FATAL ACCIDENT

Grey River Argus, 24 April 1937, Page 9

FATAL ACCIDENT

SULPHUR EXPLOSION Employee Killed WANGANUI TRAGEDY. (Per Press Association.) .WANGANUI, April 23. . A tragedy occurred at Kempthorne Prosser’s Works, Aramoho, . shortly before noon, when, an explosion and fire oecurerd, presumably through a spark from a belt in the sulphur store, in which a number of men were working. J. Bovey, mairied, Durie Hill, died as the result of injuries, on the way to the hospital. J. Gould, single, Trafalgar Place, wa.l admitted to the hospital, very badly burnt. . . , Other employees, slightly tnjulred, or suffering from the effects of sulphur fumes are: —D. Lockett, Al. McKenna, J Penn, J. Huggins, B. Phillips, and A. Witt. Fireman Ching also had. to be taken back to the .station, suffering from -the effect of fumes. The fire is still in progress., the Brigade being confronted with a difficult task.

Two Brothers Killed

TREE FALLS ON HUT.

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

WHANGAREI, April 23

A pine tree fell on a hut at Rangiahua. last night, killing Murdoch Ogle, aged nearly 12, and Walter Ogle, aged 13. both sons of Joseph Ogle. The hut was about three-quarters o f a chain from the homestead, and the tragedy was not discovered until this morning. When Ogle went to call the boys, he found the pine tree had blown over, Smashing the hut to pieces. When he cut away the remains of th c building, he found the tree had fallen lengthwise across the double bed, in which the boys were sleeping- Both were dead. It was necessary to cut away the tree to remove the bodies. It is surmised that the tragedy occurred at 11 p-m... when th c family heard what they though was a sheet of iron being blown about.

Further Details

MAN’S TERRIBLE INJURIES

WANGANUI, April 23One workman lost his life,, another received serious burns,, and six otlieis were affected by fumes when sulphur dust in an elevator shaft at Kempthorne Prosser’s chemical works _ at Aramoho became accidentally ignited this morning- The man who lost his life wag , JOHN OSCAR BOVEY, aged 48 years, of 46 Durie Street, Durie Hill, a married man with four childrenGeorge Gould, who resides at Trafalgar House, was severely burned, -and. was taken to Wanganui Hospital., where he is reported to be progressing favourablyThe other workmen who suffered from .the effects of the sulphurous fumes, but who were able to proceed to their homes, were: Mesisr s L- Lockett, of Springvale Road; Al- McKenna, of 9 Tanguru Street, Wanganui East; J. Penn, of 19 Alexander Street; J. Huggins, of 218 Hoad’s Road,, BPhillips, of 101 Campbell Street; AWitt, of 54 Jones Street,, Wanganui 'East- ... , It appears that tho eight workmen were- engaged at the bottom of the elevator which conveys sulphur Mom Hie trucks to thc storerooms, when the elevator belt left its) pulley at the top of the building- The workmen all then proceeded up the steep .stairs to replace the belt. This was carried out, but- it is understood that the belt again left the pulley, and it was while it was being replaced the second time that the friction in the shaft suddenly ignited the sulphurous dustThree of the workmen,. J- Huggum, B- Phillips and L- Lockett, proceeded out on. to the staging on the roof of the building about 50 feet from the ground- One man jumped clear from the top of the .shaft into a deposit ot sulphur in the .storeroom,, and he was followed by two others who had proceeded some distance down the ladder. '

Bovey and Gould, it appeaiis, negotiated the stairs through the fumes and sulphurous fumes to the ground, a distance, of well over 40 feet- The former was severely burned, and when ho emerged, from a doorway at the foot of the elevatort, portion of his clothing was burning from his bodyIt was apparent then that h’s condition was critical- Gould was seriously burned,, and after receiving treatment by their fellow workmen the .two injured men wer’e placed in an lanceBovey died en route to hospital, and Gould was admitted to the institution in a serious condition- The three workmen w r ho emerged on the staging at tho top of the building were assisted to the. ground by fellow workmen with the aid of ropes and a ladder; and were shaken by their) experience- Three- who jumped into the sulphur deposit, were affected by the fumes, and one man received a burn on the handThe Wanganui Eire Brigade had a difficult task on account of the fumes, and several firemen experiienced trouble with their eyes. They were treated by a doctor.