YESTERDAY'S FATALITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 148, 22 June 1894, Page 4

YESTERDAY'S FATALITY.

THE FATAL CYLINDER.

NOT A DANGEROUS PATENT.

STATEMENT BY MR NAPIER.

In connection with ihe terrible accidenb ab the Freezing Works yesterday, by which Messrs Kennedy and Lusher losb their lives, Mr W. J. Napier, who is acting as solicitor for one of the owners of tbe aerated water patent, on being interviewed, gave some additional information aa to tbe patent and the business which ib was proposed to carry on therewith. Mr Napier states that the two patents with which Mr Kennedy waa travelling are nob new. They have been in working order in England, portions of the United States, and a great portion of Australia for four or five years. Mr Kennedy came here to introduce ib bo New Zealand. The principal patent is an improved method of and apparatus for the .era-ion of liquids, and has been registered in the Patent Office in Wellington for the lasb two years. It entirely dispenses with bottles as under the old system,' and lemonade, ginger ale, soda water, seltzer water, beer or wines aerated, can be obtained from bhe machine simply by pressing a button. lb is claimed thab the liquid so obtained is of much superior quality to the bottled liquids in consequence of a particular feature of tbe patent preventing the admission of atmospheric air during the process of drawing oil', so tbat the liquid drawn is completely charged with pure carbonic acid gas. Mr Kennedy waß the travelling agenb for the owners of tbe Australasian rights, from whom he held a power of attorney. He was nob a partner, as has been stated. THE CYLINDERS. The cylinders have been used throughout Australia for several yeurs, and there never has been bhe slightest accident, nor is there any danger when usod in the ordinary way. Mr Lusher was to have been distributing agenb ab Auckland. It had been arranged that the central depot should be at Auckland, and all tbe machines imported were to be stored here and hired oub bo the various customers throughout New Zealand. Cylinders charged with 8 to 12 gallons of airuted water were to bo eupplied from tho central depot for the use of customers, bottles being entirely dispensed with. It had at first.been intended to have obtained a supply of cylinders for New Zealand froni the Sydney manufacturer, who always tested tbe cylinders before supplying them. An effort was made bo geb bho locallyrequired cylinders manufuctured in Auckland, at the suggestion of Mr Napier, in order to popularise the industry. The cylinder which was being tested was tho first made here, and proving to be leaky, tbe water test was adopted in order to ace where tho escapo was. A FAULT. GUAGE. The gauge which was used in testing the pressure, Mr Napier is assured, was faulty, und as tho test was being proceeded with, its defectiveness waß apparent. Mr Napier is assured that ac tho time ot the explosion there was a very much greater pressure in the cylinder than the gauge registered. Mr Kennedy, though dealing with a greab nabural force such as this carbonic acid gas was, was ,co familiarised with ib that probably he did not take the precautions which a loss experienced person might have done. "The suggestion conveyed by Mr Cozena that Mr Kennedy did nob appear to correctly understand the ratio of temperature to pressure is," Mr Napier says, "ridiculous, because Mr Kennedy not only was long accustomed to the patent and the use of bho gas, bub was also well read in chemistry, and had been a professor in an American university. As to the liquified carbonic acid gas which ie used in the operation, it has been as much an article of commerce for many years as choese, therefore the use of chab gas ie in no way dangerous." The imprudence consisted in putting the leaky cylinder so heavily charged into a liquid of higher temperature, the water, This caused an immediately increased expansion of the gas, which resulted in the explosion. The New Zealand rights ot the patent had been purchased lately from Mr James Anson Wheeler, of Sydney, the owner of the Australasian rights, and a Company is being formed here to work the rights throughout the colony. The inventor is Mr Farrow, an eminent engineer of London, who has already made an immense fortune by the salo of tho patent rights throughout tho world. Many of the principal clubß and hotels in England and America have adopted the invention, and ib is also being largely introducedj on the Continenb of Europe. Mr Kennedy had been in Mr Napier's office a few moments before the explosion bo oomplebe all bhe deeds in connection wibb the sale of the New Zealand rights, he holding a power of attorney from, Mr Wheeler. Some sliehb disagreement between the parties having occurred on one point, the matter was postponed until a later period of the day, and Mr Kennedy then proceeded to the office in the Freezing Company's Works, where he met his death. THE INQUEST. As we wenb to press to-day an inquest was proceeding at Gleeson> Hotel, Cus-toms-street, into the circumstances attending, the death of Messrs Kennedy and Lusher yesterday at the Freezing Works. Dr. Philson, coroner, presided. THE LATE MR KENNEDY. Mr Harvey Emmerson Kennedy, who was one of the victims of yesterday's explosion, was a Canadian by birth, and a married man. Mr Kennedy was evidently an M.A., for his letters are bo directed. THE FUNERAL. It wa. arranged that as soon as the inquest was concluded to-day the bodius of Mr Lusher and Mr Kennedy should be removed to the formoi*. late residence in Havolock-stre.., IVnuu which place the funeral of bothTjm .-leceased wil* take place to-morrov<' J jgfcE***-ig f°r W&Lfc.niiti at 1.30 o'cloc'* vJ3 :j r-.K*-*-;u«~^V fjrstf w. r. fkfsm •Wua-rfi * raaCf --< "Sis* •-& I tl'M [;si\im~~^ Br^H, .-_<rS_Mj *" fr -^fJjH |"_ier -o come to Aneiiife"- lo is nob knownf however, whether mra Kennedy has yet started.