At a number of the works in Luton the electric power suddenly failed just about noon on Saturday [October 28th, 1916], and the explanation came a little later on when it became known that an accident had occurred at the electricity station.

Exactly what happened is something of a mystery, but it seems that engineers were about to change over the load from the new 3,000 kw set to the smaller turbines and on going to start up the circulating pump motor of one of the small sets they experienced some difficulty with the switch.

While one of them, Gerald Dorrington, who is 27 years old and resides in Claremont Road, was examining it, a short circuit took place across the switch and he and one of his colleagues, Claude E. Coleman, aged 33, of Conway Road, and a turbine erector named Charles Leighton, employed by the contractors and lodging in Park Road, were hurled back by a terrific flash.

Dorrington and Coleman were both very severely burned about the face and hands, and Leighton was also burned on the face, hands and arm, but not so seriously as the other two.

The men were at once conveyed in a cab to the Bute Hospital, where they are reported to be going on very well.

The result of the explosion was to blow the fuse controlling the whole of auxiliaries on to the alternating current side of the station, which had the effect of shutting the plant down.

Four feeders were, however, pulled out so as to keep the majority of the munition works going while the other sets were brought into use, and in three-quarters of an hour the whole supply was resumed.

[The Luton Reporter: Monday, October 30th, 1916]