EXPLOSION IN A FOUNDRY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9042, 29 January 1908, Page 5

EXPLOSION IN A FOUNDRY.

AN EMPLOYEE SEVERELY INJURED. DAMAGE TO MACHINERY. Residents in the vicinity of Queen street north were startled, yesterday afternoon, about 4*45 ot!ock, by a loud report like the firjng of heavy cannon, and houses shook by the concussion. It was soon ascertained that there had been an explosion at Mr J. C. Ewington's foundry, and that an employee, named W. Darvill, had sustained rather painful injuries as the result thereof. During the afternoon Mr Ewington's staff had been engaged in casting operations, and at the conclusion of the work it was decided to run the remaining molten metal from the moulder into the accumulators below. Darvill turned the handle to allow the metal to pass out, but through carelessness on somebody's part some water had been left in the accumulators, and as soon as the molten material touched this a terrible explosion occurred. Two concrete pedestals at the bottom of the moulder, the galvanised iron wall, and portions of the casting machinery, intermingled with the liquid metal, "were scattered in alj directions, and by some portion of the ejected material Darv.iU wa3 struck. A number of the other employees who were standing around fortunately escaped without the slightest injury. The ii jured man, who remained conscious, but » who suffered greatly from the shock, was taken to his home in a cab, where he was attended to by Dr: Cowie. The back of Darvill's head and his shoulders and thighs . were severely \burnt and bruised, but the injuries are not expected to prove serious Another result of the explosion was that a portion of the casting machinery commenced to blaze, and the molten metal, which had been scattered abojt, caused small fires in pieces of old timber lying • about the foundry yard. The Fire Brigade was summoned,,' and the outbreaks were soon (extinguished. Darvill has been very unfortunate > as;, regards., accidents.: During the last few years he has competed in various cycling contests in Masterton, and .has on more than one occasion met with serious injury through other cyclists falling with their machines, and bringing him down. Even on . the cricket field fate seems to dog his foosteps, for he has several times had to cease play, while taking part in a match through receiving an injury in fielding a ball, keeping wickets or batting. Last season when playing for the Red Star Football Club against the Greytown Club he had a leg broken by a kick from an opposing player.