GAS EXPLOSION IN DUNEDIN.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11547, 1 April 1903, Page 7

GAS EXPLOSION IN DUNEDIN.

(FIIES3 ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) DUNEDIN, March 31. The water gas purifier at the City Uae Works was in some inexplicable manner utterly demolished at about ten o'clock this morning by an explosion, which smashed several windows in the main street of South Dunedin. The windows ail over the city rattled. (SPECIAL TO "THE PBESS.") DUNEDIN, March 31. A visit to the Gas Works shows that a line of three attached buildings,- consisting of the exhaust house, the purifying chamber, and the station meter-room wer : blown to pieces. The explosion evidently occurred in the station meter-house, and it is considered probable that it was caused by a leak, but the gas engineer can only conjecture. The meter seeme to be uninjured, and the exhaust machinery i*i apparently intact. It is estimated that about £2000 "will cover the d"amage. A singular

feature of the .iffair is that nobody was hurt, although several men, including the engineer, were standing in the direction of the explosion. The explosion sounded in the city like the report of a cannon. The fire bells immediately rang, as smoKe was issuing from the Gas Works, but th;j blaze was quickly extinguished. The teriaoe building, in which the explosion happened, was completely wrecked. The explosion evidently occurred in the meterroom, and is supposed to Have been caused through leakage. A seal from the meterhouse effectually prevented contact with the water gas thit'was stored, so that what exploded was water gas in the process of purification, consisting of about 2000 cubic ft. About £1600 will cover the damage. Windows in the houses in the neighbourhood were broken in dozen**.