FIRE AND EXPLOSION

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 May 1934, Page 6

FIRE AND EXPLOSION

SHED DESTROYED AT COBDEN. Just before midnight, last night, as the result, of a fire and an explosion, a small shed at the north tiphead, Cobden, the property of the Greymouth Harbour Board, was destroyed. The shed was erected when the work of extending the north tiphead was started, and was used for storing tools. The first impression was that, the person, or persons, responsible for the bomb explosion in Albert. Terrace early on Monday morning, had been active at Cobden, but. this theory is now discredited by the Harbour Board officials, although it is apparent that incendiarism was commtted. In a statement made to the “Star” to-day, the Chairmen of the Harbour Board (Mr. P. J. McLean) said the shed was broken into, last week, and p. quantity of tools stolen. A fresh lock was then put on the shed. It looked as though the building had been deliberately burnt, last night. It. was quite possible that there was a small quantity of gelignite among the stores in the shed, and that would account for the explosion. Mr. McLean said that the opinion was held by the Harbour Engineer (Mr. D. C. Milne) that the case was one of incendiarism, but not (•.tie of a bomb outrage. The shed and it- '>o’O-->nts were valued at £25. It was stated, this afternoon, by Constable T. Kearney, of Cobden, that a. man’s felt hat, found near the scene of the fire, had been claimed by the owner, to-day, and that it had no connection with the fire, as was at. first thought possible.