A WELLINGTON MONOPLANE.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14921, 20 March 1914, Page 2

A WELLINGTON MONOPLANE.

DESTKOVED BY FIRE

(r?.E!-S ASSOCIATION" TZLEGBJLMS.)

[ WELLINGTON, Aiarch 20. I Mr A. \X. Schau's monoplane was ] totally destroyed by iiro last niyiit, 1 with the ..-h«l iv wiiicii it was housed at Lyuil Jiiiy. Mr bcbief had been employed early in the afternoon eifectiim repairs to the parts damaged by a side slip on the beach on Monday afternoon, but ho needed somo tools to continue operations, ho returned to town, leaving in charge Mr Boyd. whom he had asked to get somo slue ready for him by tho time he returned. 'Ihe clue was to be heated by r. brazing lamp, and while Mr Sehaef was away, it is understood. Mr Boyd found some ditficulty iv [jetting the lamp going in tho windy air outside* tb-* olied. He therefore went inside and Heated the burner with some rag soaked in korasene. lie then began to pump air into tiie lamp. Unfortunately tiie jot had become blocked in somo way. and when the obstruction blew away under pressure of tho air, it was followed by a jet of kerosene. This ignited and struck a f.nek undor the engine, from the carburettor or which benzine had been dripping. The sack blazed up with the dry grass round it, iind immediately the engine and front of the monoplane were in flames. The engine was ruined, and the whole structure i winced to ashes and twisted ironwork.

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