STREET EXPLOSION

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 February 1940, Page 3

STREET EXPLOSION

WELLINGTON TRAM DAMAGED

[PEB PBESS ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON, February 7

A violent explosion which could be heard more than a mile away, brought a tram travelling along Adelaide road toward the city from Island Bay to a sudden halt about 9.35 to-night. Floor boards in the front of the car were torn up, the front window was shattered, and several other windows cracked, but the vehicle remained on the tracks. None of the' six passengers was injured. The conductor and motoi'man were taken to their homes suffering from shock.

The accident occurred near the junction of Adelaide road and Chilka street, apd caused a delay of about 20 minutes to tram traffic. The damaged car was towed’ away to the Kilbirnie sheds, where it was reported to have been locked up pending examination by the police, From descriptions of the explosion it appears that it was external and had nothing to do with the mechanism of the tram. There have been instances in the past of children and irresponsible persons placing detonators on tramlines in Wellington, but no detonator would account for an explosion of such violence.

Mr. N. E.' Jackson, of 169 Daniell street.-Newtown, who was a passenger, said that the’ tram’ was travelling at a normal speed down a slight incline in Berhampore. Suddenly there was a violent explosion near the front of the car. There was a sound of shattering glass and the front passenger compartment was filled with grey-black smoke. The; tram lurched and" came to a stop after running a t'ew yards. The driver handled the situation with presence of mind and prompti-tude,-Mr. Jackson said. Glass in his compartment fell all round him, and his cap was blown off. Though shaken by the blast, he kept control of the car and brought, it to a stop before alighting in a dazed condition. There were about six passengers. Mi’. Jackson said. A.-'woman on board became hysterical and tried to jump off while the car was still in motion, but she was restrained by the conductor. '

A motorist, driving-behind the train described the explosion as terrifying. He said it was a miracle that the driver of the tram was not seriously injured.