GUN ACCIDENT AT AUCKLAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 23 June 1911, Page 5

GUN ACCIDENT AT AUCKLAND.

THREE ARTILLERYMEN INJURED. (United Press Association.} A UCKLAN.D. Thu r sday. A serious accident occurred at Albert Park this afternoon in connection with the Coronation celebrations as a r-esult of a big .gtm explosion. At 12 o'clock the A Battery. N.Z.F.A.. uncle rMajor Shersoji, took up a position on the crown of the hill -overlooking the city, for the purpose of firing a salute of 101 guns. The proceedings were well under way when an- accident occurred in the act of firing one of the guns, as the result- cf which three men—Sergt. T. Pur-dy. Bomb. C. West, and G-u-nner A. Bartlett —were seriously injured. Just- how the accident happened no one who witnessed it seems quite in a position to -say, but Gunner Bartlett. who was the m-~«fc seriously injured man, had his arm badly mutilated, three fingers being blown right off, one- ot them falling into the lap of a. spectator some -distance away. Sergt. Pupdy and Bomb. West were both .injured about the face. The injured men were conveyed to a private hospital. A possible explanation of the accident vouchsafed was that the gun was being loaded and the breech bad not been closed properly, when the explosion occurred, blowing the breech out.