SEVERE EXPLOSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20244, 2 May 1929, Page 12

SEVERE EXPLOSION.

ELECTRIC CABLE PUSES.

QUEEN STREET SENSATION.

SHOPS PARTLY WRECKED.

FIERCE ROAR OP FLAMES

INJURY TO A PASSER-BY.

After betraying its presence by a cloud of heavy smoke which warned people in the vicinity, a fused cable in Lower Queen Street, opposite the chief post office, caused an explosion shortly after five o'clock last evening, which tore the front from one shop and broke a number of other plateglass windows. Fortunately no one was seriously injured by the outburst, which hurled broken glass to the middle of the road, and was followed by flames*which burned furiously through tho pavement for over half-an-hour. *,

When the homegoing crowds were thronging the left side of Queen Street on their way to the ferries, a cloud of black smoke burst from the pavement, denoting the failure of one of tho electric cables under the footpath. Constables Collins and Christiansen, of tho waterfront police, were quickly on the scene, and with the aid of traffic officers diverted the stream of pedestrians on to the roadway. At the same time they warned tho Auckland Electric-Power Board, as did tho tramway officials at the control-box on tho corner. Shower of Broken Glass. It was well that the footpath was cleared of passers-by. Shortly afterwards an explosion like the report of a cannon startled the hundreds of people in the vicinity, and a shower of broken glass was hurled across the road, while jets of flame shot up from the footpath, burniag with a fierce roar to a height of over two feet. The greatest damage was suffered by the small-goods establishment of R. Chesney, Limited, the whole front of which was wrecked. The window was blown out, cooked meats, ham and bacon strewing the footpath, "while the two side-windows, flanking the doorway, were both shattered and their contents thrown out. The display of goods in the windows was hurled about in confusion, while the ceiling of the main window hung down in shreds. Escape of Shop Assistants.

Inside the shop some of the damage was remarkable. The heavy marble counter, over one inch thick and four feet wide, was split in three places, while the crosscounter at the far end of the shop was also affected by the concussion. Countercases were broken, the stock suffering severely. The manageress,, Miss M. Brownlie, and her four assistants, had a fortunate escape, none of them being injured in any way, although all received a severe shock.

The adjoining premises, those of Mr. J. W. Coleman, tobacconist, were more fortunate, although here again the two windows at the side of the door, about 12ft. by sft. each, were smashed, as well as a large mirror at the rear of the windows and a number of plate-glass shelves. Stock was thrown'all over the pavement from both the side-window and the main frontage, while there was also damage by smoke.

On the other side of the scene of the explosion, the chemist's shop of Mr. W. R. Taylor, the Dispensary, suffered a' broken window on the Queen Street frontage, but thero was no great damage to the contents. Plre Underneath Shop. The glare from the fire which followed the explosion attracted many hundreds of people to the spot, and the roadway was nearly blocked on one side. A number of policemen were required to hold back the crowd, which edged forward and tended to hamper the work of the city fire brigade. Three jets of flame bursting through the pavement threw off great clouds of black smoke, which curled under the verandah and into the shops. An extension of the fire ran under the shop of K. Chesney, Limited, burning along the front and leading many of the spectators to believe that thero was a fracture of a gas main. Fortunately this was not so, all tho fires being due to tho one cause. By cutting holes in the floor the fire under the shop was soon mastered, while two ot the three outbreaks in the footpath died out when the current was turned off. The third persisted for a short time longer, and then the asphalt on the pavement near the fires had melted in small pools, in which were embedded dozens of pieces of broken glass. Deep Out in the Foot. The broken splinters extended as far as the safety-zone on the other side of the road, a passer-by, Mr. H. P. Andrew, headmaster of the Gurran Street School, being struck in the foot by flying glass whoa he was walking down the tramrails. He received a deep cut, and was forced to receive treatment at tho Auckland Hospital before ho was able to continue to his home.

No estimate of the damage in the shop of It. Ghesney, Limited, could bo mado last evening. Apart from the breaking of windows, which are covered by a policy in the Insurance Office of Australia, there was about £2OO worth of stock on the premises, much of it being undamaged The bottled and tinned foods escaped any damage, but a quantity of perishable foods, including eight hams and nine sides of bacon, wero ruined by the smoko. Tho stock was also insured in tlio samo office.

No estimate could be given of tho damage in the tobacconist's shop, as here again tho damage by smoko to tobacco could not bo assessed until stock-taking has been carried out. The premises and stock weie also covered by insurance, details 01 which are not yet known. A similar explosion in April, last year, partly wrecked tho front, of tho premises of Kean's, Limited, mercevs and nien's outfitters, at the corner of Queen Street and Quay Street, while the adjoining shop of Air. B. It Arnott, tobacconist, suffered considerable damage. On that occasion the explosion occurred on Sunday morning when there were few persons in the vicinity