GEORGE STREET EXPLOSION

Evening Star, Issue 19326, 12 August 1926, Page 2

GEORGE STREET EXPLOSION

PASSER-BY CLAIMS DAMAGED CITY CCPiPORATiOH CUED Tho case was continued at the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon, in which' Daniel Lankford Suiiili and his wifej Annie Smith, proceeded against tho Dunedin City Corporation for £2.‘i!l Ids (id damages. Tho claim was the aftermath of the sensational explosion in Miss Barnett’s confectionery shop in George street on October 2 last, when tho front part of the promises was destroyed. Mrs Smith was walking along the footpath at the time, and she was hurled on to tho road. Plaintiffs were represented by Mr W. G. Hay, and Mr H. E. Banrowclough appeared for the corporation. Mrs Scott, cross-examined by Mr Barrowclough, said that she went down the cellar out of curiosity. She did not notice any haze. She was a constant visitor to the place. Kate Barnett said there was a “most awful smell” in her shop before tho explosion occurred. She noticed a haze coming from the ventilator. Witness saw Miss Walsh give a candle to one of tho workmen. Tho lights had gone out on a previous occasion, and a candle had been kept handy. Samuel Crooks said he had a shop near Miss Barnett’s. There was a “peculiar smell” in his place, while the lights also went out. The smell reminded him of bitumen, but there was no suggestion of coal gas. He noticed a precisely similar smell when tho cables were being put in at tho Hanover street corner.

To Mr Barrowclough: When ho inspected Miss Barnett’s collar ho noticed it full of smoke.

In opening the case for tho defence, Mr Barrowclough said there would bo no one who would question the fact that Mrs Smith had had a very bad time of it. The question was not whether she had a claim or not, but whether she was proceeding against the right people. It had been asserted by Mr Hay that the corporation had burked inquiry, hut ho would liko to point out that every effort was made to get at tho truth. _ The police had interviewed all of plaintiffs’ witnesses, and also some of those for tho defence,, Tho matter had been referred to the Fire Board, which had taken no action in tho matter. Mr Hay: You must remember that Or John Wilson is chairman of the Fire Board. Mr Barrowclough: “Or Wilson is not the whole City Corporation.” Continuing, counsel said there was no evidence that tho corporation had burked inquiry. The police had all the evidence before it, and it had not taken any action. Mr Hay had alleged that a certain gas had been formed by tbe heating of the electric mains in the street. It was admitted that there had been a fusing of tho conduit, but the cable up to some distance from Miss Barnett’s had not been damaged. Plaintiffs wanted them to believe that the gas bad gone past two shops and had exploded in Miss Barnett’s collar. Counsel denied that tbe corporationworkmen (Davis and Keats) bad used a naked light in tho cellar. Tho question was whether prudent workmen would have done what they had. If they did what prudent men would have done then it would not be maintained that Davis and Eoats had shown negligence. There was evidence that the two men had carried a naked light through the collar, but that would ho denied by the defence. Davis would say that a candle was given to him, but he had put it in his pocket. This was borne out by Miss Walsh, who stated that when she gave Davis a candle ho had put it in his pocket. Davis had explained that ho did not want a candle. . Professor Tnglls said iliat ho had investigated tho explosion. Bitumen fumes were explosive when mixed with air to the extent of from 5 to 15 per cent. An explosive mixture of bitumen gas had a very strong smell. An explosive mixture of coal gas, on tho other hand, had a slight smell. Matthew Cochran Henderson, city electrical engineer, said that the main in front of Miss Barnett’s shop had been in since 1907. The most common cause of faults was for moisture to get into tho conduits. A short circuit would make a big difference to the lighting. If the heat dried out the arc the trouble might rectify itself. He thought there was no doubt that something of this kind happened in the case under consideration. The front part of Miss Barnett’s shop was blown into the street and the floor was blown into tho cellar. To Sir Hay: He was in Shepherds cellar after the explosion, and there was no smell of bitumen gas. Nobody knew definitely tho cause of the short circuit, but the most likely. explanation was that moisture had got into a crack. Alfred Henry Davies, reticulating engineer, said ho had been employed by tho corporation for nineteen years and had been connected with electrical engineering for about forty years. Witness could not detect any smell of bitumen when ho went to Miss Barnett’s shop. Witness had a candle m his pocket, and Keats struck a match at tho door of tho cellar. Ho did not require a lights as he was going to inspect tho fuse box, which was near the front of the cellar. So far as witness knew, Keats struck only one match. Immediately after the explosion a gas pipe broke off and commenced to flare. Ho noticed a small puncture in a small pipe heading to Shepherd’s. Tho case was adjourned until this morning.