NATIVES' NARROW ESCAPE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16186, 24 July 1923, Page 9

NATIVES' NARROW ESCAPE.

EXPLOSION ON OIL LAUNCH

A mishap, which might havo been attended with very serious results, and even loss of lofe, but for the presence of mind of one of the number, occurrod to a party of somo 20 Bowentown Maoris on Saturday (states tho Waihi Telegraph). The natives left Bowentown lato in tho day in an oil launch, owned by a member of the party named Ruruanga, to attent a tangi at Rangiwai (Matakana Island), but missing the tide had to anchor on the mangroves overovernight. In order to give the party light during the hours of darkness, one native, who had in his possession a large tin cigarette container, filled it with benzine, set in an improvised wick, and applied a match. A burst of flamo and an explosion followed, and the burning oil set fire to the overflow of benzine on the top of a full tin standing close to tho engine. Reocgnising tho danger, the captain of tho boat, D. Toi Toi, promptly seized a sack and smothered tho flames before they reached tho contents inside, but in so doing was considerably burned about the hands, so much so he has not since been ablo to work. Had the benzine in the tin taken fire, tho flames would probably havo blocked in some of tho natives who wero huddled up in the compartment beyond the engine, with no means of escape except by way of the engine room.