THE LATE ACCIDENT AT DUFFER'S CREEK.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1106, 13 February 1872, Page 4

THE LATE ACCIDENT AT DUFFER'S CREEK.

An inquest was held at the Court House, Ahaura, on. Friday, 9th February, before C. Waitefoord, Esq., Coroner, on the remains of David Tutchen, who was killed on the previous day by a landslip at Dufter Greek. The jury haying been sworn, they proceeded to view the body, which was lying at Pinkertori's Hotel. It appeared from the evidence of John Babbit, Alexander M'Kenzie, and John Sutherland; that a man named Benjamin South-, worth, a neighbor of the deceased, felt unwell on the morning of the Bth February, and went towards Tutchen's hut to ask him to go to work in his (Southworth's) stead in his claim. When Southworth got to the place where the house of the deceased formerly stood, he noticed something wrong, and he came to Babbit, and both went back. They then saw an immense quantity of debris, composed of earth, stones, roots, and trees, which had slipped from the range above the house, and falling on the ledge on which it stood, pushed or carried it down into the watercourse below, a distance of about 12ft. The house was almost buried but {hey saw a portion of the materials of which it was built protruding through the rubbish. They set to work to disinter the body of the deceased, because, having made inquiries and finding that he did not leave his home the previous night, they concluded that he was still in the ruins. After working some time, they came to the timbers of which the end of the hut was bu"t ; M'Kenzie put his hand through one of the interstices and felt the body of the deceased ; it was still quite warm. A log t had fallen on the body, and the slabs of the hut falling on this kept the weight of the dirt off. The body was quickly extricated, and with the exception of a slight bruise under one of the eyes, caused by a stone which was resting on the face, there were scarcely any unnsiial marks upon it. The landslip extended for over 50ft backwards from the face of> the range, and it was caused, by the loosening of the grtund owing to the recent wet weather. When the body was taken out, the upper parts were quite warm, but the lower extremities were cold. In answer to one of the jury a witness stated that landslips were common in the {locality where the accident happened, and there was ye./ little notice , taken of them. The deceased lived six hundred yards fr.ini any, other person, and he worked by himself for the last lew weeks: The evidence of all the witnesses Agreed as to the cauae of the unfortunate occurrence, and after the Coroner summed up, the jury returned a verdict of accidental death. The funeral took place at Ahaura on Saturday, the 10th instant, at noon. The remains were followed to the cemetery by a large number of the friends and acquaintances of the deceased, and by the residents of the town. The shops were all closed, and every mark of respect shown as the mournful procession passed though the streets. Mr Whitefoord, the Resident Magistrate, read the burial service at the grave, and by two o'clock the melancholy proceedings terminated. This young man was well known and highly respected throughout the Noble's, Duffer, Napoleon, and Half-Ounce districts. He was among the pioneer hydraulic sluiced at Noble's, and brought one of the first water-races to that place in 18&?. He principally resided at Duffer Creek for the last five years, and being of a social disposition and possessing cultivated manners, he made many friends. He was. an accomplished amateur musician, and the poor fellow was heard playing a flageolet, a favorite instrument of his, at his hut the last thing the night he met his death. When the news of the accident spread the miners flocked from all quarters, and to show the esteem and affection with which tluT deceased was regarded, it may be mentioned thai when it was proposed to bury his remains at Duffer Creek, as owing to the washing away of the roads and bridges at several places by the flood the previous night, it would be impossible io get a hearse to Ahaura, it was at once decided to carry the body fcbere, a distance of nearly fifteen miles. ' The coffin* containing the remains was also borne shoulder high from Ahaura to the cemetery by the former partners and friends of the deceased. David Tutchen was a native of Devonshire, England, but he came to this colony while he was vei/ young. He leaves a mother and other relatives residing in or near Wellington, in the North Island, and a brother is living either at Moeraki or Blueskin Bay, Otago.