ACCIDENT AT THE CHAIN HILLS TUNNEL.

Evening Star, Issue 3736, 12 February 1875, Page 2

ACCIDENT AT THE CHAIN HILLS TUNNEL.

The City Coroner (Mr Hocken) held an inquest at Green Island yesterday, touching the death of Thoms a Kerr and Patrick Dempsey, who were killed the day previous day by a fall of s one in the tunnel. Commis.sinner Weldon was present throughout. William F. Paterson, “ boss ” of the gang working in the tuunel, after describing the accident, went onto say The first slip, which did all the damage, was a flake of rock seven feet long, and altogether four tons must have given way. The men were drill ing the rock that fell, to make an extension for further brickwork. There was no suspicion of its not being firm, but to guard against danger, the precaution of tapping the roof with' a hammer was generally taken, in fact, all miners were expected to tap before commencing. I told Barnwell, a laborer, to sound overhead, and frequently tell the men to do so, but on this occasion I did not warn those who were working. The * boss ’ of the preceding shift is supposed to inform the succeeding one of any bad ground. In the present instance he did not do so. After the slip I examined the roof, and ohserved a different formation to what I had seen before ; it was a soft mulloch. We slab after working fifteen feet. The roof was timbered to within five feet of where the accident took place. It is possible to slab overhead at once, but that would be twice as laborious. About a week ago we were discussing the advisability of adopting a new mode of working the tunnel; to commence from the top-head instead of the lower, which we considered more practicticable and safer, and more expeditious.” Henry Barnwell, a miner of fourteen years’ experience, judged from the sound where Dempsey and Wedlock were boring that the ground was dummy or hollow, and so remarked to Turnidge, who told the men to knock off, but they continued to work until t}je Slone fell. Witness always tested the ground before working. The rook in the tunnel was very treacherous, and he considered the safest precaution would be to adopt top-beading. William <ireert, “ boss ” of the night shift, and a miner of forty years’ experience, considered top-heading the safest t# work. A. J. Smyth, Messrs Brogden’s agent, said the deceased Kerr was employed to communicate between the workmen and him, and placed in charge of the fci-iinel. on account of his skill and expe rience, Opp or two slips had occurred 1 before, A week before ttyo accident, witness had bean conversing about working at the 1 top-heading, it being more ieconomical, j though not, in witness’s opinion, necessarily ! safer. There was always a great risk in I tunnel work, and in this case it was thought they had got over the worst part. He gave instructions that nothing was to be dispensed with that would render the working safer. It was not for the want of any care or skill that the accident occurred. Jt was stated that Kerr was thirty-six years of age, and a miner of twenty- years’ experience; that Dempsey was twenty-si? years old, a single man, and a native of Galway, Ireland A verdict of “ Accidental Death ” was returned.