EXPLOSION OF AMMUNITION AT AUCKLAND.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 933, 25 October 1879, Page 2

EXPLOSION OF AMMUNITION AT AUCKLAND.

On Friday evening at the usual, gun practice of the Auckland Naval Brigade, under Captain Leßoy and Sub-Lieut. Parker, about, forty men, together, with their commanders, embarked in their pinnace, but we .are sorry to say' the cruise was attended with unfortunate results, for an explosion occurred on board, by which several of the men were injured. On board the pinnace there was one of the old-fashioned 3-ipounder carronades, weighing probably about three hundred weight. The men began to load this, but do what they would they could not ram the charge home. After several ineffectual attempts to accomplish the taßk, the order was given to draw the cartridge. This being accomplished, the instractor was inserted in the gun but nothing was discovered. A small amount of gunpowder was then put in the vent and was let off. No success attended this result, however, and the pinnace was rowed ashore, where the gun was again examined. This time the examination proved successsf ul, for on the gun being '• bumped " on the ground a small hand grenade rolled out on it. This being round, the extractor, would not grip. It is supposed that during the winter, | when the gun has been in the shed, someone put the hand grenade in the gun, and allowed it to roll down into the breach. The cruise was again continued, and the gun discharged, and after the third round, the boat being on the wind, the wadding from the gun blew back into the boat, and falling on to the gunpowder in the bottom created the explosion. It is thought that when the cartridge was drawn at the conrmencemeut of the cruise the extractor broke the covering, and the powder escaping, strewed the bottom and became ignited in the manner we have described. The explosion injured several men, and quite a panic was created, the cries of the wounded men adding to the confusion. Some of the volunteers jumped overboard; and, but for the coolness of the officers, nearly all would have done the same. One man, who could not swim, forgot the circumstance, and in jumping over the side would have been drowned had it not been for Seaman Moore's rescuing the man from becoming food for Davy Jone's locker. Several ships in the harbour came and offered assistance. The men were taken ashore and attended by Drs. Wright, Kenderdine, and Bayntun. They were found to be burned, although not seriously. One poor fellow named Jones could not walk, and was carried to his home in Freeman's Bay, where he was attended by DrV Bayntnn. The other men injured are Seamen Bryan, Soloman and Waite. It is expected that a Government inquiry will be held on the matter. This afternoon the men were progressing favourably.