EXPLOSIONS

Otago Witness, Issue 2105, 28 June 1894, Page 35

EXPLOSIONS

Hhe German squadron arrived at Firth of Forth on the morning of May 12, and a salute was fired by. the British armoured cruiser Galatea. An explosion followed. Instructor Lawrence had his head blown to pieces, and Instructor Whitehead had his arm blown off, but was not killed as reported. Others are only injured slightly. The dynamite works exploded at the Cordite works, near Waltham Abbey, on the afternoon of May 7, when thousands of jars of nitrate and sulphuric acid exploded. Four persons were killed and 30 injured. The explosion occurred in the sheds where the men were at work Washing nitroglycerine. The building is situated in a field about half a iriile from the Government gunpowder factory. A shed 30 yards distant was set on fire by the explosion. More nitro-glycerine was stored here, and caused a second explosion. Most of the persons injured were struck by falling glass and dibris. The injuries in most cases are slight, Pottions of the bodies of the four men killed were found at a gfeat distance from the spot where the shed was located. Mr Nic, the chemist in charge of the shed, was among the killed.