SUPPOSED EXPLOSION OF A MINE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3398, 30 April 1919, Page 39

SUPPOSED EXPLOSION OF A MINE.

AUCKLAND, April 22. On Monday morning three Maoris—Edward Whare and two brothers named Puhura—left Pukewcra, a biufi' between Port Waikato and Raglan, to attend a sports meeting at Karaka. They reached the mouth of the Waikouria Creek, and coincident with their arrival a farmer named Michael Ryan, living in the vicinity, heard a terrific explosion. On rushing out to investigate, Mr Ryan eaw a huge column of smoke rising from the direction of the sea front. Here ho found fragments of the three men and their three horses, while harness was scattered in all directions. Subsequently the police recovered the remains. They also found pieces of steel and other metal which appeared to be part of a mine, which in exploding mado a huge holo in the beach. The deceased wero identified from their clothing by other Maoris. It is presumed that the heavy weather recently experienced swept a mine ashore, and that the Natives were attempting to recover it when it exploded. INQUEST FORMALLY OPENED. AUCKLAND, April 24. At tho inquest regarding the tragedy a| Waikoria Beach on Monday, by 'which three Natives were blown to atoms by a German! mine, aftsr taking evidence of identification un adjournment was mad* sine die, to enable expert evidence to be obtained as- to tho probabh cause of the tragedy. Natives wero- given permission to bury the remains, and preparations are now in hand for a tangi at Pukerewa. The beach presentsd a gruesome sight after tho tragedy, fragments of the victims ' and their horses being: strewn in all directions. ■ Mr Ryan, who heard the reports of the explosion, stated that there were two explosions. The first was a dull boom, and it was followed almost immediately by a sharp, deafening report. On examining; the beach he found two parallel lines drawn on the sands in the direction of the water, as if some heavy object had bsen oarried-in by-the tide, dragging on tho sand as it came ashore. It is surmised that the three men, seeing the object on tho beach, wont out to inspect it, and tampered with it, with fatal results. It is also suggested that the mine ' may have been buried in the sand and exploded by one of the horses standing on it. Natives at the "scene of the tragedy state that some months ago a mine came ashore near the entrance to Raglan Harbour, and! exploded with a -terrific report against the cliffs on the beach. They state that fragments of the mine are in the possession of local Natives, but no report had ever bsen made of the occurrence.