TWO PEOPLE KILLED.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20562, 2 June 1932, Page 14

TWO PEOPLE KILLED.

GELIGNITE EXPLODES. TRAGEDY NEAR MORRINSVILLE. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEOEiM.) AUCKLAND, June 1. Two people were killed and one injured in an explosion which occurred in a house on the Hangawera road, three miles from Morrinsville, at 9 o'clock this morning. Tho victims of the tragedy are:— KILLED. MES LILLIAN KELLY, aged 2i years. MARIE LILLIAN KELLY, aged 1 year 9 monthg. INVJUBED. ME JOSEPH BOY KELLY, aged 39 years, farmer. The tragedy occurred in tho kitchen of a neatly designed house of brick and fibrous plaster situated on an eminence within a chain of the Hangawera Toad. For some timo Mr Kelly has been engaged in removing some dead pinus insignia trees from the vicinity of the house. Within a few yards of the kitchen door was a stump standing sft high. Mr Kelly inserted a plug of gelignite under the stump yesterday but tho resultant explosion failed to remove tho obstacle. He purchased 15 plugs of gelignite in Morrinsvillo in the evening, with the intention of using it ou the stump this morning.

A Terrific Explosion, When he commenced operations today, lie found tliat the gelignite wus very hard owing to the severe frost, nine degrees being recorded. In order to increase its explosive power ho decided to soften it. He placed 15 plugs on a small platform in front of a heated oven and left them there. In the kitchen were Mr Kelly, his wife and his two children, Marie Lillian and Stella, aged three years. The gelignite remained where Mr Kelly left it for a few minutes and it then" exploded with terrific force. Mrs Kelly and the child Marie received the full "force of the explosion. Mrs Kelly was literally blown to pieces. The child Marie was struck in the body and died within a few minutes. Mr Kelly was not injured by tbo explosion but he received & nasty gash in the head by a piece of falling debris and was temporarily | stunned. The child Stella escaped unhurt. | Kitchen Takes Tire.. When Mr Kelly recovered consciousness he found the kitchen on fire. Ho picked up the two children and carried them outside, where he called for help. His cries were heard by his father-iti-law, Mr J. E. Leeson, and by his brother-in-law, Mr John Leeson, *vho were at work in neighbouring paddoeke. The explosion had been heard by them but knowing that Mr Kelly had been removing stumps their attention had not been specially attracted by it. ' The fire was quickly suppressed. The child Marie was in a terrible condition and died in her father's arms. Damage to House. Extensive damage* had teen done by the explosion, the whole of the kitchen and it? contents being completely wrecked. The brickwork surround-ing the stove and mantelpiece were shattered, the roof was lifted, and the ceiling was partially removed, while the windows and crockery in the kitchen and the adjoining room were broken. Pieces of glass were thrown 60ft away. The cause of the explosion is not known. Mrs Kelly -was born within a few hundred yards of the spot in which she met her tragic death, and had lived all her life in the locality. She was married to Mr Kelly five years ago. Mr Kelly was removed to his father-in-law's home and was given medical attention. His condition is not serious. An inquest was opeued and adjourned. )