PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 107, 29 January 1908, Page 8

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

"(raok; QTO .BPECTAI COBBIBPOXDEXTB.) . . •; •MASTERTON. EXPLOSION IN A MOULDING SHOP. ' A MAN INJURED. ' A .somewhat .serious 'explosion occurred at •j.. C. ', Ewington's :moulding shop in Queen Street-about 5. o'clock to-night. Tho men in tho" moulding .department of tlio works, which is fairly oxtensive, had just finished operations, and a vomig man named. William Darvill, nephew of tho proprietor,' was instructed, with .others, to run off tho remainiing molten..metal in..(;hc furnaco. By some means water had found its way into tho concrete compartment beneath the furnace, into which the superfluous metal is run. As' soon- as tho ; -fluid metal was; turned into the receptacle a loud report startled everyone, arid" on : -'-tho hands rushing out they fourid the; blast; furnace- wrecked, large pieces of solid .concrete scattered about, and Darvoll.jS'oyerely injured. Molten metal was sent flying in. fall directions, and started a grass fire, in a, paddock adjoining tho shop, which is filled With' old vehicles and timber. Th'o ? 'firiibclP rang' 'an alarm, and the brigade turned out-to suppress the flames, .which' was accomplished in half an hour. ■ Tho explosion was heard all over tho town, and a'i; excited crowd 'gathered at the works. At first it- was reported that Darvill was hopelessly injured .through ' being thrown: against a vehicle by the force of tjhe explosion, but after medical examination he was found to he severely burnt by hot metal, and badly shaken: ' It was marvellous that lie was not . killed outright, as the demolition of tlie smelting apparatus is complete, and in all directions nrp .evidences of the great force of the explosion. • Darvill'is singularly unfortunate. Ho-is a representative footballer, and last season sustained a badly-broken leg early in / the season during'' a.; game. Others standing close to the furnace at the time escaped quito uninjured..' :'.^f