EXTRAORDINARY FATAL ACCIDENT.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 184, 13 January 1877, Page 2

EXTRAORDINARY FATAL ACCIDENT.

[from the home news.]

A shocking accident occurred the other night at the cooperage of Messrs Finxel, sugar refiners, situated in Meadow-street, Bristol. About 200 workmen are employee! in turning out between 2,000 and 3,000 ticrccs per week. One portion of the yard is devoted to the, stacking of the cargoes and staves as the shipments arrive in port. The staves are piled in seperate stacks at heights varying from 30ft. to 50ft., each stack being only 3ft. Gin. square, that being the length of each stave, and in order to limit the liability of accident, and to add to the of the stacks and prevent any arising from an individual stack being ont of the perpendicular, the several piles are placed in close proximity to each other, and for further security what is technically known as a “ tie” is formed by projecting staves running from one pile into the other at frequent intervals While piling these lofty stacks, as they gradually increased in height, the workmen form temporary platforms by projecting a layer of staves, on which one above the other at short intervals, the men sit for the purpose of passing from hand to hand the staves, and thus raising the superstructure. At the time of the accident there were between 30 and 4u workmen engaged in this operation, when the stack on which they were at work, iron: some unexplained cause, suddenly and without the slight ‘st warning swa v<*d forward, and falling, not only carried the men seated on the platforms at various heights, hut brought with it four or fiv* of the adjoining stacks, each of which had been completed and had attained a height of 50ft. This immense body of timber,, representing many tons’ weight, descended upon the unfortunate workmen engaged beneath it, completely burying them under a huge heap of staves. Instantly willing bauds were directed to the labour of removing the immense mass of timber, from beneath which came the groans of the wounded workmen. In an incredibly short space of time, the mass of deals was sufficiently thrdwn aside to admit of the men being got out. Some of the unfortunate men had been so crushed that they were lying completely helpless and insensible when relieved of the weight of the timber that had been upon them, while others were groaning in a most piteous manner. Eventually, all the sufferers wore released from their perilous positions, and medically attended to. The result is three deaths and about. -’ IT seriously injured.