EXPLOSION AT AN ENTERTAINMENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2657, 10 May 1894, Page 4

EXPLOSION AT AN ENTERTAINMENT.

A Sydney paper of April 12th gives the following account of an explosion, a summary of which was cabled at the time: —Last night a sensational incident occurred at an entertainment given at the Botany Town Hall, which resulted in the serious injury of an elderly lady named Mrs Anne Anglin, and leaser injury to two other women. The injuries were caused by the explosion of a tin of methylated spirits. The entertainment was a tableau vivant from “ Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” given by the Waterloo Warriors, a branch of the 1.0.G.T., and the hall was pacxed, A gallery ran aerdss the end of the hall, and a large number of people were seated in it. In connection with the tableau, a light was used to illustrate certain passages, and a young man named Stewart, who was reading the text attended to this light. The light was produced from methylated spirits held in a large tin reservoir, to which a lantern was conunected. During the early portion of the entertainment the light was imperfect and flickered a good deal. The persona in charge behind the scenes urged Stewait to put more spirit into the can, and ultimately yielding to their requests, he picked up a tin of the spirit with which to replenish the reservoir. In his hurry to get the matter fixed up he overlooked the fact that the flame was still burning in the lantern, and as he poured the spirit in it became ignited, and exploded the can. A sheet of flame shot out from the spirit right into the faces of the people sitting in the front row of the audience, and, fed by the spirit in the can, burnt fiercely for some seconds. Great excitement prevailed in the crowded house when the explosion took place, and the audience, fearing fire, became panic-striken. A woman let her baby fall from the balcony, but it fortunately escaped without serious injury. Arushwas made for the doors, and one man attempted to get through one of the balcony windows, which left him with a 20ft jump to the ground. He was dragged back just in time to prevent his fall. When the excitement cooled down, which it did rapidly on the flickering out of the flame from the spirit, it was found that some of the audience in the front row had been badly burnt by the flame. Stewart, the young man who was manipulating the light, escaped with very slight burns. Mrs Annie Anglin, aged 66, who resides at Botany road, Botany, sustained very serious burns to the head and neck. Florrie Swanson, aged 17, a laundress, residing at 2, John street, Alexandria, was also seriously burnt about the face and neck, and Georgia Lingard, aged 24, also of 2, John street, Alexandria, sustained burns though not of such a severe character. Constable Castles, of North Botany, conveyed the injured woman to the Sydney hospital. Mrs Anglin was admitted in a critical condition’. Miss Swanson was also admitted to the institution.