SENSATION AT WAIHI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17784, 18 May 1921, Page 8

SENSATION AT WAIHI.

! EXPLOSION OF GELIGNITE. BOARDING HOUSE DAMAGED. WOMEN'S NARROW ESCAPES. [BY TELEGRAM.—OWN COIUtESPO NDEN'T. ] WAIHI, Tuesday. A dastardly attempt was made at 1.30 o'clock this morning to wreck the Commercial Hotel, a large boarding house in Seddon Street, A charge of gelignite was exploded in the kitchen range, with the result that considerable damage was caused. Fortunately, tha * occupants of the®house escaped injury. The explosion practically demolished the range, and the chimney was rent from bottom to top. Pieces of iron were hurled through the partition into the dining room, and damaged tho furniture and crockery. Portion of the door of the range was found in this room. The force of the explosion acted principally in a straight line from the range, smashing everything in its path. Two young women employed in the hotel had remarkable escapes. They were sleeping in a room adjoining the kitchen, but were untouched by the flying missiles. Apparently the side of the stove against the wall of the bedroom showed greater resistance to the shock of the explosion a front P or ti on, with the result that the explosion took an outward and upward direction. Although people living some distance irom the boarding house were awakened by the explosion, many of the boarders slept right through it. boarder who was one of the first to reach the kitchen states that be noticed gelignite fumes. The police discovered a portion of a burnt fuse in the debris of the kitchen, so that there can be little room for doubt as to the cause of the explosion. The building inspector has ordered the chimney to be taken down. Had the explosion caused it to fall the young women sleeping in tho room adjoining the kitchen would probably have been killed. Boarders at tho hotel recently had a dispute with the proprietress, Mrs. Young, owing to the tariff being increased from 32s 6d to 35s a week.