marine electric No. 6 Fulminate detonator it exploded and injured the operator's left hand. She was inserting an electric fuze into the detonator when the accident occurred, the detonator being removed from the protecting tin box and held in her hand.

While fulminate was being removed from detonators during investigations in the laboratory by soaking the detonators in a solution of alcohol and afterwards in a solution of hypo, and while a detonator was being tested in a bunsen flame the detonator, which contained a small quantity of explosive, exploded and injured the eye of the operator. He had not provided proper shielding. While a detonator was being removed from a pressing machine in which it had become jammed, it exploded. The proper implement for the purpose was not being used. It is probable that a crystal of fulminate ignited between the tongs and walls of the detonator tube. Similar accident to No. 250

..

A finishing shed was completely burnt down at about 6.30 p.m. on a Saturday evening. The building had been locked up at 1 p.m. and no one was about the factory but the watchman. The building contained a few finished non-chlorate stars and a few rifle grenade signals of old war stock. Some of them had been left on a bench near a window, and as the day had been a very hot one it was thought possible that spontaneous ignition had taken place in one of the signals, especially as many of these signals had defective sealing and the composition above the felt wad is often found damp.

"

While filling some Electric Dancers by means of copper funnels and rammers a fire occurred and involved the whole building, which contained 6 to 7 lb. of loose explosive and 10 to 12 lb. of filled fireworks. The material damage was not great, but the two girls who were in the building were burned on the face and hands. While filling pin-wheels an explosion occurred which communicated with the main supply of powder in the building and burnt the work-girl. The explosion was probably due to friction between the wire and the brass tube sheath of the filling machine. Whilst filling small tubes with coloured fire by means of a funnel and rammer a slight fire occurred doing no damage. The fire was probably caused by the application of too much force.

A fire occurred at 11.30 a.m. in a stove in the Bomb Section. The stove contained 1,500 Stars for Green Very Cartridges ready for assembling. No cause could be given for the

Occurrence.

A slight explosion occurred while charging a case, probably due to some foreign matter in the ingredients.

Shortly after 6.45 p.m. a building used for the storage of ingredients for Smoke Floats was found to be burning furiously. As the boiler was blown out no steam was available for working the pumps, but the fire was eventually got under. The cause of the fire was very obscure, especially as there was no heat in the building, but one of the ingredients was suspected; and it will, in future, be kept in a separate building.