FATAL MINING ACCIDENT.

Kumara Times, Issue 2740, 3 July 1885, Page 2

FATAL MINING ACCIDENT.

CORONER'S INQUEST. An inquest was held at Thompson's Metropolitan Hotel, yesterday afternoon, before J. Giles, Esq., Coroner, and a jury of thirteen, touching the death of Henry Morris, miner, who was killed in his claim at Larrikins on Wednesday morning. The following jurymen were sworn in :W. Davidson (foreman), O. "VV. Anderson, D. Williams, D. M'Lennan, T. Olliver, M. Gerraghty, W. Kroener, J. Brayshaw, R. Harrison, W. Close, W. Luton, P. Rooney, J. Schulstad. After having viewed the body, the following facts were elicited in reference to the caxise of death : George Mansfield, sworn, said : I am a miner, residing at Larrikins. The deceased Henry Morris was a mate of mine for the last five years; we have been working in our claim at Larrikins. We went to work at about eight o'clock yesterday morning. We were getting stones out to prepare for sluicing. Deceased was working with a pick and shovel, to excavate under a large stone which had fallen from the face, for the purpose of tipping it over out of the way. Whilst deceased was so engaged the stone suddenly canted and rolled against him, jamming him against a stone wall. Deceased called out, and we ran to him. We found him pinned by the stone, which had rolled against his back, and his chest was against the wall. There were three of us, but we had not strength enough, to extricate him. The stone was a very big one, I should think four feet through the smallest way. Deceased never spoke or showed any sign of life after we got to him ;he was blue in the face. When help came, the stone was moved from him by means of a lever ; that was perhaps about ten minutes after the accident. My opinion is that deceased was dead within a second or so after the accident. When he was got out, there was a little blood coming from his mouth. Gilbert Roberts, sworn, said : I am a miner, residing at Kumara. I knew the deceased Henry Morris ; he has been a mate of mine since last Christmas. The last time I saw him living was yesterday morning, when we were looking at our claim, a little after eight o'clock. There were two large stones fallen from the face which were obstructing the boxes. Deceased set to work to get the smaller one out of the way, whilst we were drilling the larger one ; he was clearing under it with a pick and shovel, to tip it. I suddenly heard some one call out, but I could not say certainly whether it was deceased or not. We ran to the spot,, and found, deceased jammed between the stone and a stone wall; he was black in the face. We had to get levers to extricate him ; it might have been from fifteen to twenty minutes after the accident before we got him out. I dont think deceased breathed after we first got to him ; I think he was crushed at once. I suppose deceased may have excavated a little too far under the stone. He happened to be caught against a projecting stone in the wall; had he been a little to one side or the other, the accident would probably not have been fatal. I did not see any danger whatever in the work deceased was doing, nor did he or anyone else suggest that there was danger. I should not at all have hesitated to do it myself. The stone canted a different way from what we intended ; it may have been caused by a mass of mullock which was adhering to the other side of it becoming suddenly detached. Walter Williams, sworn, said : I am a police-constable, stationed at Kumara. Yesterday morning I came to this hotel, where I found the body of deceased Henry Morris. I found bruises on the chest and left arm, and an abrasion of the skin. This was all the evidence. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased Henry Morris was accidentally killed by a large stone falling upon him whilst working in his claim at Larrikins.