Auckland Explosion

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVI, Issue 89, 31 March 1926, Page 5

Auckland Explosion

Shower of Hot Metal FIVE MEN BADLY BURNED. NO EXPLANATION AVAILABLE (Per Press Association). In the second edition of yesterday's “Tribune” it was reported that news of a cylinder explosion at Auckland had occurred and that five men had been rather severely injured. The following details arrived after going to press:— Auoklandt March 30. Five men were severely burned about the face and arms at the corrugated iron works of Samuel Parker, Ltd., Mechanics Bay, shortly after 11 o'clock this morning. The accident was caused through an iron cylinder, which they were engaged in galvanising, exploding just as it was being lifted out of a container in which there were molten zinc and salammoniac. Within a few minutes of the mishap the men were on their way to hospital, where their painful injuries were immediately attended to. The names and addresses of the injured are as follows:—C. Wheeler. St. Mary road, Ponsonby, severe burns to face and arms and left eye damaged; F. Horne, Manukau road, Newmarket, burns to face and arms; EH. Beechey, Osborne street. Newmarket, bums to face and arms; G. Soares, Wellington street, city, burns to face and arms; F. C. Willetts, Dunbar road, Mt. Eden, slight bums to face and arms. Wheeler, Home, Beechey, and Soares were admitted to hospital, while Willetts, after receiving attention, was able to proceed to his home. Several other employees who were in the vicinity at the time received minor burns from flying metal. No one could account for the accident this morning. The workmen havw done similar jobs of greater magnitude on scores of occasions previously. The cylinder which exploded was of the ordinary type used for containing petrol on motor waggons and buses. It had been closed at both ends and soldered preparatory to being placed in a molten zinc and salammoniac bath for the purpose of being galvanised. When the cyliner, or tank, was being lifted out of the molten metal bath and was halfway up the explosion occurred, throwing showers in every direction, even up to a distance of 25 feet away. Molten zinc itself causes a most painful burn, but when salammoniac is added the pain caused is much more excruciating. G. Graydon, who received minor burns about the arms, stated that be was standing-beside the bath which contained the molten zinc and salammoniac. The remainder of the men were stationed at various positions around the bath, and all were assisting to haul the cylinder from the bath. The cylinder was blown from the ropes that hetTit and struck Graydon, who was knocked back into a tub of saw* dust, with his arms burnt by molten zinc. The remainder of the men were showered with zinc, which caused their clothing and hair to ignite. One man’s hair, said Graydon, was alight, and when his mate endeavoured to extinguish it with his hat that, too, ignited. The shirts worn by the men taken to hospital were burned to ribbons, and gave an idea of the extent and nature of the injuries received by these men. Other men who were in the vicinity stated that hundreds of cylinders with smaller holes than those in the cylinder that exploded had been dipped without mishap.