A FOUNDRY EXPLOSION.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 18, 22 January 1926, Page 7

A FOUNDRY EXPLOSION.

BURSTING OF GAS CYLINDER. J BLACKSMITH'S SHOP -WRECKED THEATRE AUDIENCE ALARMED. (By Telegraph.-—Press Association.) WELLINGTON , , this flay. The explosion of an oxygen or compressed air cylinder at Niven and Co.'* foundry, in Wakefield Street, about KUO o'clock last night, startled by-passers, ns well as the audience in the Opera House, which is next door, and started a fire in the foundry. Fortunately there was nobody within close- range of the ■tremendous concussion, and though its fou\j blew out the front of the blacksmith's shop in which the explosion occurred and lifted the roof, as well as causing a breakage in the Opera House dressingroom windows, there was nobody hurt. As to the cause of the explosion there, can only be conjecture. The gas cylinder was lying on the floor of the blacksmith's shop of the foundry, and it is supposed that the great heat of the day, followed by some sudden fall in temperature, caused a momentary rush of expansion too great for the container to withstand. There was a flash and tremendous explosion, the roof of the shop lifted, the front was blown out, nnd a side wall was broken, scattering the office furniture nnd papers in all directions, and fire broke out. The brigade was quickly on the spot, and the fire had no chance" to make progress. On the floor, looking like a shrivelled and twisted piece'of tin. lay the casing of 1 the container, whose bursting had caused all the damage. At the Williamson Comedy Company 3 performance in the Opera House, close by, the audience was highly alarmed hy the explosion shaking the building heavily and the crashing of the dressingroom windows, but Miss Dorothy Lena, who was singing at the time, averted a panic by continuing with her gong after a moment's hesitation. Her calmness of nerve resulted in the audience remaining I seated.