INTERPROVINCIAL TELEGRAMS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 318, 5 August 1879, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL TELEGRAMS.

(from the lyttelton times.) Oamaru, August 1.,

A dreadful accident occurred at the waterworks yesterday evening, and resulted in the death of two men, named respectively Patrick Markham and Paul Fitzpatrick, and in serious injury to Patrick Ford, one of the contractors on the works. The three men, with another named Rudy, were engaged in replading' the woodwork in the 28 chain tunnel, about seven miles from Oamaru, with masonry, when the woodwork gave' ,way and a fall of earth buried them. Rndy escaped, and Ford crouched against the side of the wall aud escaped., the falling-; earth and rock, but his leg was broken by the beams falling on it. Markham was killed instantaneously, but Ford heard Fitzpatrick speak before a second fall which it is supposed must have smothered him. Tlie accident occurred about half-past 4 o'clock, and it was nearly 2 o'clock this morning before Ford was taken out. The body of Markham was recovered at 1 p.m. to-day and and although at that hour the body of the other man was visible, it had not been extricated up to o" p.m.. A large gang of men worked incessantly from both sides of the fall, some for twenty-four hours without rest. Dr Garland, who was sent for, arrived on the spot at 11 o'clock last night, and remained until Ford was taken out, and attended to litis injuries. An inquest will be held to-morrow, Both men who were killed were unmarried, but Ford is a married man with a large family, for whom much sympathy is felt.