THE ACETYLENE ACCIDENT.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 28, 10 March 1914, Page 10

THE ACETYLENE ACCIDENT.

A coronial.enquiry into the death of Albert Davies (reported on page 8- of this issue) was held this afternoon before Mr H. W. Bishop. David William Alfred Davies, bootmaker, said deceased was his eldest son." His age was nineteen years, and he was apprenticed to the tinsmithing trade. He lived at home. Witness knew deceased was making an acetylene gas plant, and had warned him it was diingerous. Deceased told him he had seen several made at his work, and he thought he could make one. Yesterday afternoon about 5.50 his mother went to call him into his tea from his workshop. Just as she went towards the door there was an explosion, and on looking inside the shed, she cried out ' ' Willie's blown his head off.'' Witness went to the shed, and saw deceased lying on his back with the pipe of the gas generator embedded in the forehead. His wife went for assistance to a neighbour, who went to Dr Armstrong, but deceased died at 11 p.m. The explosion had driven the pipe right through the skull, and had to be forced right through the back in order to remove the tap at the end. The deceased was alone when the accident happened, and witness could not account for it.

Morgan W. Davies, brother of deceased, said that he saw his brother about ten minutes before his death. He was in the workshop fixing up the acetylene plant, and witness warned him he would get hurt if he did not take care. He knew he was using a soldering iron. That was the last witness "saw of him.

The coroner returned a verdict that deceased was accidentally killed-by the exploding of an acetylene gas plant.