SHOCKING MINING ACCIDENT AT SANDHURST.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1522, 20 June 1873, Page 4

SHOCKING MINING ACCIDENT AT SANDHURST.

[arous correspondent, june 5.]

Another frighful mining accident happeued to-day at the North Old Chum mine, the same mine as that in which the late manager, Mr Thomas Hooper, »vas killed a short time since, by falling down a winze while showing a visitor through the workings. The unfortunate man who met with the accident- to-day is terribly mangled, and it is scarcely possible that he can recover. His name is Charles Weiland, aged about 35 years, a mafrie'd man with two children. He has been employed at the NortK'Old Chum mine for a number of years, and was always a most careful miner. A few days the manager and Weiland were going down the shaft together, when the former pointed out a defective timber in the shaft, and said to Weiland that some day when he had time he had better fix another one in its place. This morning Weiland went to work at the 650 ft level, aud when he had finished his job there he came up to work in the mullock pass, close to the shaft, at 360 ft. The set which required the new piece of timber was immediately under this level. The man left the work he was doing in the mallock pass to put in the timber required in the shaft. The cage must have just passed down the shaft before he left the mullock pas 3, for a miner in the truck going down saw him in the pass at work with an adze. The miner got out 90ft below the mullock pass, and having removed some tools from the truck, gave ihe signal for the cage to. be hauled up. The cage went up, and the truck in it struck Weiland on the head and chest. His jaw was nearly torn off, the arteries of the neck are bared, his chest is smashed in, aud his head is fractured. He was knocked senseless for a few momenta, but the mosi extraordinary part of this lamentable affair is the fact that he did not fall down the shaft after the cage had passed up. When he recovered consciousness, he was able to crawl Bft further into the ladder shaft, and sitting there he was discovered, owing to the terrible cries he uttered. Assistance was at once obtained, and the injured man ■was brought to the surface and into the engine house. He was ordered by Dr Boyd to the hospital at once, where he now lies. The mine in which this happened is, perhaps, one of the best managed in the district. . I went through it to-day. "If you can find anything wrong," said the manager, " the fault is mine. The directors give me ample power to provide everything necessary to the safety of the men." And I found everything possible was done, and no expense spared. No one can be blamed bub ihe man himself for the catastrophe. The truck which struck the injured man was splashed with blood, and hair and portions of flesh were still sticking to it.