THE WRECKED TOTE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 October 1924, Page 9

THE WRECKED TOTE.

MYSTERIOUS EXPLOSION ATTRIBUTED TO ESCAPE OF GAS. The New Zealand Herald on Saturday morning made the following statement: “It has been definitely ascertained. a-s the result of an expert investigation, that the explosion in the totalisator house at the Avondale Jockey Club’s course on r.he evening of September 22 was due .to an escape of coal gas. The matter' was investigated on behalf of the insurance companies interested by an insurance loss assessor. On the origin of the explosion rested the liability or nonliability of the companies to repair the damage. Had the explosion been the result of a malicious act,’no liability would have rested upon the insurance companies. The cause having been determined as accidental, the loss will be met under tbe terms of the policies.” Tbe Auckland Star says that nothing definite was revealed, but it has been assumed that it was due to an escape of gas, which entitles the club and the owner of the damaged machines to draw the insurance. It is purely an assumption to attribute the explosion, to gas, for nothing conclusive was discovered. The Auckland Gas Company does not acknowledge that gas caused the mysterious happening.