A FUSED CABLE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20706, 2 May 1929, Page 6

A FUSED CABLE.

VIOLENT EXPLOSION FOLLOWS. SHOP DAMAGED AND WINDOWS BROKEN. (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, May 1. After betraying its presence by a cloud of heavy smoke, which warned people in the vicinity, a fuged cable in Lower Queen street caused an explosion shortly after 5 o clock this evening, which tore the front from one shop and broke a number of other plateglasa windows. Fortunately no one was serious injured by the outburst, 'which hurled broken glass to the middle of the road, and was followed by flames which burned furiously through the pavement for over half an hour. . When home-going 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 the electric cables under the footpath. Constables Collins and Christiansen, of the 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 the Auckland Electric Power Board. It was well that tnn footpath was cleared of passers-by, as shortly afterwards an explosion like the report of a cannon startled hundreds of people in the vicinity, and a shower of bn ken glass was hurled across the road, while jets of flame shot up from the footpath burning with a fierce roar to the height of over two feet. The greatest damage was suffered by the smallgoods establishment of R. Chesney, Ltd., the whole front of which was wrecked. The wl pdow was blown out, cooked meats, hath and bacon strewing the footpath, while two side windows flanking the doorway vvere both shattered and their contents thrown out. The display of goods in the window was hurled about in confusion, while the ceiling of the main window hung d° w p, »n shreds inside the shop. Some of the damage was remarkable. A heavy marble counter, over one inch thick and le w, “ e > was split in three places, while the cross-counter at the far end of the shop was also affected by the concussioni Counter eases 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. ihe adjoining premises—-those of J. W. Coleman, tobacconist—were more fortunate, although here again two windows at the side of the door, about 12 feet by five teet each, were smashed, as well as n large mirror at the rear, of the windows, and a number of plateglass shelves. Stock wathrown all over the pavement from both the side window and the main frontage, while there was also damage by smoke. On the other street side of the scene of the explosion the chemist's shop of W. R. Raylor, the dispensary .suffered a broken wmdow on the Queen street frontage, but there was no great damage to the contents. 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 jet§ of flame bursting through the pavement threw off great clouds of black smoke, v inch curled under verandas and into the shops. An extension of a fire ran under the shop of R. Chesney, Ltd., burning aloug the front and leading many of the spectators to believe that there was a fracture of a gas main. Fortunately this was not so, all the fires being due to one cause. , By. cutting hbles in the floor the fire under the shop was soon mastered, while two or three outbreaks in the footpath died out when the current was turned off. A third persisted for a short time longer. The asphalt on the pavement near the fires had melted in small pools, in which were embedded dozens of pieces of broken glass. A passerby, Mr H. JP. Andrew, headmaster of the Curran Street School was struck on the foot by flying glass when he was walking down the tram rails. He received a deep cut and waa forced to receive treatment at the hospital before he was able to go to his home. No estimate of the damage in the shop of R, Chesney,.Ltd., could be made tonight, apart from the breaking of the 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 irfas undamaged Bottled and tinned foods escaped damage, but a number of perishable foods; including eight hams and nine side ot bacon, were ruined by smoke. The stock was also insured in the same office. No estimate could be given of the damage in the tobacconist’s shop, as here again the damage by smoke to the tobacco could not be assessed until stocktaking has been carried out. The premises and stock were also covered by insurance, A similar explosion in April last year partly wrecked the front of the premises of Kean’s, Ltd., mercers and men’s outfitters, at the corner of Queen street and Quay street, while the adjoining shop of B. R. Arnott, tobacconist, suffered considerable damage. On that occasion the explosion occurred on a Sunday morning, when there were few persons in- the vicinity.