EXPLOSION OF GAS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14700, 7 December 1909, Page 8

EXPLOSION OF GAS

A LAD KILLED. DANGER OF EXPERIMENTING. JPeh TJwted Press Association.) PALMERSTON N., December 6. . An explosion of acetylene gas occurred in Church street on Saturday evening, and Edward Mundy, a lad, fourteen years of age, was killed almost instantly. He was a son of Mr James Mundy, bootmaker, and being jf a mechanical turn of mind bad maae an acetylene gas generator out of an oil arum, which littcd loosely into a. circular tank filled witu water. The gas was used to light up a small cinematograph apparatus which deceased had.

It appears that just after six o clock deceased and his brother William were attempting to light a tube fixed to the end of the oil drum, when the explosion occurred. Deceased must have been leaning over the generator at the time, for the top of the oil drum was blown out, and struck him in the face, cutting the top of his head clean off from the eyes to the back of the skull. Deceased's arm was also broken by the explosion.

Tlis top of the oil drum struck the roof of the shed with tremendous force, taking a piece out of the rafters and lifting the iron off the roof. Deceased's brother had a very narrow cscape. He hud his hand near the generator when the explosion occurred, and received very severe injuries to his right hand. Dr O'Urien was called in, and found deceased in a frightful condition, and just breathing his last. At the inquest this morning a verdict was returned that deceased was killed by an accidental explosion of acetylene gas.