MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19899, 30 May 1936, Page 9

MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.

A TIRRIFIO EXPLOSION. AN UNFORTUNATE FAMILY. (By Telegraph—Press Assouiation.) l PAHIATUA, Friday. A resident or Konlni, Job .\lahey,. married, a farmer, had a miraculous escape from death yesterday afternoon. lie wvus engaged in splitting trees with’ the aid of a patent sunspiitter. He had inserted the gun in a log and was about to light the fuse, when sud-l denly there was a terrific explosion at his side, setting fire to his coat and burning extensively his face, arms and wrists. A son, who was standing beside him escaped the force of the explosion, and had his father taken to the doctor. who ordered .\iabey, senior, to the hospital. it was at first believed that the sun had exploded prematurely, but on exa—mination revealed that. the charge was intact. and it is suggested that Mnbey inadvertently dropped the match or held it too close to an opened tin which contained 31b of blasting pow(101‘. The members of the victim's family have been most unfortunate this year. They had their house damaged a few months ago when a hurricane hurled the roof off it and .\labey sustained broken ribs. Then the house was burned down, and later both his wife and daughter have been in the hospital through sickness. Mabey is corsidered to be out of danger.