TRAGEDY AT TRENTHAM

Otago Witness, Issue 3397, 23 April 1919, Page 37

TRAGEDY AT TRENTHAM

BOY SCOUT KILLED.

THREE OTHERS INJURED. WELLINGTON, April 21. A tragedy occurred at Trentham camp yesterday afternoon as the result of an explosion. A Boy Scout was killed almost instantly, and three other Boy Scouts were seriously injured. The following are tho details of the casualties: — Kenneth Waugh, killed. Thoma 3 Voller, seriously injured with gunshot wounds in tho left side. Raymond Drake, severely wounded in side, arms, and face. Robert Clark, gun wounds in right eye. The details of tho occurrence, as far as could be ascertained yesterday, are as follow: —A party of Boy Scouts from the Lower Hutt and Petono Were paying a visit to Trentham camp in tho afternoon, and were carrying out manoeuvres in the trenches. In these trenches the lads_ came across a small store of explosives. Finding an empty shell-case near by, they set out with boyish enthusiasm to see if they could make a real live explosion. The powder was rammed home in the shell-case and a train laid to it. The deceased Kenneth Waugh set fire to the trail, but he was apparently unable to get away to a place of safety before the explosion took place. Likewise the boys Drake, Clark, and Voller wire too near the danger zone. A terrific explosion took place, and when the smoke cleared away the four boys mentioned were seen to have been seriously injured. It appears that Waugh was so seriously hurt that he died within a few minutes. Tho other three boys were removed as quickly as possible to Trentham Hospital. Voller was reported to be in a critical condition last night. There was some doubt whether a portion of the shell had penetrated his abdomen. The full extent of Clark's injuries is not known. It is stated that there were between 16 and 20 boys in the vicinity when the exElosion took place. The report could be eard a mile away. The parents of the unfortunate boys' were immediately communicated with, and everything possible was done by the camp authorities for the injured.

THE INQUEST. WELLINGTON, April 21. The inquest on the body of Kenneth Waugh was held to-day. The Coroner delivered his finding as follows: —"I find that the deceased died at the Trentham camp on April 20, the cause of death being injuries to*the brain due to the explosion of a bomb constructed by the deceased from explosives and a bomb case found in or near a dug-out in the camp. At the time of the explosion the deceased was one of a party of boy scouts encamped at the Trentham military camp. Considering the construction of the dug-out and the nature of the fastening of the door, I am of opinion that the dug-out should have been inspected immediately prior to the boy scouts being permitted to make use of the camp, and that the scout masters should have been informed o'f the location of the stores of explosives, and instructed to keep the boys away from them. The evidence does not show when or by whom the dugout was broken into. It appears to me that while the dug-cut may have been a sufficiently secure place -of storage for guncotton and bombs during the period when the oamp was in military occupation, and visitors were more or less under supervision, it was not sufficiently secure at a time when the camp was no longer in the same active military occupation, and when parties of boys were allowed to have the unrestricted uso for a number of days of the portion of the camp • grounds where the dug-out was situated, unless the safeguards I have mentioned had been ,made use of. In view of the possibility of a full inquiry being held by the Defence Department into the matter, it is not necessary or desirable that I should make a more detailed finding."