EXPLOSION OF POWDER AT WOODBURY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1443, 19 December 1885, Page 2

EXPLOSION OF POWDER AT WOODBURY.

A singular accident occurred in the quiet little township of Wdodburyat halfpast nine on Thursday morning. At that hour Mr J. Harrner, Messrs Taylor and Flatman’s storeman, and his.assistant, W. Radford, were behind the counter iu their employers’ shop engaged in weighing and putting up a package of blasting powder, containing 81bs. By some cause, as yet unexplained, the powder , exploded ; and that the two . shopmen escaped with their lives is almost a miracle, as they were standing close to the charge when it went off. Both men were stunned by the shock, and badly burnt on the hands and face—Harmer being injured the most, as he was the nearer of the two. The whole of the contents of the shop are more or loss damaged, and but for the timely and willing assistance rendered by those who were brought to the scene by the report of the explosion there is not the slightest doubt but that the whole block of premises would ha ve been gutted. All articles of an inflammable nature, such as the cotton and woollen goods displayed on the lines across the shop—one side of the shop being devoted, to grocery and general merchandise, and the opposite being the drapery and clothing department—were ignited by the flames of the powder. The fire was, however, fortunately quenched before it had time to become united at any point. Behind the counter, where the explosion took place, the shop wall is lined with shelving, on which are arranged bottles of salad and castor oil, sauces, tins of fish, etc., and a great number of these were knocked down—the bottles of course being broken, and there was at least half an inch of oil on the floor behind the counter. There were three kerosene lamps in various parts of the shop, but fortunately none were broken. Some idea can be formed of the heat there must have been when we state that the solder was melted from several articles of, tinware suspended from the ceiling, which is about 32ft from the floor. The effect of the shock on the building itself was also, pretty severe. Of the eight panes of glass in the large front window at the end of the grocery counter four were broken. One half of the entrance door was wrenched off its hinges, and thrown on to the road. The corresponding window on the opposite side of the door, 'and the farthest of tha two from the point where the explosion took place, suffered the more damage of the two. Inside this window, and about 2ft from it, a frame work has been put up, and covered with a light calico to preserve the fancy goods in the window from dust. A hole only about 2ft square was rent in the calico but nearly the whole of the goods and 7 oat of the 8 papes of glass in the window were blown into the road. A portion of the store ia partitioned off at the back, one part store room, each being connected by being used as the office and the other as a doorways with the main shop. The partition wall was not injured, but the air compressed into the two above-mentioned rooms forced the rear wall back about 2ia ia the centre. It will be seen from the foregoing that the consequences of the explosion though severe might have been much worse, and perhaps fatal to the two unfortunate persons who were the victims of it. As soon as possible after the accident Dr Fish was sent for and on hiA arrival he did all he could to alleviate sufferings of Mr Harmer and Radford. As we have before stated we were unable to ascertain how the accident happened, and no correct estimate could be arrived at as to the amount of damage done until the goods are removed. The stock is, however, covered by insurance.