STARTLING ACCIDENT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11045, 31 October 1921, Page 6

STARTLING ACCIDENT

EXPLOSION ON. MOTORLAUNCH. OWNER BADLY BtJRNT. A startling aocident occurred at the Clyde quay' boat harbour about 2.15 p.m. on Saturday, when Allan Humphries, single, aged 24 years, residing at 83, Hanson street, was seriously burnt, through the explosion of the benzine tank of a motor-launch, which he was in the act of _ soldering. The injured man was hurried to the hospital, where, at an early hour this morning, he was reported to he a little better. Those who happened to he in the vicinity of the boat harbour when the mishap took place were surprised by a loud explosion. Within a few moments Humphries’e motor-launch, Micky, which was hauled up on to the cement bank near the Te Aro baths, was a mass of flames. HumEhries leapt from the vessel and, with is clothes ablaze from his neck to his feet, jumped into the harbour. George Whitoford, the Harbour Board’s caretaker at. the boat harbour, ran to the water’s edge and pulled Humphries out. L. Wixon, with great presence of mind, dashed to where a patent fire extinguisher is kept in a shed for such emergencies, and with its prompt application suppressed the flames in the launch. Humphries was almost in a state of collapse, suffering from severe burns on his arms and face, and all the hair was burnt off one side of his head. His sight, however, was not affected. Thelegs of his trousers were burnt completely off, and other portions of his clothing were charred. There was a severe wound on Humphries’s ' left hand, from which the blood was spurting, but the bleeding was quickly stopped by a tourniquet applied by a yachtsman, H. Hardham. The hospital motor-ambulance was soon on the scene in response to a telephone call, and at 2.40 p.m. Humphries was admitted to the hospital. x It appears that he was using a blow lamp for soldering a small benzine tank, _ which he had lifted out into the cockpit of his 25ft launch, Micky. Evidently there was benzine in the tank, for the explosion opened it out almost flat. The launch was only slightly charred, and G. K. McLean’s yacht, lolanthe, was slightly smoked on the quarter, which overhung the paunch.