A FATAL EXPLOSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14237, 7 December 1909, Page 6

A FATAL EXPLOSION.

BOY'S VIOLENT DEATH. TERRIBLE INJURIES. [BY telegraph.— association.] Palmerston North, Monday. An explosion of acetylene gas, with shocking results, occurred in Church-street East ,on Saturday evening, whereby Edward Mundy, a lad 14 years of age, was killed almost instantly. He was a son of Mr. James Mundy, bootmaker, .and, being of a mechanical turn of mind, had made an acetylene gas generator out of an oil drum, which fitted loosely into a circular tank filled with water. The gas was used to light up a small cinematograph apparatus which deceased had. It appears that just after six o'clock deceased and his brother William were attempting to light the gas in a tube fixed to the end of the drum, when the explosion occurred. Deceased must have been leaning over the generator at the time, for the top of the oil drum was blown out, and struck him in the face, cutting the top off his head from the eyes to the back of the skull. Deceased's arm was also broken by the explosion. The top of the oil drum struck the roof of the shed with tremendous force, taking a piece out of one of the rafters and lifting the iron off the roof. Deceased's brother had a very narrow escape. He bad his right hand near the generator, when the explosion occurred, but escaped with sever© injuries to the hand. Dr. O'Brien was called in and found deceased in a frightful condition, and just breathing his last. An inquest was held this morning, and a verdict was returned that deceased was killed by an accidental explosion of acetylene gas.