STARTLING ACCIDENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 260, 1 November 1921, Page 6

STARTLING ACCIDENT.

EXPLOSION ON MOTOR LAUNCH OWNER BADLY BURNT.

A startling accident occurred at tho ; Clyde Quay Beat Harbour, in Wellington, about 2.15 p.m. on Saturday, when i Allan Humphries, pintle, aired 24 years, ' residing at 83, Hanson Street, \va a seri- i ously burnt, through tlie . explosion of ', the benzine tank of a motor-launch,! which he was in the act of soldering. The injured man wan hurried to the hospital. Those who happened to be in the vicinity of the Boat Harbour when the mishap took place were surprised by a loud explosion. Within a few moments Humphries' motor launch Micky, which was hauled up on to the cement bank near the Te Aro baths, was a mass of flames. Humphries leapt from tho vessel, and, with his clothes ablaze from his neck to his feet, jumped into the harbour. George Whiteford, the Harbour Board's caretaker, ran to the water's edge and pulled Humphries out. L. Wixon, with great presence of mind, dashed to where a patent fire extinguisher is kept in a shed for such emergencies, and with its prompt application suppressed the Haines in the launch.----s Humphries was almost in a state of collapse, suffering from severe burns on his arms and face, and all.the hair was burnt off one side of hi 3* head. His eight, however, was not affected. Tho legs of his trousers were burnt completely off, and other portions of his clothing were charred. The launch wa. only slightly charred.