BIG GUN ACCIDENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3251, 23 June 1911, Page 4

BIG GUN ACCIDENT.

Three Men Severely Injured

AT AUCKLAND CORONATION CELEBRATION. *

[FEB- PEESS ASSOCIATION..!

AUCKLAND, June 22

A serious accident occurred at Albert Park this afternoon in connection with Coronation celebrations, as the result of a big gun explosion. At 12 o’clock the battery of the N.Z.F.A., under Major Sherson, took up a position on the crown of the hi]] overlooking the city, for the purpose of firing a salute of 101 guns.- The proceedings were well under way when an accident occurred in the act of firing one of the guns, as the result of which three men —Sergt. N. Purdy. Bombardier C. West and Gunner R. Bartlett were more or less seriously injured. Just how The accident happened no one who witnessed it seemed quite in a position to say. but Gunner Bartlett, who was the most seriously injured man, had his arm badly mutilated, three fingers being blown right off. one of them into the lap or a spectator sitting on a garden bench, some distance away. Sergt. Purdy and Bombardier West were both iniured about the face.

The iniured men were conveyed to a private hospital. A possible explanation of the accident vouchsafed was that the gun was being loaded and the breech had not been closed properly, when the explosion occurred, blowing the breech out.