MINING FATALITY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5287, 15 June 1928, Page 2

MINING FATALITY.

ACCIDENT AT MARATOTO* CRUSHED BY FALL OF EARTH. Shortly after mid-day on Wednesday a miner named Alfred James Brien, married, residing at Thames, died as the result of injuries received a.t the Ohinemuri Gold and Silver, Company’s mine at Maratoto. It appears, that deceased and his: son were working oh day shift and entered the m'ne at 8 a.m. Between 11 o’clock and mid-day they were engaged in taking down some timber, when suddenly the roof caved in and a fall of earth came down on top of the pair, partly burying them. Some heavy stones fell, across, the body of Mr Brien, senr., and almost immediately after he was released he expired The son was slightly injured on the back cj,nd one hip by the falling debris. The local police were advised of the accident, and left immediately for Maratoto. The body was brought to. the morgue at Paeroa, the party Arriving shortly after four o’clock in the afternoon. THE INQUEST. An, inquest was opened at the Ohinemuri County Chambers, Paeroa, yesterday morning, before the district coroner, Mr F. E. Flatt. Sergeant D. L. Calwell conducted the proceedings. Herbert Lawrence C. Brien, aged 29 years, miner, Thames, son of the deceased, employed in the Ohinemuri Gold and Silver Co’s. Mine at Maratoto, said that- his father wajs also a miner, and they had been working together at Maratoto. Deceased was 50 years of age, and was born ;a,t Thames 1 . On Wednesday morning he and his father were working together, in the mine getting ready for a set of timber in a drive. At the time of the accident deceased was holding a. moyle and he wa.s striking. Without any warning a block of stone dropped from the roof, falling on deceased and pinning him down. Witness, said he removed the debris and stone from deceased and pulled him out of danger. He told witness that he though his back was broken, and expired shortly afterwards. Witness said that he went to the mouth of the mine and notified the manager, who brought assistance to get deceased out of the tunnel. The usual precautions had been taken, and as , experienced miners they thought the conditions were quite safe. In his opinjson seven or eight truck-loads of earth ;a.nd rock came away in one solid mass:. He had been mining for 13 years, and his father for 25 years. The work was within 12ft to 14ft of the face, a.nd new timbering was being done., it being conssidered that the ground was fairly safe.

To Mr M- Pauli, mailing inspector, witness said that before the hitches were cut some ground was removed so as to’ give added safety. He had never known of a fall in that drive before. The back of the country had been sounded and tried previously, and it was considereld quite safe. Deceased had worked in nearly all the mines in the district. The work was being done on contract, and timber wa.s supplied and prepared by the company ready for setting up. In liis opinion it was a pure accident. No, explosives had been used to prepare the country for the sets. Dr. W. W. Little, Paeroa. said that in response to a message he reached Maratoto shortly before 1 p.m. He examined deceased and found that there was extensive bruising of the back, and also fracture of the spine, pelvis, and right thigh. Death was due to shock following on the injuries sustained, which were consistent with having been crushed l by a fall of earth. Alexander McGruer, mine manager, employed by the company and living at the mine, Maratoto, said that he had only known deceased for about a fortnight. From what he saw of deceased he would say that he was an experienced miner. He visited deceased and his son during the morning in the mine and remarked that there was not a great deal of dirt to shift to get into the face. The country was regarded as broken, country, but up to the time of the a.ccident there had never been any sudden falls and the precaution of timbering was always taken as. the drive- progressed. All working faces of the mine were examined by him ea.ch day, and he had seen nothing on the morning of the accident to cause concern in any way. An inspection was made again after the accident, and in his opinion the fall wajs: one of those happenings that could not be guarded .against. To Mr Pauli witness said that it was a condition of deceased’s contract that the company should supply prepared timber, because of the broken nature of the country. There was always plenty of timber available. He had been miming for about 39 years in various parts of the Dominion, and of that time he- had been a mine manager for 20 years, during which period no fatal accident had previously occurred. To the coroner witness said that the drive went in about 2000 ft. The place where the fall occurred Ira/l been carefully examined before deceased and his son commenced work on Wednesday morniing, and he w.as quite satisfied with the condition of the ground. Matthew Pauli, mining inspector, said that he visited' the m'ine at 4 p.m. on Wednesday on receiving advice of the accident. Tn company with the mine manager he inspected the scene of the fall of earth and carefully ex:-am-ined the face, and could verify the statement made by the son of the deceased. At the back of the drive and immcdiateyli over the point of t-heslip there was a V-shaped cavity, showing where the stone had come away. He was quite satisfied that in such, counttry it was very difficult by the usual mining methods of sounding to know whether the place was safe or not. The timber was close up to the site of the fall, and there was plenty more available and handy. He had no hesitation in saying that the occurrence was a pure accident, especially ,as he had known' deceased for years as a. sound practical miner who would take

no chances. In arriving at his verdict the coroner said that, it was one of those few accidents that occurrod unaccountably. It was regrettable that the Ifather and son should have had such an experience, especially as they were both careful ;and experienced miners. The verdict would l be that deceased was killed by a fal'h of earth at the Ohinemuri Gold and Silver Co.’s m'ne at Maratoto about 11.30 a.m. on June 13, 1.928, and in the opinion of the coroner the cause was purely accidental and no blame c’ouhl be attached to anyone. The coroner expressed this sympathy with the son apl relative's.