GUNPOWDER EXPLOSION, On Friday afternoon (24th ult.), a little before 5 o'clock, a serious gunpowder explosion occurred on the premises of Messrs, H. M. Schultz & Ca, in Szechuen Road. It Appeare that two coolies were engaged in cleaning out a godown and came across some cartridges, These being old sample: they were told to throw them away, but the men thought they would open them, probably fur the sake of their contents a0 they placed the cartridges on the floor of a building at the back of the promises at xbout six fect from the door and then proceeded to open them, Thora were sixty cartridges in all, fifty-nine being small ones for a revulyer, and the other one for a ritly. The two coolies, having finished their work, squatted own on the floor and proceeded the cartridges, nnd poured front the revolver cartridges on small heap, They then tok an iron or spike and attempted to open the rifle cartridge, and while they were a0 engaged, exploded. The burning powder fron this cartridge communicated with the pily on the fluor, the result being that i The two coolies hand, and two of the probably the man who was the big cartridge. He was al very badly burut all over the body, not expected to live. The other coolie is lao badly burut about the face and boty 5 while the clothes of both men wore reduced to tinder. A third man who wus entering the door at the moment the explosion was also burnt about the face, and slightly on one of lis knees, art of his clothing also being bury Uires injured men were take tung Road Hospital, where th 2 attended to. When our repel visited the Hospital at G p.m. one of the men was evidently in great agony, a8 he was screaming out wi Ho was the man who bad lost his fi he second man was lying in bed and very quiet; while the third man was walking about. All three were enveloped in bandages and cotton, though the third mau had only face covered up. We believe eignera, g the explosion, ran in to see what was the matter, and when they caw the wounded Chinamen they did what they could for them, The bullets from the cartridges are said to have been scattered xbout in all directions, and one of them struck a gentleman in an xdjoining office, Complaint is made that there was no ambulance at the Pulice Station to convey the injured men to the Hospital. We believe the only Station that has an ambulance is that in Hongkew, but the other Station ought alo to be provided with thes necessary applicauces for re moving injured people.
The explosion at Messrs. H. M. Schultz Co.'s appears to have been a much more serious affair tian the first report would lend one to believe, and the general opinion that sixty pistol cartridges could not possibly have produced the results which followed. Dévris of all kinds, including portions of fire-arms, were blown into the surrounding houses, and the only wonder is that the ies were not greater. No doubt the Municipal Council at their meeting to-day (27th), will decide to take action in the matter, and Will instruct the police to be lant in seeing that By-law XXXUL of Land Regulati observed more vall contraband goods or mei ikely to endanger life or cause injury to individuals, powder, aultpetre, sulphur, quantities of spirits in bulk, potro-Jeum, uaptha,.,., stand on the promises of any individual' under a penalty or fine, recoverable from the offender, not exceeding two luudred and fifty dollars ($250) for the firat offence, and not exceed: ing five hundred dollars ($500), with cor isation of the goods themselves to the use of the Council, for each succeeding to be pursued by any one importing auch goods into the Settlement, and the consequent duty of the Secretary to the Council, are very distinctly laid down in the By-law, and honey provided for in case of 3 but it would appear that this By-law, lik some othe ly allowed to fall into tude": a state by the rece nien have since died,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.