THE LATE EXPLOSION.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 150, 28 December 1881, Page 2

THE LATE EXPLOSION.

' =• TO THE EDITOR OF THE EVENING POST. Sir,— Having bad some little experience in the manufacture of coloured fires of all descriptions, • perhaps it may not be oat of i place to express an opinion on the cause of the late dis istrous explosion. The composition , if made as stated by Mr. Anthony .Would i not explode if gallons of Water ware-thrown upon it, bnt ona drop of sulphuric Mid would ignite the mass. It ia not reasonable to suppose Bulphurio acid would .be used, i and as the composition will not explode when > mixel with water, some other causa must be looked for. Mr. Anthony states that, to got rid of the composition, he kad been burning small quantities in the back yard, and to this, £ think, can be traced the cftuae of the explosion. When coloured fire is burnt, a Uva-like deposit remains Jb«bind; thia deposit retainß the he»t for a very consirlerab'e time, and if any 5£ the remaining composition were thrown upon it, the same would immediately ignite The unfortunate lady, in my opinion, took the mortar in her hands, poured the composition contained therein on some of the lava of the previous ignited fire, and so caused the explosion. The mortar being inverted

would cause the fragments to be blown into the air, and the injuries received.by the person holding the mortar, would be ou the hands. The explosion could not have been caused by the composition in the mortar being scraped with a knife, or other artiole, because the fragments of the mortar, owing; to its shape, would have been blown to the ground and not over the houses into the Street. I am, &c, Fladbk Rajebid.