GELIGNITE EXPLOSION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21769, 7 April 1934, Page 10

GELIGNITE EXPLOSION

RELIEF WORKER INJURED FULL FORCE IN THE FACE VICTIM PARTIALLY BLINDED [from our own correspondent] HAMILTON, Friday' The unexpected explosion of a charge of gelignite caused serious injury to Mr. Cecil Courtney, aged 32 years, at Hoeotainui, near Morrinsville, this afternoon. The injured man was in a single men's relief camp, and was employed with a number of others in removing stumps from a swamp on the property of Mr. J. Robertson, of lioeotainui.

Mr. Courtney had inserted a charge of gelignite in a stump and had then moved to a safe distance. As the charge did not explode within the prescribed time, he returned to the stump to investigate. He was in the act of withdrawing the gelignite when it exploded. He received the force of the explosion in the face and chest. Both his eyes were injured, and be was partially blinded. He suffered numerous small wounds on the face and chest, but none was very deep. He also received a laceration of the left arm, and suffered severely from shock. The Government engineer supervising the work, Mr. D. R. Williams, immediately went to the assistance of the injured man, and Dr. G. Craig, of Morrinsville, ordered his removal to the Waikato Hospital. His condition is fairly serious, although it is believed his eyesight will be saved.