DASHED TO DEATH.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 October 1924, Page 4

DASHED TO DEATH.

.MYSTKI?JOUS COLLAPSE OF Gilt DF.lt. .John Leslie Itatson, aged. two lit vlliree, and Vicar Hn.swell, a lied man, while working on a girder .spanning the auditorium of the new theatre at Waipilkliraii, were hurled to the lloor HOI t below by the mysterious collapse of the span, states the Waipukurau “ Press.” liotfi were severely hurt. Matson was picked up uneonsieous, his head being frightfullv crushed, and 1 Inswell was also injured around the head and eoniplained of severe pains in the pelvis. lie is .semi-conscious.

Dr Raymond, who was quickly on the scene, ordered the removal to the hospital of both men. Here Matson died at 7.H0 without regaining consciousness and Tlaswoll expired at 9.T0. The circumstances attending the accident were tragic iu the extreme. The two deceased wore working on one of the fifty-six foot girders being placed in position to hold the root alld were working to elect a scaflnlding to reach another girder just being placed ill position. They were limiting up planks for this purpose, when the structure mi which their weigh! was resting buckled in and collapsed and the workmen were Hung to the lloor of the building, a distance of thirty feet. (fillers Working nearby were also Hung off, hut thev were saved from the fall to the ground by the planks over the dress circle. 'I liree men saved, in this way received minor injuries, Inti were able to proceed home unaided.

Thomas Spademan, working on the ground imediately beneath the collapsed girder, had a miraculous escape. A ton of iron and countless planks tell all around him, hut he sheltered with presence of mind under some girders m.t yet pul up, and escaped injury. The cause of the fatal accident is ii ii 1: now n.

’The girder was the second to he erected ami was hearing a platlorm from the lirst. The workmen were hauling un planks to make a similar platform oil to the third, which Imd just been erected, when the second girder gave way.