EXPLOSION IN SYDNEY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 206, 5 October 1909, Page 2

EXPLOSION IN SYDNEY.

CHEMIST'S SHOP BLOWN UP. ADJOINING PREMISES DESTROYED. SEVERAL CASUALTIES. By Cable,—Press Association.—Copyright Sydney, October 4. A chemist's shop in William street, blew up this morning with a terrific report. The debris took lire and the adjoining premises were destroyed. , There was a nymber of narrow escapes, and several are being treated in the hospital. The cause is unknown at present.

• TREMENDOUS CONCUSSION. AN OUTBREAK OF FIRE. MARVELLOUS ESCAPE OF TWO CHEMISTS. lIOW THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. Received 4, 10.30 p.m. Sydney, October 4. The concussion from the explosion was tremendous. It was felt in the centre of the city. The extensive premises occupied by the East Syduey Pharmacy Co., where the explosion occurred, were completely wrecked. The front of several adjoining shops was blown in and practically all the windows within a hundred yards radius were shattered. The ceilings and fittings were wrenched or destroyed. An outbreak of fire followed the explosion, and spread from the chemist's shop to four adjoining premises. Though * the fire brigade quickly got the fire under, the flaineg and water added considerably to the losses. Besides tho Pharmacy Company, the most serious damage has been done at Anderson's (chemist), Griffiths' (grocer), Rueso's (fruiterer), Frosbey's furniture warehouse, Wcrtheim Sewing Machine Company, the Euroki Hall, and two hotels.

The flying debris and glass destroyed large quantities of stock. This wis specially the case with the hotels, whou valuable bottle stocks were broken. The houses on the opposite side of William gtrect and Riley street present thifappearanco of having undergone a fusilade. Two chemists, named Binder and Sharp, were on the premises at the time of the explosion. They had a marvellous escape. Sharp was pinned under a mass of debris and surroijnded by flames. Binder was knocked over and was lying among the ruins. Both were rescued severely burned and lacerated by the flying glass. Sharp remains at the hospital, where four others are being treated for lacerations received :n tho street by the flying glass. Luckily the shops were closed, the people beif.g away watch the Eight-Hour procession; otherwise the casualty list would havs keen heavier.

Two heavily-laden trams had just got dear as the explosion occurred. Sharp states that he was boiling a couple of gallons of camphorated ofl i<ii the counter vriieji the liquid nil over and flared up. In hw endeavor to extinguish the flames t*he vessel was opset and an explosion resulted.