Sparks Fly in Howling Wind

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 813, 6 November 1929, Page 11

Sparks Fly in Howling Wind

GUY FAWKES EVENTS YOUNG FOLKS’ ADVENTURES A howling wind and Guy Fawkes night arrived together. The younger folk were intensely pleased at the coincidence-—their elders treated it with some suspicion and uneasiness. Showers of sparks from bonfires, and cascades of flame from leaping rockets went dangerously near houses and inflammable material in the suburbs. Fortunately no damage was done, though there were several gorse fires on open spaces at Grey Lynn and the spectacle of people waiting with buckets of water was not an infrequent one. Still the young folk were Intensely amused and, thanks to the high wind, voted it the finest Guy Fawkes night they had ever known. Auckland, from the top of Alount Eden, presented an eerie panorama. Bonfires blazed in all directions and showers of sparks and tongues of flame leaped fitfully in the darkness. Overhead the scudding clouds allowed a sickle moon to peer through occasionally, hut the sky effect was pale and insignificant compared with man’s efforts below. Perhaps the most lovely effect of all was gained by a searchlight playing from Fort Cautley on North Head. This beam of light caught the stormwhipped waves in Rangitoto Channel and transformed them to fountains of frothy silver. Occasionally Rangitoto itself was caught in the beam and stood stark against the racing, black clouds. At Western Springs patches of gorse on the slopes caught fire and looked dangerous at times. However, no damage was done. DISPLAY ON WAITAKERES Away on the slopes of the Waitakeres great showers of sparks appeared through the gloom. Some people had taken themselves and their children out of harm’s way for the annual display of light and noise. But every child in the city seemed to be exploding something—rockets, Catherine wheels or just ordinary crackers and at times the noise was deafening. Residents of the North Shore watched the searchlight display from (he beach and their homes. Others had climbed Mount Victoria to witness the fiery panorama below. In Melrose Park a community bonfire had been lighted and 1,000 people watched the spectacle of roasting two “guys.” . Curiously enough the fire brigades did not have the busy night they expected and not one call was provoked by the blazing tributes to one of England’s most eurious heroes. “A wonderful night” the children all agreed before they went to bed. “Extremely dangerous and noisy,” remarked the more careful adults. But the people who sell fireworks are pleased, very pleased. They report record sales »of crackers, bombs, rockets and other accessories for a lurid display on a dark and windy night. BOY BADLY HURT MISTOOK BOMB FOR ROMAN CANDLE FINGERS BLOWN OFF Press Association HASTINGS, Today. Last evening: during the Guy Fawkes celebrations in Nelson Park Gordon Petersen, aged 13, set a light to what he thought was a roman candle, hut which proved to be a bomb, with the result that the explosion blew four fingers ol'f his left hand and injured his left eye seriously. Ho also received scalp wounds. He was sent to hospital.