SIX LIVES LOST

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2772, 16 May 1916, Page 6

SIX LIVES LOST

EXPLOSION IN A STATE QUARRY

NEAR OHAKUNE

CAUSE SHROUDED IN MYSTERY fc News was received last evening of a quarry fatality at Ohakuue, as a result of which six men employed by the Public Works Department lost their lives and two others were injured. The names of the men killed are:— Mellsop (ovorsoer) . Larking Davics M'Garry Torrona M'Kay (or M'Coll). Two men, Sheohy and Morgan, were injured. The following telegram was received at 9.30 last night from the postmaster at Ohakune by the Secretary of the General Post Office:— "Explosion occurred Public, Works Quarry. As far as can be learned—Killed: -Mellsop, Larking, Davies, M'Garry, Torreiw, M'Kay (or M'Coll) Injured; Sheehy, Morgan." It 13 understood that the explosion occurred at 5.30 ■ yesterday afternoon. The quarry is one belonging to the Railway Department. The Public Works Department is at present building a Tailway line from Ohukune to Raetihi, and as. a good deal of metal was required for ballasting purposes the Department obtained the right to take the metal from the quarry in question, and were working it at the time the explosion occurred. The practice in getting out the metal is to drive a tunnel into the face of rock, and then put in a f.<avy charge of explosive, so as to bring d<.wn from 800 to 1000 tons from the face, which rock is then shifted to the crusher, In the present case, it is stated, tho tani.els had been driven, and the men had taken tho explosives in. There were in all eight men in the tunnel at the time of the explosion, and the overseer (Mellsop) was there with them.

No theory can bo advanced at present for the cause of the explosion, but it is known that Mellsop and two others were blown clean out of the tunnel, and it is considered a wonderful thing that any of tho men escaped death.