TERRIFIC EXPLOSION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 162, 13 July 1935, Page 9

TERRIFIC EXPLOSION

GELIGNITE IN OVEN FIFTY PLUGS GO OFF WHOLE FAMILY INJURED ( P«f Pr«M A»w!at!OB J. x FEILDING, July J2. Through an explosion of gelignite a whole family’ of seven people have been sent to hospital. A house was completely wrecked on the Halcombc-Stan-way road at 7.45 a.m. Frank Cowdrey (aged 32), farmer, engaged in stumping operations, thia morning placed 50 plugs of gelignite in the kitchen oven to warm. Edward Robinson, aged 18, an employee, warned Cowdrey of the dangerous risk, but Cowdrey said that it would not go off. Throe minutes later, while the family were at breakfast round the kitchen table, there was a terrific explosion. Robinson told the police afterwards that his chair and the floor were blown from under him. He staggered outside dazed, and then returned and found all of the children, ATaurice (aged 9), Beverley (6), and Nita (3), Raymond Davies (9, a brother of Air. Cowdrey), with the father and mother lying on the floor. He took out the children. Tho mother was able to walk out. but the father was too injured to help himself. The house caught fire and Robinson went back and extinguished this. Later an investigation by a medical man and the police showed that the whole of the occupants were more or less seriously injured, though no life was lost. All were taken to hospital. The kitchen table was blown to splinters, a wall blown out, and the whole house practically wrecked. LATER DETAILS [ Per Press Association. ] FEILDING, July 15. It was Cowdrey’s custom to warm gelignite, of which ho was a frequent user for stumping purposes. Apparently the explosion was caused through the closing of the oven, door with the gelignite inside. When, the explosion occurred Cowdrey was sitting at. the end of the table nearest the stove. The chimney was blown to bits, and the roof of the house blow’n off. The walls w’ero blown outward and the whole of the place wrecked. The table was shattered and turned over on the family. Robinson was the first to recover, and with great presence of mind he rescued tho children and extinguished the fire which had broken out. Cowdrey was the must severely in* jured, his injuries including a fractured arm. All the occupants received burns, scratches, bruises and shock. Mrs. Cowdrey had nearly all her clothes torn off by the force of the explosion. The son Maurice, with, his father, axe the most seriously injured. Neighbours first on the scene follow** ing the explosion, saw no one, but later Robinson emerged, rescuing the children. All the sufferers are in hospital, 1 and their condition is not yet satisfac-. tory. The injuries suffered by the victims are as follow: Frank Cowdrey: Fractured right arm, fractured skull, burns on the face, andi shock. Condition very serious. Airs. Cowdrey: Burns on the face,) arms, right leg and shock. Condition serious? Maurice Cowdrey: Burns, a severe wound on the elbow, abrasions and shock. Condition serious. Nita Cowdrey: Burns on the abdomen, abrasions and shock. Condition! serious. Beverley Cowdrey: Burns on thel back, and shoulder, and shock. Condi-1 Condition fair. Ray Davies: Shock and abrasion#. Condiiton fair. Robinson: Wounds on the forehead, left wrist and left leg. Condition fair. When the stove exploded the family were peppered with small pieces of iron like shrapnel, which caused most of the injuries sustained.