Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

94 HISTORY OF THE BANKthe officers of the bank were cut by flying glass, but fortunatelynone of the injuries proved to be serious. An investigationmade by a committee of directors, consisting of Messrs.Elliot, Stayner and Wood, reported that a plumber, who hadbeen employed to repair some gas pipes in another room hadturned off the gas while the lights were burning in the vault.It was just about closing time, and Mr. L. Bolster, the submanagerof the branch, had examined the vault to see that thesafes were closed and everything in order. Mr. Fitton, whoseduty it was to see that the gas jets were extinguished and toclose the vault, finding it unlighted, and not knowing that theplumber had turned off the gas, then closed the doors.Subsequently, the plumber, having finished his repairs, turnedon the gas again. On the next day, Sunday, gas was smelledin the office, and the messenger on guard, suspecting that itcame from the vault, turned it off at the meter.As the vaultdoor was protected by a time-lock, he knew that it could notbe opened until Monday morning to ascertain the cause of theleak. In the evening the gas was turned on again, because itwas required in other parts of the building and also in order toconform with a rule which required a light to burn in the officeall night. On Monday morning the vault was openedat theusual hour, and found to be full of gas. Care was taken toavoid using a match, and the doors of the vault and thewindows of the office were opened to let out the gas. Abouthalf an hour later the messenger was sent into the vault tosee whether it was free of gas. Not smelling any, he proceededto light the gas burners. The match he struck ignitedthe gas which had collected in the upper part of the vault anda most violent explosion occurred. The messenger's face wasburned and he was otherwise hurt, but managed to staggerout of the vault. The key of the time-lock, which was kepton top of the lock, was picked up, after the explosion, on theother side of the street. The force of the explosion hadapparently propelled it through the manager's room and the