South Canterbury Times. SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1890.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6260, 5 July 1890, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1890.

The full account given by the Wellington limes of the gas explosion in the Colonial Bank there conveys a warning to users of gas. It is shown that when the strong room was opened by Mr McLellan, the accountant, a strong smell of gas was perceived, and he warned bis assistant, Mr Oato, not to strike a light. Mr Oato opened the door of the strong room and allowed as he thought most of the gas to escape, and then he struck a match to light the jet. The result showed that he waited only until an explosivejmixture had been made and then touched it off. Particulars of the damage done by the explosion show that this mixture was not wholly contained in the strong room, but that the explosion took place to a considerable extent in the larger room. The warning given by this case—and common sense tells us it must be so —is thatit is not sufficient for safety to allow gas collected in one room to escape into an adjoining room, even though this is a larger one. It takes some time for gas to fully diffuse itself through a room, and danger remains so long as in any part of the room a patch or cloud of ex plosive proportions remains, especially if the leak still continues, as this may supply a train to ignite the mixture. All doors and windows should be opened and if the closed room in which the leak exists has not a good means of ventilation, the gas in it should be helped out by some sort of fan—a coat say or a hearthrug.