisfied that Mellsop had a fair knowledge of electricity. The question of firing explosives by 'edctricity has been discussed, with -Mellsop, and witness arranged for two ■detonators and a safety fuse for each :charge, so that testing was not necessary, Witness did not give orders that testing should not, he done, but the conversation was to the effect that further precautions were not essential. He had no reason to douht that Hellsop had sufficient knowledge to carry out operations. He would not test while men were near the charge. The usual procedure was for all the men to remove to a safe position. He understood that the assistant engineer had received from the post oflice some stock that had been written off as unserviceable, but was probably retained as being of sufficient strength to test the wiring through the galvanometer.

Replying to the Coroner’s query, Mr Leggo, Nobel’s representative, stated lie had no doubt that Torrens was blown to ashes.

The verdict of the jury was: “We arc agreed that Mr G. H. Mellsop, A. Davis, H. Larking, W, McCord, and P. McGarry mot their deaths at the Ohakune public works quarry, as a result of a concussion caused by the premature explosion of a charge consisting of dynamite, caiubrite, and gelignite, which had been placed in No. 3 tunnel in the quarry. The jury are further agreed that, from the evidence adduced, there is no doubt that Torrens was in the tunnel at the time of the explosion and was reduced to ashes.”