OHAKUNE EXPLOSION.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 June 1916, Page 5

OHAKUNE EXPLOSION.

INQUEST AGAIN ADJOURNED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Ohakune, Yesterday. . The adjourned inquest relative to the Ohakune explosion was held in the Courthouse to-day. Michael Sheedy, quarry manager, deposed; that he was employed in No. 2 tunnel. He lit a candle and was met by a flash of fire and badly burnt. Ho came down the ropes, went to the engine shed and was removed to the railway station, where a doctor attended him and sent him to Taihape Hospital. He was in 'No. 3 tunnel at 9 o'clock in the morning and everything appeared satisfactory. He could give no reason for the explosion. He had drawn Melsop's attention to the fact that naked lights were being used, and received a reply to the effect that he Jiad ordered lamps, but none had come. Candles were still used.. He was afraid that a light might be dropped negligently and set fire to a charge. This was before the earth and concrete were put in. No smell of gas was noticeable. If a light fell on a cartridge it would simply burn. He saw no carelessness in the handling of explosives. Some of the men said they disliked explosives being stored in the engine-shed. This was done to thaw them before putting them in the tunnel. He was positive cambrite was used. George Morgan deposed that he was ■working at the staging opposite tunnel No. 2. He had wheeled concrete into both tunneU during the morning and saw no carelessness. He was outside between the two tunnels when the explosion occurred. He wsa knocked down by a loose stone and crawled to No. 2 tunnel. Sheedy came up to the staging, and both entered tunnel No. .') and met a rush of fire. Both were badly burnt. He went to the engine-shed and w*s removed home. He had heard Sheedy object to smoking in the tunnel. Torrens was in the tunnel at the time of the explosion. The inquest was adjourned till June 22. No trace of Torrens' body lias been found.