TRAGEDY AT TRENTHAM.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 17552, 22 April 1919, Page 4

TRAGEDY AT TRENTHAM.

BOY SCOUT KILLED: TUBEE OTHERS INJUBEa

<Per Praap Association^

WELLINGTON, April §1, A tragedy occurred at the TrenfiM kd, Camp. yegf-<rday aiternopn when, the result of an e?»]«sion a Boy Bmnif was killed almost instantly and three other Boy Scouts, were seriously iujur«4* ■ ■•. .cji ■ Following are dfctailfeof the casualties: Keuntth. Waugh, killed; Thonins VoHer ; seriously injured with a 'gunshotwound in t|i 3 left side : Raymond BjTtk^, severely wounded in the side, arms, aiid face; Robert Clark, gunshot wound in the right eye. Details of the occurrence, as for M" cou'd be ascertained last night, are as follows: A party of Boy Scouts frohi Lower llutt find Petone were paying a visit to Trentham Camp in the afternoon, and carrying out manoeuvres in the trenches at the rear of the camp. In these trenches the boya came acres* a small store of explosives, and finding an empty ehelJ-case near by, they s**t out with boyish ■enthusiasm 1 to see- if they could make a real live explosion. Powder was rammed home in the shellcase find a train laid, to it. Deceased. ; Kenneth Waugh, set fire-to the train but apparently he was unable to get away to a place of safety before th«explosion tcok place, likewise tb« boy* Brake, Clark and Voller were too nAr the danger zone. A terrific explosion took place, and when the smoke cleared away the four boys mentioned were peen to hare been seriously injiw*4. It appears that Waugh was so aeHoualy^ injured that he died witfutl a few minutes The other boy<s were wmovsd aa quickly as possible to the Tfcenthatm Hospital. VolW was reported to b« m a critical condition laat night, and there is some doubt as to whether a portion of the Bhell penetrated his abdomen. Tli© full extent of Clack's injuries are. not yet known. ft is said that there were between J6 and 20 boys in the vicinity when the explosion took place. The report could m heard about a mile away. . The parents .of the unfortunate boys wero immediately communicated with, an-f everything possible done by the camp authorities for the injured. '