This Day.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 89, 14 April 1875, Page 2

This Day.

I J. R. Wakelin, i*e-c tiled: Was au experi- \ enced workman, and had he been manager would have put up timber uprights. He would have conducted tbe operations in a totally different manner; namely, by •« benching." It is customary to set a b.ok-out for danger. Ifor his own part he could say that he would not again put a pick in the grou d if he was starving. He had not formed ihis opinion since the accident only. He had never undermined since Williams' accident. Alter ten years' cxpeiience he could say positively th_t he would not work in earth sucii as that in the manner that it had been worked By a juror: It is not usual to set a watch for danger from the commencement of a drive. By t Mr Jone?: The place where you put me to work on Monday, which I considered dangerous, was near tbe water bole, where flakes were continually falling. This, I think, was taused by the water. It was about eight feet above where Jennings and I wtre at work that they fell from. If you bad put me to work on the level at the bottom, and I bad driven in as far as 1 thought safe, I thould not have propped it myself, but came to you about it, as you had promised to see that the timber was put in, and everything made secure. Harry Green: I am a laborer living in Nelson. On Monday last I was working in the forenoon about '20 feet above the de.eaßed and Day. After dinner my mate recommended that we should put some boards up to prevent the stuff we were working from falling on those below. We did so. I saw Day run out and look up, and just at that .moment the whole mass fell from about three feet below where I was standing. I saw ' Kelly and Downes run out, and the eanh fa 1 on tticin. I had no. warning previously that it was going to fill. I think t'.e workings were very dangero'ia, on account of the f*;t:e being too high. I never spoko to anyon * before the accident about the nature of the ' ground, y. 11 the time I was at vork there I j considered it dangerou». The nature of the ground varies very much. In some places it is a deal harder than in others. I have In d very little experience in mining. Mr Jor.cs "was up tbrt e times dui-ing the morning. James Dunn : lam a miner living in Ne - son I have been accustomed to mining ever ; since I was able to work. I was working on the ground on Monday about twelve feet to the'sido of where the accident happened. X I . noti.ed thc state of the earth in the morning, ' '

and told the decetsel and Day they should be careful, as they « ere working in a dangerous spot. All works of that kind are dangerous, and I told them they should go up above .very now and then and see if there were any signs of cracking. I have advised Mr J ones at various times how to put in tho timbers, and how to cut the pillars out in a mania r consistent with safety. My advice was followed. I helped him at the next fall after Williams was hurt. I don't think sufficient eau* ion was used at tbe time of Wilh'iins' accident. I consider that where the men were killed the ground was quite ready f , r timber by dinner time. I did not see it ■ after dinner. I would have gone in there to Avo;k after dinner without timber, but would have taken the precaution to make myself -afc bv continually going out to watch the face. Since Williams' accident, I have s en no reason to find fruit with the works. I think that since then proper care has been taken by Mr Jones. By a ju or : In working with'pillars, I • ave never spen the earth f .11 suddenly without giving Wirning by cracking, A man not accustom d t_ mining could have seen whether danger threatened by going above to look. A watch is not usually set until the time for falling By Mr Jones : I did not hear any one of the men xpress any suspicions to you about the danger, but Day remarket to me at dinner time that he thought he was in far enough. B* a juror . I was foreman at the top part of th" work. I consider the works in that t»**rt were oarried on in a safe and proper manor. We put in a aeries of drives up there, and 9ii tlie -tuff down in shoots The time to pnt the timber in i*- just beiore the pillars are removed I never saw timber put up to keep ■ip the face -olid before comrmncing to mine. 1 have worked a fall fifty feet high on the Quartz i-.ant.es, where the ground is of a ■m.ilar character, without an accident. Had there been t'mb r the fall on Monday would not have h en prevented, but ample warning wo-ild have heen givea. i-oherc Grant: I am a carter, living in Nc^on. I have been in the habit of working at the hill behind Mr Jones's storo. It is bad earth for falls Mr Jones did not work 'he bill in the tame way that I did, I never drove in. I never worked go large a face as ho had on Monday, because I thought it would be danrjerous, I never cautioned. him thnt 1 am aware of, I think itadangerouß hi 1 to undermine. Willi mi Winter: I am a lal irer, and have had i on.iderable experience at mining. IJwas working at the hill when Williams met with hi-- acciden*. I was working 'on the top face the day his leg was broken, and on tbe fol- ■ ••winsr day I went uo again, and was working 'h *t*. ti 1 two o'clock, when Mr Jones ca'led me down aud a.ked me to go under a fall to work. I refused He told rne a second time and I refused again. He asked ffly reason, and I said ic wasn't safe, and I wasn't going t) endanger mv life. I would rather leave altogether, which I did at night. Next morning I went to get what was due to me, and told him if he went on working it as he had been doing he would have some of them killed. All the time I was there I was frightened, for I considered it unsafe the wav it was being worked. It was on the same pi*ce of ground tliat the mm were killed, but at ihe previous fall, that he wanted me to work. I don't tliink Dunn thoroughly un(.erctinds the nature of the ground in which lie i_ working. Ho works in such a funny way, undermining so f.r without u-ing timber. I have worked higher faces than this by "benching " I could not get so much out that way. If I had to work that hill I certainly sheu'd not do it as it is done now, ior the earth is rotten and dangerous. I don't ih nk it could be kept up by timber, because t .-j .tuff is so short, but more warning- would have been given. I don't think Mr Joi.es would have foun 1 fault with any of tho men for putt i g timber up. By Mr Jones: I did not lfave because I h-d not a spell at the shovel instead of the pi> k. George Perkins: I am a laborer living in N Isou. I was working with Mr Jones until the 3rd instant, when I left, because he was not working it safely. 1 have been accustomed to wo'k in gravelly hills, but never saw one worked in this way before. It should bo worked in "benches," because then every man would be sale. The stuff is too short to be worked by undermining, lie wanted me to work at undermining when there was a crack visible six feet back. In a heavy piece of ground like that very little warning would ■ a\ e been given, and I do not consider it would have been a si.fll.'ient precaution for •h*. deceased to go out occasionally and look. Ido not consii-r Dunn a practical miner. I don't think twelve men falling would get as much stuff as iw_n_y-_our benching. The work is not s_/e tho way they are doing ifc now. Bv a Juror: I have worked in all sorts ot »ro md. at facea of various heights. J-.1.M Waid: I h;ive had some experience ne'i th work. I have seen the works at Mr Jones's «s I passed up and djwn On Monday f >em rked that i' the men were not very • are u there would 1e a lot buried. 1 judged by the general appearance of the work. I • id not _• iisider thafc proper precaution was n.<.d, hut I oniy saw it from the road, and ddiot go to the spot. I certainly should h ive worked it in smaller falls. It waß about I I oMo'iK when I made the remark. iy Mr Jones : Had I been working there and considered it ..angerous I certainly should have mentioned it, and had no precautions b.-i_n tiken I should have left. I think the "Virseer or ganger was the man to seo that • In* props were put up. From passing observati m in going up and down the road, I do not iliink that even if timbered the works us carried on now would be safe, on account of the rottenness of the stuff. Walk- r Jones, being warned that he was not bound to answer any questions, stated : I ni a eorn chandler on the Haven road. I contra- td vith Mr Scott for certain earthwmks, for which I am taking earth Irom the b'ck of my store. On Monday last I put Downes, K.ly, and Day lo undermine a puce o' ground that had been commenced on b'atur*!ay. They we.e each in a separa* - . daive The Court was still sitting when we went io piese. (/*'o. remainder of News see fourth page. - )