EYES BLOWN OUT

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 283, 3 November 1925, Page 13

EYES BLOWN OUT

PREMATURE EXPLOSION, MEN’S TERRIBLE INJURIES. SYDNEY, Oct. 16. A prematuro explosion at North Goulburn this week robbed Charles Wilson of tlie sight of both eyes, and otherwise seriously injured him. Wilson, specially skilled in blasting work, was in charge of a number of workmen, at a gravel quarry in North Goulburn Park. Blasting operations were being carried out on an outcrop of stone, and Wilson, finding it necessary to use a 121 b charge of gelignite to dislodge the piece of rock on which they were working, took on himself tho responsibility of exploding the charge. The charge was packed carefully, and the usual length of fuse, which should have allowed time for the operator and his assistant to run clear before the explosion, was fixed and lit by Wilson. He was still bending over the fuso with a lighted match in his hand, when, by some means not yet ascertained, the charge exploded. Wilson received the full force of the explosion in his face. His right eye was blown out, and his left eye was terribly mutilated—so much so, in fact, that it was found necessary to remove it. The right half of his ,face was praetiqall.y blown away. His assistant, Backhouse, was standing a few yards back, and was lifted from his feot by the force of the explosion, landing yards away. But excepting for a few minor bruises he escaped uninjured. Wilson, who is a married man, was hurried to hospital, where an immediate operation was performed. He is still in a serious condition, and little hope is entertained for his recovery. A child at Armidale, at the weekend, was seriously injured through playing too strenuously with a detonator which he found on the road. With other boys lie played with the detonator for about half an hour, and hit it, and jumped on it, without anything happening. But when he struck it with a stick it exploded, and. blew half his hand off. He, too, is in a serious condition.