UPPER HUTT TRAGEDY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 53, 8 April 1914, Page 10

UPPER HUTT TRAGEDY.

THE ENQUIRY RESUOD.

SENSATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. Press Association. UPPER HUTT, April 8. The inquest on the victims of the Upper Hutt tragedy on March 29 was resumed to-day, before Mr W. G. Riddell, District Coroner.' Before the proceedings recommenced, Mr % C. B. Morison, K.C., who appeared for Messrs Benge and Pratt, proprietors of the building destroyed, made a lengthy statement regarding the position of his clients. Benge and Pratt, he said were in the position of defendants, and were liable to be called upon to answer serious charges. In regard to the statement that a quantity of gelignite was on the premises, he admitted that, on or about February 6 something like 501b of that explosive was purchased and stored in the shop, but evidence would show that every stick had been sold before the date of the fire. He desired that the police should state their case fully, before either Mr Benge or Mr Pratt are called. He asked this in common justice. He also mentioned his intention of calling Professor Easter- ' field and other experts, relative to the probable cause of the explosion, and claimed this evidence should come after the police evidence. Chief Detective Broberg said the police were relying on facts, and if Mr Morison called expert evidence he would require to rebut the same. The Coroner said he thought the application was fair, and decided : that evidence as to the facts must come before expert evidence. Mr Wilford, who appeared for the , relatives of the deceased, also intimated ■ his intention of .calling experts, and, if necessary, evidence would be called to rebut the theory that the explosion was caused by acetylene t .gas. * » Continuing- his Evidence, Andrew Hunter stated that no water was played on fire prior to the explosion, and gas could not therefore have been generated. The explosion caused a flash of blue light. Much formal evidence was given by a number of witnesses, throwing no light on the cause of the explosion. It was stated that the explosion did not take place until fully half an hour after the fire had been discovered. George Hay said a number of minor explosions occurred after the main explosion, which, at the time, were attributed to the bursting of bottles. Thej' were not such as would come from cartridges, and he noticed no dominant smell after the big explosion. "It was a double explosion/' said Angus J. M'Curdy. A lesser one, followed by a tremendous crash, like the sound of a large calibre gun." From the sound of the explosion the witness said he thought it was caused by a high explosive, and stated that he had had considerable experience in handling the latter. Jas. Twoliill, wlio was in full view of the building, and who retained all his faculties, was able to give a connected account of the explosion. During the progress of the fire he heard a small boom sound, followed by a louder one, and immediately after the latter there was a terrific outburst. The roof was lifted off, and pieces of wood and sparks were thrown high into the air. He heard several minor explosions like those caused by detonators. Albert F. Cooper., 15 years of age, said that at the time of the fire he was in the employ of Benge and Pratt. He was aware that the firm kept gelignite and blasting powder in stock, and had seen a case of the former and a keg of blasting powder on the premises. At one time-explosives Avere kept upstairs. There were times when there was no gelignite in stock. He remembered a case of gelignite coming into the shop on February 6, and it was taken upstairs, where he last saw some of it two or three weeks before the fire. He last saw gunpowder in the room about Christmas time. Witness was not altogether surprised at the explosion, but was surprised at its force. He had never seen calcium of carbide in the inaiu building at all. To Mr Morison: He did not remember Mr Benge making a drawer out of a gelignite box. The keg and the box lie saw might have been empty. He had never seen gelignite sold on the pi;einises.