A TERRIBLE EXPLOSION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1165, 29 June 1894, Page 35

A TERRIBLE EXPLOSION.

Auckland, June 21. A frightful accident occurred at the New Zealand Freezing Works at 11 o'clock this morning. Two men, named John W. Lusher, of Auckland, and 11. E. Kennedy, of Sydney, were testing a carbonic acid cylinder, which was apparently leaking, to try and find out the leak. The men took each a handle of the cylinder, and placed it in water in a barrel, so that by bubbles coming up they could locate the leak. The effect was instantaneous. The cylinder burst. Lusher was killed at once, his brains being scattered upon the wall. Kennedy's head was bashed in and terribly mutilated. He lived only a few minutes. George Drummond, whose firm manufactured the cylinder, and who was an eye witness of the accident, says that the cylinder was made to the order of Kennedy and Lusher, and was connected with the city main at Driimmtu*«i:ind Co/a premises for about a fortnight. -.This morning Drummond ljjsfr~ 'pub the cylinder-Jnto a back-room of the Freezing Companjfti*. premises, and afterwards it was brought into a room behind the office, the scene of the accident. Kennedy and Lusher then proceeded to te3t the cylinder while Menzies, Hirst and Drummond stood close by. Kennedy Lusher put the cylinder into a barrel os f water, and as soon as" the bottom touched the fluid it blew up like a shot from a gun. The bottom part of the cylinder stopped in the barrel, and the upper portion, with two valve 3 weighing about 3£lb, each shot through the ceiling.

Drummond says ho was dazed for a timo, but the first thing ho saw was that Kennedy and Lusher were lying on tho floor. Kennedy was breathing when Dr Wilkins arrived, but Lusher was killed instantaneously. Drummond says he attributes the accident to the cylinder being submerged in the cold water. Lusher was the son-in-law of the Mayor of Auckland, Mr J. J. Holland, and was married only about two years ago. Professor Brown (of tho Auckland University College) says the explosion was probably duo in tho first place to a portion of tho liquid carbonic acid escaping into the copper cylinder, where it would partially volatilise, becoming very cold, and on the cylinder being put into tho barrel tho liquid carbonic acid would give off more gas owing to the higher temperature of the water, and so rapidly increase the pressure The leaky condition of the cylinder showed plainly it was used to its utmost strength, and an increase of the pressure consequent on dipping it into water would be sufficient to case the explosion. Auckland, June 22. An inquest was held to-day, lasting over four hours, into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of John William Lusher and Harvey Emerson Kennedy, who were killed at the Freezing Company's buildings yesterday. After hearing the evidence of several witnesses, the jury brought in a verdict of " accidental death." Auckland, Juno 25. His Excellency the Governor has telegraphed a message of condolenco to the families of the men who were killed in tho late explosion at the Freezing Works, Auckland. Members of Parliament have likewise sent telegrams.