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Saturday, January 23, 2010

A destructive experience at Whakapirau Wharf 1918

Now and then I come across some very very odd news items and this one indeed has a lesson to be learned by it. Three well known surnames were involved with this rather dangerous incident that occurred on a boat near the the Whakapirau Wharf in 1918.

Three men named Cartwright, Taylor and Horniblow, who were in a boat off the Whakapirau wharf, Auckland this week , met with some very serious injuries. Horniblow had some gelignite and a dynamite cap in his vest pocket into which he placed his smouldering pipe. A loud explosion occurred, Horniblow receiving a wound to his side and losing a hand, while Cartwright lost an eye. The other man was uninjured. The side of the boat was blown out, but the occupants got ashore.

- Poverty Bay Herald 6 April 1918

My question is..what the heck was Mr Horniblow doing with dynamite on a boat? Strange but true.

2 comments:

  1. Yeah and why was it in his pocket? I wondered where the name Horniblow road in matakohe came from.

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  2. I'm wondering if they were using the stuff to dynamite fish it was quite common to do that..not a very good outcome!

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