THE EXPLOSION AT WOOLWICH.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 101, 9 April 1907, Page 6

THE EXPLOSION AT WOOLWICH.

The astonishing feature of the explosion at Woolwich Arsenal at the beginning of Februaa-y was that nobody was killed or even injured. The explosion occurred m a magazine stored with cordite neai* the boundary of the Araenal grounds on Plum stead Marshes. The cordite went off with a deafening roar, and the concussion must have been terrific. The building itself was reduced to a heap of rains, and other parts of the Arsenal were considerably damaged. One of tlie stands on the Arsenal Football Ground had the back completely torn away and the roof destroyed. A piece of masonry weighing scwt was found 500 yds from where the , cordite had dislodged it. The Arsenal gasometer was damaged, and thousands of feet of gas escaped. The force of the explosion caused an enormous breakage of windows throughout the whole length of the High street and the portion of Plumstead road nearest the marshes, and m some of the adjoining streets. The concussion was felt as far away as Bishop •Stortford, m Hertfordshire. At Ilford. m Essex, a laj-ge plate-gla6s window was blown out. At Romford windows and crockery were broken m many houses, and the same thing occurred at Leyton. At Woodford and Wanstead the church bells were heard to ring. In all the places named people were awakened from sleep, and many rushed into the streets. At Walthamstow a resident was roused by a^ series of crashes, and found a large overmantel, marble clock, and .ornaments m fragments on the floor. Eye-witnesses of the scene which followed the explosion describe it as one of panic. Windows were thrown up, and scared 'householders, half dressed, made their way (reports our London correspondent) into the streets, where shouting, the barking of dogs, and the crash of falling glass added to the sense of terror. People hastily made their way to the Arsenal gates, for all guessed what had occurred. Here they were speedily assured by the policemen on duty that it was not believed that anyone had been killed or injured, a report which was confirmed an hour later by the assistant superintendent of the Royal Laboratory. Plumstead road was quickly as crowded as it usually is m the working hours of the day, and the news that the catastrophe was unaccompanied by loss of life was the subject of mutual congratulation among the residents. They had less reason for content when, after the first excitement, they surveyed their premises. In addition to the shattered windows numerous cases are reported of ceilings cracked, falls of plaster, ajid the smashing of breakable articles. Doors were blown open and latches wrenched away. In one case m Plumstead road a dividing wall between, two bedrooms collapsed and momentarily blinded the occupants with dust. In the rooms were sleeping several young men, assistants m (the dirapery store underneath. The pave <ments were littered with splintered glass and fragments of wood and mortar. When the first alarm had subsided shopkeepers and their households and assistants were busy clearing away_ the debris, and a timber merchant, with a quick eve to business, opened his store, where he was quickly inundated with orders for boarding to nail across shopfronts. Plate-glass insurance companies availed themselves of the occurrence to advertise their business, and flashes of humor were not wanting^ to relieve the serious side of the question. A pawnbroker hung out a placard bearing the legend " No glass • plenty brass," and m front of an eating-house, where every vestige of the shop window had disappeared was a notioe m large letters : — " We are blown out • come m and we will blow you out."

It was a great piece of good fortune that the explosion did not take place m the daytime. Some 400 men are employed during the day m what is known as the danger zone, m which the Avrecked building stood, and it is matter for the utmost congratulation that the explosion took place at a time when the place was deserted except by the few policemen and watchmen on duty. Fortunately none of these happened to be at the time m the immediate vicinity of the magazine. Another congratulatoiy feature is that the magazine, which was the strongest building of the chemical research block, was surrounded by a broad, high mound of turf, which must have very greatly diminished the possibilities of damage to structures lying beyond. During Sunday night few nien are employed at the Arsenal, and when the disaster occurred those employed at making up the fires had left. The explosion will throw about 150 men out of employment, as the research buildings m their present condition are not considered safe.