The Provinces.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 5, 8 December 1869, Page 1 (Supplement)

The Provinces.

Fatal Mining Accident at the Thames Goldfield We have to record, with the utmost re- ( grot, the first accident that lias happened in connection with the Golden Crown ( Company’s works, and which has surpassed in the horror of its details, not only any ' occurrence on the goldfield, but even in the Province. From the particulars which we append, it will be seen that the unfortunate sufferer by this most sudden and •awful casualty was mangled in the most horrible manner, so much so that the body completely defied identification. From the particulars, as gathered by our reporter, who visited the scene of the accident a short time after its occurrence, it would appear that there are two engineer’s in charge of the crushing and pumping works of the Golden Crown Company. These men work in twelve-hour shifts, and one of them, the head engineer, by name John Baxter, went to work at six o’clock last night as usual; and until about half-past eight o’clock the operations of the machinery went on as usual, no one having occasion to visit the building, with the exception of Baxter, who was in charge. At the hour mentioned above, a stranger went to visit Mr Cootes, who is in the employ of the Company, and occupies an office in the neighbourhood of the pumping machinery, when he was horrified at perceiving the mangled body of a human being lying on the floor of the machine room, close to the eccentric rods and governing ball. The alarm was then given, the machiueiy was immediately stopped, and a crowd soon congregated around the spot. The appearance presented by the body was of a fearful character, not a feature of the eouu tenance was recognisable, and the mangled and distorted limbs scarce presented the semblance of a human individual. The viscera were protruding ; and, indeed,, it may he almost said that the whole remains were a mass of mangled flesh, A strict examination of the immediate locality was at once entered into, and it was found that the governing balls were sprinkled with brains and blood, as were also the eccentric rods, and a large quantity of blood was coagulated on the floor underneath the balls, and the oil-can used for oiling the machinery was found at the bottom of the pit in which the fly-wheel revolves. From an examination of the fragments of torn clothes and the disfigured remains,, it was found that tine unfortunate man, Baxter, after oiling the bearings of flic fly-wheel, incautiously raised his head, forgetful of the close proximity of the quickly-re--1 voicing governing hulls, amt was struck by them, and dashed, stunned, amongst the eccentric rods, whiclg having torn thethen senseless form, threw it in an undistiuguishable heap on the part of the floor on which it was subsequently found. An inquest will be held on the remains, at . which, all possible particulars of this, the

saddest accident known in oiir community, will, no doubt, be elucidated, Thera are certain matters connected with the domestic life of poor 'Baxto* which throw an additional gloom over the unhappy event. It seems that the unfortunate man had just completed a comfortable cottage on the Shellback Creek, belo n Clarkson’s battery, for the residence of his wife and six young children, who arc left mourners over his untimely fate. Wo believe that the unhappy wife and family are left by this unfortunate occurrence entirely unprovided {or.Shartland Times'