MAN INJURED BY EXPLOSION

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25954, 7 November 1949, Page 6

MAN INJURED BY EXPLOSION

ATTEMPT TO MAKE FIREWORKS FIRE DOES MINOR DAMAGE TO HOUSE White attempting to produce fireworks for Guy Fawkes Day celebrations on Saturday, a young man suffered burns to the left forearm. lie was admitted to the Burwood Hospital for treatment. He is Robert James McGlinn. of 38 Vogel street. Richmond. The accident happened when a mixture with which Mr McGlinn was working exploded. The explosion started a fire in the house, which caused slight damage before it was put out by a unit from the Christcnurch Fire Brigade. 1 Mr McGlinn’s condition was reported last evening to be quite satisfactory. YOUNG MAN’S HAND AMPUTATED GUNPOWDER EXPLODES IN PIPE (New Zealand Press Association.) AUCKLAND, November 6. An engineer, David Lowe, aged 22, of St. Andrews road, Epsom, lost a hand as a result of an explosion on Saturday evening. Lowe was filling a pipe with gunpowder when it exploded in his hand. He was taken to hospital, where it was found necessary to amputate the hand. YOUNG BOY DROWNED FALL INTO FLOODED RIVER (New Zealand Press Association.! AUCKLAND, November 6. A small child was drowned at Whatawhata, near Hamilton, this afternoon. He was Simon Tamiti, aged six, the adopted son of William Tamiti, Whatawhata. With some companions, the child was playing on the bank of the Waipa river, which was in flood. He slipped and fell into the water and was carried away by the swift-flowing current. A plucky attempt to rescue him was made by a companion, Sonny Rima, aged II who swam after the child and tried to bring him back to the bank. The attempt failed, however, and the younger child disappeared. COLLISION ON LEVEL CROSSING When the car he was driving and a goods train collided at the .Sawyers Arms road crossing on Saturday, Cornelius Charles Batchelor, of 109 Sawyers Arms road, had a narrow escape from serious injury. He was admitted to the Christchurch Public Hospital at 11.45 a.m, suffering from abrasions and leg injuries.« His condition last evening was reported to be satisfactory. The train, although travelling at a comparatively slow speed, carried Mr Batchelor’s car along the line before being brought to a stop. All four wheels were torn from the :ar. the back of the steel body was ripped from the chassis, and the front part was badly twisted. The train, travelling north, had just left the Papanui station when the accident happened. It was not a scheduled train, and was going north as far as Kaiapoi, shunting at various stations and picking up empty trucks. FALL FROM TRUCK A young man fractured his left arm when he fell from a motor-truck near Ashburton on Saturday evening. He was admitted to the Ashburton Public Hospital. He was Kevin Whiting, aged 18, of Hinds. His condition last evening was satisfactory. MEN RESCUED FROM DINGHY ADRIFT IN SOUTHERLY GALE LAUNCH OWNER’S GALLANT ACTION (New Zealana Press Association.) * a .WELLINGTON, November 6. At the risk of his own life, a Worser Bay launch owner gallantly rescued two men in a dinghy in the teeth of a southerly gale in Wellington harbour to-day. He was Mr J. Patchett, who drove his 18ft launch Huia through nigh southerly seas to rescue Rex Garrett and Ted Fletcher, of Seatoun. They were fishing in a 12-foot dinghy off Seatoun when the southerly sprang up almost without warning. In spite of their efforts to make the shore, they were blown rapidly down the harbour, and before long they were almost out of sight in driving rain squalls and spray. When Mr Patchett was told of the dinghy’s plight, he immediately put out into the gale. His launch, pitching and tossing, was almost smotnered breaking waves. He headed after the fast-drifting dinghy. The most dangerous part of the task came when he overtook the dinghy in the most exposed part of the channel between Ward Island and Scorching Bay, where the seas were rolling almost eight feet high. The launch came broadside to the waves as she turned to pick up the dinghy. Mr Patchett said afterwards he thought she would turn over. However, a line was flung to the dinghy and made fast after a hard battle against the gale. The launch and dinghy were welcomed at the Seatoun wharf by a crowd of mofe than 200.