TRAGEDY AT TRENTHAM.

Taihape Daily Times, 22 April 1919, Page 4

TRAGEDY AT TRENTHAM.

BOY SCOUT KILLED

THREE SERIOUSLY INJURED

A TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.

WELLINGTON, April 21

A tragedy occurred at Trentham Camp yesterday afternoon, when, as the result of an explosion, a boy scout was killed almost instantly, and three other boy scouts seriously injured. Following are the details of the casualties: Kenneth Waugh, killed. Thomas Voller. seriously injured with. gunshot wound in left side. Raymond Drake,, several wjbunds in side, arms, and face. ■ Robert C&ark, gunshot wounds in right eye. Details of the occurrence, so far as could be ascertained yesterday, are as follows: A party of Boy Scouts from Lower Hutt and Petone were .paying a visit to Trentham Camp in the afternoon and carrying out manoeuvres in the trenches at the rear of the camp. In these trenches the lads came across a small store of explosives, and, finding an empty shell ease near by. set out, with boyish enthusiasm, to see if they could make a real live explosion. Powder was rammed home in the shellease, and a train was laid to it. The deceased, Kenneth Waugh. set fire to the trail, but was apparently unable to get away to a place of safety before the explosion occurred. Likewise, the boys Clark, and Voller were too near the dauzer zone.

A terrific explosion took place, and, when the smoke cleared away, the four bovs mentioned were seen to have been

seriously injured. Waugh was so seriously injured that h e died within a few minutes. The three other boys were removed as quickly as possible to Trentham Hospital.

Voller was rcpoiiell to be in a critical condition last night. There was' some doubt whether a portion of the shell penetrated his .abdomen. The full extent of Clark's injuries is not yet known.

It is stated that there were between sixteen and twenty boys in tie vicinity when the explosion took place. The report could be heard about a mile away. The parents of the unfortunate boys were immediately communicated with, and everything possible was done by the camp authorities for the injured lads. THE INQUEST WELLINGTON, this day. In giving evidence at the inquest on the body of Scout Kenneth Edwin Waugh, killed by a bomb, at Trentham, William Mason, scout-master, stated that the boy showed him a bomb he found on Sunday morning (day of the accident). The bomb was rusty and empty, and had no cap. Scouts gave evidence that in a small system trench in which they were playing there were good many pieces of loose guneotton lying abont. Together, with deceased, they filled a bomb case with guiicotton, and attempted to lire it. It was not till after the fourth attempt an explosion occurred, this ending fatally for Waugh, who had apparently been deceived because the other shot had only "fizzed." It was further .stated that in ia dug-out in the trenches there had been stored over lOOlbs cf guneotton, and a few bombs, some empty and some full, by some person or persons unknown. This dug-out was broken into, and of the original store only five pounds of guneotton remained. There* was a door on the dug-out, secured by a padlock, but the fastening was ra.ther weak.

Thomas Waugh, father of deceased, did not consider the dug-out sufficiently secure; the roof could easily have been broken through or the door forced. Lieut. Moore, engineer's expert in explosives, considered there must have been a detonator in the bombs. It was a mystery how the guneotton could ex- #L plcde without- ignition by fulminate of mercury. k; '

The Coroner, in finding death was due to a bomb constructed by deceased, said he considered the dug-out should have been inspe.i'ted immediately prior to the Boy Scouts being allowed to make use of the camp; further, that scoutmasters should have been informed of the location of stores of explosives.