PREMATURE BLAST.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1333, 10 January 1912, Page 4

PREMATURE BLAST.

e TIMARU QUARRY TRAGEDY. (By Telerranh.- Press Associattnn.l Timaru, January 9. A fatal aeoident happened at the Ear* bour Board's quarry this afternoon. A blast was fired prematurely, and tko rock fall caught and killed a man named O'Neill, seriously injured the board's-en-gineer (Mr. W. H. Clark), and .Slightly injured a third.man. , ... Details in connection with the. harbour quarry fatality are that, a tunnel had been driven under the face of the rock for about 30ft. It was «i high drive, having two "tees," in which 51 kegs or blasting powder had been placed, and the drive tilled in. At 3.30 p.m. preparations were made to firo the charge. The workmen were ordered out, and n v;atcb set at each, end of the quarry. Those who roinainc-d wvro tho Harbour Board's ongiuecr (Mr. P. , ■\Y. Clarke), the quarry foreman (Mr. Cnlvml). and Mr. O'Neill (tunnellcr). O'Noill had prepared the fuse for lighting, Calvcrt was six yards away! and Clarlco a chain away. Clarke told O'Neill that all was readj to liijht. and lo "como away." From some cause not stated or explained, a.'.i explosion followed immediately. Tho vertical face of tho rock was broken up. and thrown outwards, buryins O'Neill, and pieces, large and small, wpro lini'lfd some distance. Oho bij; piece hit Clarke on the left, lesr. lacerating tho llcsh, n.;id breaking (ho lump nt (he ankle, ("alv-rt was nioyin*; away as directWl, and a bf<i piece liit him on tho shoulder, knookihi? him down, 110 m>l up, and went lo Clarke, wjio safd that be was seriously hurt. lie then looUvhl for O'Neill, who was not to bo seen, being completely buried. Tlio oilier won eniiio tip, nml an ambulance and doctors were sent for. alul the injured mnu were convoyed away. X number of hands were sot to work to eslvionln O'Neill, and, after three hours or so, they sucwdod, the body then bolus f.»niii: The (liveasetl, l'alrick O'Neill, was h man about 40, with u young wife and four children.