THE UPPER HUIT TRAGEDY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2110, 30 March 1914, Page 4

THE UPPER HUIT TRAGEDY.

The distressing tragedy, at- th< Ujipfer Hutfc on Saturday jaigHl , last, when six mtti lost their lives and .jnafty mere were injured by afi unexpected explosion wJiH occurred during the progress of a file in a local store, will come as « shock tt the whole community, Tho drcurnstances of th© sa4 affair .a,re in sow aspects simple enough, hut the cMei am fppjpn% only cause of tfic shocking- loss of life raid widespread ■casualties seems to be surroiinded with a mystery which is difficult to uftcierstaiid, and wMeh sails for , the closest investigation, the fire, .in itself, thaugh it had every prasjieet of boing destructive of prbjpei'ty,. was hardly likely,. to imperil the lives of toy of those combating , it, or of those endeavouring;, to save tie .conteats of the burning buildings,' It Was the explosion which occurred while willing workers ■worn engaged m removing goods that brought about the tragedy, and m one seems to m able to clear up the mystery as- to what caused that explosion. It is iftcon.ee?vahle. that the ownevs. of the property could have knowingly permitted , Constable Hahojjey and tine othc-v wflfbvtiiftato victims of the tragedy to oeecHessly imperil fclieir lives jn- ■feiHoyin.g. .goods hm a tonrmftg building known to Contain explosives. As- a ftmttei ©f fa.et, Mr. BfcJtGE, one , of the owners, seems to have been engaged himaeif i; Q assisting to remove the firm's safe shortly before the explosion occurred, and presumably he at the time had no Aeuß-hti of any riajc beyoiKUhtr fire itself. Both he and his partner state that so- far as they know there were ■no explosives on. the premises, yet the fact- remains that the explosioi occurred,, that several lives' were lost as the result, and a mimbe* of> people injured. Bad it been known i ■that they-e were explosives in fchei store those who were assisting' to save! the contents of the building jiresiun- ■ ably v/mU not have venrtijr&d into it! when the five had secitfeci so firm a I hold; but no warning was given. No' J one, indeed, seems to have given the ! matter a thought. It is possible,' of! course, that sotne aid stock, may bavfl j bam overlooked or forgotten by the ■' proprietors of the store; or then*! may taw been fowl play oil the part ■ of some ontsWe person, though this '■■■ lattflv possibility (locs not seem to navfi boon suggested, aad is hardjy ! likely to bo. seriously' advanced. There is so«e talk of a boy having made a remark during the progress of the fire which implied that he knew there was a barrel of guftpow- (• del' or blasting powder stored on the premises, ■and no- doubt this, story ' will be fully incmired into at thq, investigation which must be hck.K What the public will particularly

wish to see in connection with that lnwist-igaiion is that lie .effort is ; spared to discover the cause of the explosion. The law makes provision for safeguarding the public against the earaesa or dangerous Storage of explosives, and while we do not 'wish to suggest that in the present instance, there has been any breach o{ the law, oi that M&ssbs. Benke ax.k PiUTt were aware of the. presence of explosives in their store, still the tragic happening at the Upper Etutt nas demonstrated bow necessary it is that there should be a strict inspection and enforcement of the law in the matter of the storage of explosives.