THE FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE WATERWORKS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1025, 2 August 1879, Page 2

THE FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE WATERWORKS.

o An inquiry touching the death of Patrick Markham and Paul Fitzpatrick, who lost their lives through a fall of earth in the 28-chain tunnel on the water-race, was held this afternoon at the Queen's Hotel, before W. J". Steward, Esq., Acting Coroner, and a jury of fourteen, of whom Mr. Headland was chosen foreman. After viewing the bodies, one of which was at the Queen's Hotel and the other at the While Hart Hotel, the following evidence was taken : Michael Markham, a laborer, identified the body lying at the Queen's Hotel, and recognised it as that of his brother, Patrick Markham, aged 34 years. He was a native of County Clare, Ireland, and was a single man. Thomas Harmon, landlord of the White Hart Hotel, identified the body then lying at his hotel as that of Paul Fitzpatrick. He had known him since January last. He was about 33 years of age, and was a native of County Cavan, Ireland. He was a single man. He had a brother in Sydney, and his mother is living in Cowan. He has a cousin named Fitzpatrick residing at Clydevale Station. William Wright, a miner, said he knew the body lying at the Queen's Hotel to be that of a 'mail who was working in the 73-chain tunnel for a contractor named Ford. He (witness) was employed on the waterworks as Sub-Inspector under Mr. Kirkby, the Inspector of the works. His duty was to see that the ground in the tunnels was taken out with safely. Ford had a contract for lining the tunnels with stone near the mouth. Before he commenced work the tunnel was lined with timber, and lie ■ had not to remove the timber at the sides in order to put in the stone, but had to do so partly at the top. The portion removed waa not part of the lining, but a beam put in to support the lining. Ford commenced! the contract about January, and employed generally from four to six men. (witness) had been engaged as sub-inspector on the works generally for about four months. He saw the men at work in the tunnol every day. The tunnel was greatly composed of shingle, and it was necessary to exercise care in doing the work. He had warned them to.be careful. He was not in the tunnel when it was pierced, and, as he thought the ground might be broken, he told the men to be careful for fear of a fall. He specially instructed them to build up the arch as close as possible to the supports before removing them. He had given this caution to Reddy, who was i engaged by the Corporation to take out ' ground and remove any timber that mightbe in Ford's way. Reddy was responsible to witness that the supports were not removed until it was safe to remove them. He had cautioned Reddy frequently, and as a rule his instructions were obeyed. He was in the tunnel on Thursday last, at a quarter past 12 o'clock, and had been there for about two hours. Ford, two men whose bodies he had seen that day, and Reddy were, work 'while he was in

the tunnel. Ford and his two rnon were putting in masonry, and Roddy was clearing up stuff which was ]y; nrr about and putting in new timbers. Be repeated his injunctions to Reddy to he careful. He told him that if he (witness) was not there himself he (Reddy) was not to remove any more timber until Ford had keyed up as far as possible. JJ O relied upon Reddy's judgment as to when it was safe to remove the timber. He had been in the tunnel from eight o'clock on Thursday last (the day of the accident) until about six o'clock this morning When he first returned to the tunnel after the accident he could not judge whether his instructions had been carried out or not. The fall had extended further back than the lining had been removed. When he was in the tunnel on Thursday the distance between the unfinished stonework and the nearest crown was about three or three and a half feet. Some d'.iys the men put in 10 or 12 feet of runi ,;,i "

stone lining. He could not say how much stone had been put in tlui day'" after he left, and before the accident. His opinion of how the accident happened was, that there must have been a space left between the roof of the tunnel and the lining, and that a fall had taken place, and carried the lining away. His reason for thinking that such was the case was that he had known accidents to occur from a similar cause. His greatest reason for believing that the accident had occurred in this manner was that Reddy had told him that a fall had previously taken place: at the place where the accident occurred.. Where a largo space was left between theearth at the top of a tunnel and the lining, and a fall occurred, the effect would be to carry away the timber. He could not say whether the instructions he gave to Reddy on the afternoon on which the accident occurred had been carried out.

To the Jury : He had never had any occasion to find fault with anyone for recovering too much timber at one time. The height of the tunnel was 6ft Gin. Centres were put in to support the roofing, and he believed Ford was engaged putting in the centres when the accident occurred. To the best of his belief' Reddy was a man capable of seeing to the' safety of the men. The recent rains; might have tended to prevent a. fall of earth. He did not think the accident could have been prevented by any person. He had never heard any of Ford's party complain of the work being dangerous. When the cross-heads were taken out, the timber was packed as tightly as possible above the top of the stone lining. It would be impossible to key up without removing the cross-heads. He considered they were working on the safest plan. It was not usual to put in the key-stones without removing the. cross-heads.

To the Coroner : The wooden lining tras: put in before witness was engaged in the-, tunnel, and lie could not say what th& nature of the ground was above- the. timber. He had examined the tunnel in* order to find out what it was like, but could not see anything. To the Jury : The lining was composed of two-inch timber, and cross-heads were of timbers 7in. x 4in. The sets were about 5 feet apart.