CYLINDER EXPLODES.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 31 March 1926, Page 9

CYLINDER EXPLODES.

WORKMEN SEVERELY BURNED. SHOWER, OF MOLTEN ZINC. By Telegraph—Press Association. AUCKLAND, March 30. Five men were severely burn el about the lace and arms at the corrugated iron works of Samuel Barker,. Ltd., Mechanics Bay, shortly after II o’clock this morning. The accident was caused through an iron cylinder, which they were engaged in galvanising, exploding just as it was being Jilted out of the container in which there wq,re molten zinc and sal ammoniac-. \I ithin a lew minutes of the mishap the men were on their way. to the hospital, where their painiul injuries were immediately attended to. The names and addresses of the injured are as follows : C. AVheeler, Ponsonby, severe burns to face and arms, and left eye damaged. G. Soares. Wellington Street, -burns to lace and arms. F. Horne, Manukau Road, burns to face and arms. E. U. Beeehey, Osborne Street, burns to face and arms. F. E. Willetts, Dunbar Road, .slight burns to face and anus. Messrs AA heeler, Horne, Beoehcv a "<! Soa !'l’ s were admitted to hospital, Wlult' AA’illetts, after' receiving ntten- | Ijoji, was iiblc to proceed to his home. Several other employees who were in the vicinity ;it the time received minor burns from living molten metal. No one 'ennld account for the accident. A\ orkrnen bad done similar jobs of greater magnitude on scores of occasions pretvmsly. The evlinder had been closed both ends and soldered preparatory to being placed in the molten zinc and sal ammoniac Lath for the purpose of being galvanised. AA hen the cylinder or tank was being lifted out of the molten metal hath' and was half-way np, an explosion occurred, throwing showers in e"cry direction, even np to a distance- if 25 feet away. Molten zinc itself causes a. most, painful burn; hut when sal amoniae is added the pain is r t.cli more excruciating. G. Clraydon, who received minor burns about, the arms, stated that the cylinder was blown from the ropes that held it, and struck Graydon, who was knocked back into a tub of .sawdust with his arms burnt bv molten zinc. The remainder of tlir men were showered with zinc, which caused their clothing and hair to ignite. One* man’s hair, said Graydon, was alight, and "hen liis mate ' endeavoured to extinguish it with u hat that too ignited. r I he shirts worn by tlic* men taken to hospital were burnt to r-bbons, and gave mi idea ol the extent and nature of the injuries received hy those i.ion. Other men who were in On* vicinity, stated that hundreds of cylinders with smaller boles than Jinso in the evlinder that exploded bad been dipped without mishap.