KILLED BY FALL OF ROCK.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 315, 21 November 1929, Page 5

KILLED BY FALL OF ROCK.

FATALITY AT ARAPUNI. Verdict of Accidental Death. The number 7 penstock tunnel at Arapuni was the scene of a fatal accident on Friday morning, the victim being Mr. Walter Lilley, a labourer, aged 43 years, who was killed by a fall of rock under circumstances as detailed in the report of the inquest. Deceased, who had been a resident of Arapuni for the past two years, was a married man and was extremely popular with all who knew him. The flag on the school was flying at half mast on Saturday as a mark of respect, and a dance that was to have been held on Saturday evening was postponed for a similar reason. The sympathy of a wide circle of friends will be extended to Mrs. Lilley in her tragic bereavement. An inquest concerning the death of Walter Lilley was held at Arapuni on Saturday before Mr. J. W. Barr Brown, J.P., coroner. Constable J. Murphy led the inquiry, Mr. Mason watched the proceedings on behalf of the widow, and Mr. Rabone, engineer in charge of the works, represented the Public Works Department. Alexander Samson, a miner and headman in the party working on the night shift on the 15th instant, stated that Lilley and Ernest Nicol were working with him. After four small shots had been fired witness cleared the loose ground from the roof of the tunnel. Witness considered everything safe. Deceased and Nicol were standing about two yards back from witness. Witness told the two men to go down the tunnel to engage in other worh, and they were just moving off when a fall of rock, and earth occurred. The fall caused only a slight noise and witness sang out a warning and jumped aside. The fall put the lights out in the tunnel. Witness heard a groan from deceased, who was completely covered. There were two falls of earth, with about 10 minutes’ interval between thq falls. The tunnel had to be timbered before deceased could be gof out, and it took from 5 a.m. (when the accident happened) to 6.45 a.m. to recover the body. The face was black and bruised. To the coroner witness stated that he considered that every precaution had been taken to render the work safe. They were excavating preparatory' to timbering the tunnel. To Mr. Mason, Samson stated that it was apparently-safe rock that

fell. , , •, j t*Ti'i •%}*.• To Mr. Rabone, witness said he considered the Arapuni country as safe to work as any he had ever worked in.

Ernest Nicol gave corroborative evidence.

Joseph Petersen, a foreman employed by the Public Works Department, gave evidence to the effect that he had gone through the tunnel in question at 3.45 a.m. and saw small shots being prepared. He considered everything to be safe. Ernest A. Torth’s (general overseer) evidence was to the effect that he had made a general inspection of all the tunnels on the 14th instant and found everything in order. Witness detailed the methods of timbering the tunnels. In reply to Mr. Rabone, witness stated that the Waikato country was equal, for safety, to any he had worked in.

Alfred Blanchard, a labourer in the number 8 penstock tunnel, also considered that the country was safe to work and that all safeguards had been taken for the men’s safety. The coroner, in returning a verdict of accidental death, with no blame attachable to anyone, said the case was quite clear, and the Public Works Department had taken all possible precautions for the safety of its employees.