WELLINGTON EXPLOSION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 25, 29 December 1925, Page 11

WELLINGTON EXPLOSION.

COMPRESSED AIR TANK BURSTS. WINDOWS AND WALLS DAMAGED. Through the failure to work of a safety-valvo attached to an air com-, pressor used by a firm for the purpose of inflating motor tyres, an explosion occurred yesterday morning in Seater’s Buildings, Lambton Quay, Wellington. This safety valve is supposed to act automatically when the air in tho tank reaches a pressure of 2001 b. to the square inch. In this instance, however, it failed to act, and, when the pressure had reached to over 2501 b to the square inch, the end of the tank* a thick metal cap about 10 or 12 inches in diameter, and weighing about 61b. blew out, and was hurled across the store-room in which it was kept, smashing the timbers of a bunk, and being twisted out of shape. The greatest damage was done by tho tremendous rush of air. Windows were completely smashed, a lead pipe on a big gas meter close by was blown off, and tho fittings of the meter were damaged. Electrical meters on the wall were wrenched off and twisted about, while the door also was twisted, necessitating the use of force to open it. Cracks were made in the concrete and plaster on the wall of tho room, and the concreto wall dividing the store-room from tho passage way running from the street through to the back of the building was cracked from floor to ceiling. A big glass window partition separating an office from the store-room was completely shattered. Everything was covered with pieces of broken glass, and the door was blown open. It was fortunate that there was no one in this office at the time of the _ explosion. Another glass partition dividing a room from an office in the building was shattered, the flying glass cutting the hands and arms of two mon working in the room. Had anyone been in tho store-room when tho explosion occurred he would in all Srobability have been seriously injured. o damage was done to the front part of the building.