GELIGNITE EXPLODES.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 12 July 1935, Page 5

GELIGNITE EXPLODES.

SEVEN PEOPLE SERIOUSLY INJURED. HOUSE COMPLETELY WRECKED (By Telegraph—Press Association.) FEILDING, This Day. Through an explosion of gelignite a whole family of seven people have been sent to hospital following a house being completely wrecked on the Road at 7.45 a,m. to-day.

Frank Cowdrey, aged 32, a fanner, was carrying out stumping operations this morning when he placed 60 plugs of gelignite in the kitchen oven to warm. Edward Robinson (18), an employee, warned Cowdrey of the dangerous risk, but Cowdiey said, "It would not go off." Three minutes later while the family were at breakfast round the kitchen table, there was a terrific explosion.

Robinson told the police afterwards that his chair and the floor were blown from under him. He staggered outside dazed and then returned and found all the children, namely, Maurice (9), Beverly (6), Nita (3), Raymond Davies (9), (brother of Mrs. Cowdrey) with their father and mother lying on the floor. He. took the children out, while the mother was able to walk out, but the father was too injure! to help himself.

The house then caught fire and Robinson went back and extinguished this later.

An investigation by a medico and the police showed that the whole of the occupants are more or less seriously injured, though no life wag lost. Alt have been taken to hospital. The kitchen table was blown to splinters and the wall blown out of the whole house, which was practically wrecked.