THE EXPLOSION AT BALLARAT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXV, Issue 7793, 25 February 1886, Page 5

THE EXPLOSION AT BALLARAT.

The following is the Argus' account of the explosion at the Ice Works, Ballarat, of which we received telegraphic advice:— A terrible explosion occurred at the Ice Factory, Ballarat East, early this morning, resulting in the instant death of Gustav Hang, 25 years of age, and Jacob Buller, 15 years old, and serious injury to Mr Thomas Jenkins, the proprietor of the establishment, and local, agent for the Queenscliff Fish Company. The works were formerly owned by Mr Max Eichter, now of Sandhurst, who recently sold to Mr Jenkins. The ice-making machine was one of Messrs Vaas and Liftman's, and known as the direct-heating, the refrigeration being by means of ammoniacal gas generated from concentrated solution of ammonia. It appears that Mr Jenkins entered into possession of the factory on Wednesday last, and with his two employees received instructions as to the working of the apparatus, and yesterday evening commenced the manufacture of ice. Operations went on successfully until this morning at four o'clock, when the sleeping inhabitants of the city and town were aroused by a tremendous report and a concussion in the air which led nearly every person to believe that an earthquake had occurred. The noise aroused residents within a mile of the explosion, and in some houses windows were broken and crockeryware was shaken from the shelves. Looking in the direction of the factory, an immense cloud of black smoke and dust was seen arising, and immediately both fire bells rang out, which increased the terror, and a large number of people proceeded to the locality. The factory was a complete wreck, the building being reduced to amass of broken timber and shattered brickwork, while the surrounding houses appeared as if they had been subjected to a fire of artillery, many of the wooden structures being perforated with the flying bricks as though penetrated by cannon balls. The first comera discovered the body of young Buller lying about 50 yards from the building with a firerake in his hand as if he had been in the act of drawing the fire from under the ammonia cylinder at the time of the occurrence, while Hang was taken from amongst the dibris, with life quite extinct, and almost unrecognisable. Jenkins, who had lain down to sleep at the rear of the storehouse, was heard to groaa, and Captain Trotman, of the Ballarat Fire Brigade, with others, extricated him from the fallen building. Jenkins was almost insensible, iwith a horrible cut across his brow, and suffering from acute nervous shock. He was at once conveyed to the hospital. The cause of the explosion appears to be that the lad Buller, being in charge of the firing, super-heated the ammonia in the cylinder, and the tube-cock, being half down, was insufficient to carry off the gas as it generated. A most remarkable escape was experienced by a man, named Richard Pavey, his wife, and family, who were sleeping on the establishment. Their rooms were separated from the machinery department by a padded partition of sawdust, and although heavy portions of the machineryfell through the roof of the bedroom, the only injury was sustained by the husband, who was slightly bruised on the brow, and one of the children was slightly burnt on the arm. The bedroom of Mr and Mrs Bastian, residing about 100 yards away, was penetrated by bricks, one of which inflicted a severe lacerated wound on the eyebrow of Mrs Bastian as she lay in bed. The house of Mr W. Jordan was completely riddled with bricks, one of which broke through the boards and broke the upright joist immediately behind his head.