"ACCIDENTAL DEATH."

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 840, 11 June 1910, Page 3

"ACCIDENTAL DEATH."

MIRAMAR INQUIRY: CORONER'S RECOMMENDATION. NEED OF EAIITH-CUSHION OVER DRIVES. The inquiry into the circumstances attaching to tho fall of earth at the Miramar Cutting on Monday, which resulted in the death of James Phillips and the injury of John Wilson, was resumed at- .the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. W. R. Haselden, S.M., coroner. Mr. AVard appeared for, tho contractors, Messrs. Sanders Bros., Air. O'Regan appoarod for the widow of deceased, Mr. 51. J. Reardon watched tho inquiry on behalf of tho General Labourers' Union, and Messrs. C. H. Izard and Jas. Marchbanks on behalf of tho Harbour Board.* StationSergeant Darby represented the police. The coroner stated that he had been out to the sccno of the accident since tho last sitting, and had mado a complete inspection of the drive. He !iad •also seen the "greasy back." Robt. Charles Thornton, clerk of works for the Wellington Harbour Board, stated that ho-was in charge cf the Miramar Cutting contract on behalf of the Harbour Board. Tho work was being done under contract for the Harbour Hoard as employers, and Mr. C. F. Pulley as contractor. Messrs-. Sanders Bros, were sub-contractors for the excavation. On Monday morning witness was on tho works all day, and between 9 n.m'. and 10 a.m. he-went through tho cutting together with deceased (Phillips). A "shot" was fired about this tune, and a large portion of rock at the "toe" of the cutting was blasted out. Tho "shot" shook the bank a little bit, and witness examined tho ground with Phillips. They found that the "shot" had been a good one, and had cleared, tho rock to the "toe." As a result of tho inspection and a discussion, fissure was found, and something was 'said, as to putting ill a special support ,to the roof of -the drive. A man was put on. to cut ' a "ehaso" or cavity to iit a support in the side of the drivo flush with the face of, the rock. This was in progress when, presumably, the fall camo- and interrupted tlio work. The fatal fall occurred about 50ft. away from where tlio support was put in. Previous to 3 o'clock thcro was nothing to cause alarm or indicate any special danger.Tho work all through was dangerous and risky. As far as witness know, Phillips was a competent man. The timber put into tho drive ,was sufficiently. strong and staunch.' Each if tho cups was capablo of carrying a breaking strain of 20 tons. If there, had been a bed of three or four foet of material on the top of the "chinaman," or top ot tho drive where the fall occurred, the drive would not have collapsed. At tho..spot whore the slip came-down, thero was no cushion of earth on the top of tho drivo, as tho work had not progressed that far by •30 feet. > '

The coroner: "Do you approve of this method of working by 'chinaman'?'' . Witness: "Yes! The 'chinaman' system was more expensive .than the chute system, but was safer. Without doubt the cutting was a very dangerous piece of work, and the Harbour Board engineer (Mr. Marchbanks) had given tho method of working his attention, so' a3 to obtain the safest! system.

To Mr. Ward: The appointment of Phillips as foreman was , ill 1 witness's opinion a satisfactory move. Phillips knew his work thoroughly, and was given a . free hand by Messrs. Sanders IJi'os. There .was never any' liquor about the works.

To Mr. O'licgau: Tho accidcnt was not duo to lateral pressure, and a cushion on top of the drive would have held the material which came down. No one expected a fall' where tho big olio occurred, and consequently 110 cushion of metal had been put on the top uf tho drive at this point. It would have been more dangerous to have begun tho work at the top arid worked downward by benches. Water would have got into tho fissures, arid have shot out tho "groasy-backs," a thing that had to be .guarded against by every means.

To. Mr. lleardon: If he saw anything dangerous in the' working, he had power, to have it altered. - Tho contractors were always willing to meet liini in any suggestions he made. Tho previous accident ' occurred somo yards away from tho last one. As a i;esult of that accident a change was made'in tho system of working, chutes giving way to tho "chinaman." ;

.Tames licille, labourer, stated that he was employed as "powderman" at tlio cutting. One shot was fired at 10 11.111., and another at 2.30 or 3 p.m. After each sjiot it. was bis duty to see that everything was safe. He did not do it after the second shot on Monday, Phillips undertaking tho ■ work and saying "all was safe," aiid giving orders to go oil with another hole. A littlo after the shot, one of the men called out that the ground was giving away, and 110 (witness) ran down the face and into the drive. When he got to the drive lie heard Wilson call out, and he ran into the drive and assisted Wilson. After five hours' work Wilson was extricated. I

To Mr. Yi'ard: "Dili you have confidence in Phillips as foreman?" ,AVilneas: "Yes, every confidence. Before Phillips's appointment he (witness). recommended the appointment to Mr. Sanders."

To Mr. lteardon: It- was the general practice on such works to do the firing at- dinner time or before starting in the morning where this course was eonvenieYit. Witness had been in charge for a couple of days, and he had fired when a hole was completed. He agreed with tlio last witness that if there had been three or four feet of earth ,on the top of the drive, the accident would not have happened. No earth was 011 the "chinaman"' at' the spot where the fall occurred, because it was thought that the ground was perfectly safe. Nearer to where the ivork was proceeding the "chinaman" was well covered.

To the Coroner: "About fifteen to twenty minutes elapsed between tho firing of the shot and the fall of the slip." George Garrett, a labourer, with fifteen years' experience of tunnelling ami cutting work, did not consider that the timber used —white pine—was sufficiently strong to carry the weight' that was put on'it. If the slip started from the 'bottom, nothing could possibly hold it. Ho. had never complained about the white "pine being used. Black birch or blue'gum would be the best limber. Mr. Sanders had always clone his best, niifl got the timber which was asked for.

Witness volunteered a statement that Mr. Sanders did liis best for every man on the job. lie stuck to tin 1 working men, and lie stuck to the deceased. Constable i'rico also gave evidence as to the assistance rendered to Wilson, and tho work of extricating the deceased.

The following verdict was brought jn by the Coroner: "Accidental death: "xlie Coroner recommends that the Chief Engineer of the Wellington Harbour Hoard be instructed to report on the best method of carrying out this adinittedlv dangerous work at Miramar cutting, with a view to minimising the risk incurred by the workmen engaged tlieroon."