A TERRIBLE DISASTER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2185, 7 April 1891, Page 2

A TERRIBLE DISASTER.

Sydney, April 3.

A terrible disaster occurred this evening, near Middlehead, to a detachment from the Torpedo Corps and Sappers. It appears that a detachment, consisting of Lieutenants Hammond and Bedford Corporal McKee, Bugler. Bennett, Sappers Brentall, Wailes, Adams, Borland, Blackman, Tully, King, Bowmaker, Grant, aud Bolin, proceeded in a cutter to lay two mines, intending to fire the first before laying the second. The first mine, which contained 1001 b of gun cotton, was successfully laid, and the boat hauled off to prepare to fire, vrhen by some means the free ends of the wire attached to the second mine, consisting of 501 b of gun cotton, which were hanging over the side of the boat, got connected with the eletric machine, J he result was a terrible explosion and a huge column of blackish water, in which were seen fragments of the boat and the bodies of the unfortunate men, rose high in the air. A relief party was at once sent out and found that four of the men had been literally blown to shreds, all that was remaining of them being small particles of flesh. All the others were badly injured, and on being rescued were sent to the Sydney Hospital. Lieutenant Hammond is manager of the Telephone Exchange and Lieutenant Bedford manager of a Joint Stock Bank. The mines were being ! fired in the presence ot & large number of the public, and among the horrified spectators were bis Excellency the Governor, the Earl of Jersey and family, and the wife of Lieutenant Hammond. It is believed that Mrs Hammond's mind has become deranged owing to the accident.

April 5. The stern part of the torpedo cutter was cempletely blown away, but the survivors managed to keep afloat with, the assistance of the remaining part of the boat. Sapper Grant, one of the survivors, states that the first mine twice refused to fire, whereupon a new cable was attached to it, which he thinks must have been connected with the mine on board. Sapper Borland deserves great credit for his action towards his comrade Brentall, who wps lying senseless in the remaining part of the boat. Borland kept the boat afloat till Brentall was rescued, remarking tbat if he did not die from the shock he would not let him die by drowning. After the explosion pieces of dead bodies were seen floating about,, and liver, lungs, and portions of a head ' were discovered by the survivors while they were waiting the arrival of a rescue boat. In one case two arms aud part of the shoulders with the head almost wrenched off sank, before

they could be picked up. Colonel Dei Wolski, was one of the vice-regal party present, says that so long as men are allowed to fire tuese hasty cbargea merely for purposes of public demonstration they must expect the possibilities of explosion. The men should not have run tbese risks merely to give ladies a pleasant afternoon. As only scattered fragments of flesh were recovered of those killed in the gun cotton disaster, it was impossible to identify them and therefore no inqueat was held, The remain.* were placed in one coffin and buried today in Waverly cemetery, in the presence of a very large assemblage. His Excellency the Governor and three thousand troops attended the funeral, The injured men are recovering, and though several of them are quite deaf it is hoped that the affliction is only temporary.