FATALITY AT MANGAHAO.

Shannon News, 5 August 1921, Page 3

FATALITY AT MANGAHAO.

ONE TUNNELLER KILLED. ANOTHER SERIOUSLY INJURED An explosion of gelignite, attended with fatal consequences, occurred at the Mangahao hydro-electric works at 10.30 o’clock on Wednesday morning. •The victims were Alexander Murdoch, who was instantaneously killed, and Michael Lynch, who. sustained , injuries of a very serious nature. The scene of the accident was No. 2 tunnel—at the Arapeti rlain. Deceased, with four mates, went, on tunnelling duty at 8 o’clock. They were informed by the head of’ the previous shift that there was an unexploded charge in the face of the tunnel. From his actions, it was apparent that Murdoch was working at the charge, evidently trying to pick it out, when it exploded. Murdoch : met an instantaneous death, while his mate, Lynch, . who was a' little distance from him. received shocking injuries to his face. At the .time of the explosion, the others of the' party were out of .danger, ( having just previously taken some trucks out of the tunnel. Dr. Evans, of . Shannon, was summoned to the scene and attended tl Lynch, who was subsequently removed to the t Palmerston North Hospital. It is feared that lie will lose liis eyesight. Constable McGregor, of Shannon, took the body of the deceased Murdoch to Shannon, where an inquest will be held this afternoon. The late Mr .Murdoch, who was 33 years of age, was married only six weeks ago to Miss K. Persson, of Palmerston North. He saw considerable service with the Tunnelling Corps at the war. Deceased’s mother lives at Marton. Mrs Le France, of Palmerston North, is a sister, and Mrriß. V. Mason, of Awapuni, a brother-in-law. An operation was performed upon the injured man at the Hospital yesterday afternoon, and several large - pieces of metal were extracted from his face. 1-Ie is suffering severely front shock, and is in a somewhat critical condition. WHAT CAUSES MISFIRES? , VERDICT OF ACCIDENTAL’DEATH. An inquiry into the circumstances touching the death of Alexander Murdoch, a miner, who was killed in the i No. 2 tunnel at : Arapeti,, Mangahao, on Wednesday morning, was held in Shannon yesterday afternoon, before Mr W. C. Nation, district Coroner. Mr Alexander Dinnie, engineer in charge, watched the proceedings on behalf of the Public Works ’Department, and Mr James Thorn appeared for the New Zealand Miners’ Union. Constable McGregor conducted the inquiry on be- , half of the police. * THE EVIDENCE. The first witness called was William Murdoch, a tunneller employed at the Mangahao works, and a brother of deceased. He said that deceased was 35 years of age, and was married six Deceased had been working fo.r about 12'-months at Mangahaq, and was an experienced miner. Witness went to the tunnel about 11 o’clock on. Wednesday, when he was told of the accident. He-saw the body of liis brother, who was-dead. Witness was working with his brother in the tunnel about three weeks ago, and considered it a sale place to work in. He never heard any complaint about the safety of the tunnel. Mr Thom asked if there had been any misfires in any of the tunnels. Witness: Yes. He believed that this was owing to -the inferior quality of the gelignite. The fuse was quite good, but he did not kriow the brand. To Constable McGregor: He had ail experience of misfire. They occurred at the works nearly every time there was a charge. Mr Dinnie: Can you say that in every case of misfire it is the fault of the gelignite? Witness: No. Mr Thorn: Have there been any misfires during the last month or six weeks? " Witness* Yes. 1 ■Mr Thom: To what do you attribute the cause of misfires? Witness: There are several reasons—the fuse may be damp, or the cap affected, or the fault may lie with the gelignite. Sometimes portion of the gelignite is left in the hole and not exploded. ' Mr Dinnie: 'That'would indicate the gelignite being of poor quality. Witness: Yes. Mr Dinnie: Have you found the fuse to be of good quality? Wtness said the quality seemed to vary. Mr Dinnie: How long have you been on the work? Witness: Fo.ur or five weeks. Mr Dinnie: Arid there have been mis-

fires all the time you have been there then? Witness: Yes. HOW THE EXPLOSION OCCURRED.

James.... Lynch, miner, employed at the Mangahao works, stated that he went on duty at No. 2 tunnel at 8 o’clock oil Wednesday morning along with the M. E, Kynzett and Michael Lynch. Witness was not working on the face, and did not hear the' warning given about the misfire at the face 'before their shift came on. It was the deceased who told witness about it. The misfire took place in the previous shift. Deceased was working in the face and located the fuse of the misfire. Witness was trucking and went out with a truck of spoil, leaving deceased and Lynch at the face. When he had got away about a chain from the face he delivered the truck and turned to come back when he heard the explosipn, and Lynch shouting for a light. The explosion had put all the lights out. Witness and Kynzett lit their lamp and went in, meeting Lynch about 40 feet away from'the face. He was stumbling about ajjd doing his best to get out. They could see he was injured. Witness took him out of the drive, laid him down and got more help. Going to the mouth of the tunnel he met Mr Maxwell With a stretcher', and he and Maxwell, went into the face and picked up the deceased and brought him out. He was dead. There was no sign of life whatever when they picked deceased up. To Mr Thorn: He had been working in the tunnel since last .February, and had experienced several misfires since he had been there. He or his mates were not able to give any reason for the misfires. Witness had nothing to do with the use of explosives at "the tunnel.

CHARGE STILL IN FACT. Herbert Edward Kynzett, tunneller, said he went on duty with the deceased, Janies Lynch, and Michael Lynch at 8 o’clock on ’ Wednesday morning. Deceased was shift boss, and told the shift two or three misfires had been reported by the previous shift and, to careful. Witness and James Lynch took out a truck from the face, and deceased and M. Lynch ran in a truck and were filling it when the .explosion took place. Witness located one of the misfires and pointed it out to deceased. ‘Deceased said “We • will get the loose stuff off it and fire it at dinner time.” Whilst deceased and M. Lynch were shovelling the explosion took place. Witness was of opinion that when deceased was clearing away the earth from one misfire he struck another that had .not been located, which caused the explosion. The charge that witness located was still in the face unexploded. After the explosion, witness left James Lynch to look after Michael Lynch, who was injured, and went in after deceased, whom he found dead. Witness then assisted m getting Michael Lynch out. Deceased was badly injured about the face, in fact unrecognisable. Michael Lynch was practically injured all over, and was sent to the Palmerston Hospital. Mr Dinnie: Did you see a pick in the face after the explosion? Witness: Yes. Mr Dinnie: Will you describe the condition of the pick. Witness: The handle was shattered and the point blown off. Mr Dmnie: From the position of the pick, would you say deceased had been using it? 'Witness: 1 presume he was raking off loose stuff with the pick when the explosion occurred. Mr Dinnie: Do you think ’the acetylene lights supplied in the tunnel are efficient? Witness: Yes, I tfiink so. Candies would be useless. To Mr Dinnie: He attributed the misfires to the fuses. The misfires were not so numerous now as was the case some time ago. He had found misfire holes which had been cut out by the explosion in another hole. Constable McGregor, of Shannon, stated that he received a .telephone message at 11.20 on Wednesday from the Public Works Department, stating that a man had been killed by an explosion in the tunnel at Arapeti, and that another man had been severely injured. He went to Mangahao and there saw the body of the deceased. Witness described the injuries deceased had \ sustained, which were such as would be caused by an explosion. THE VERDICT. The Coroner brought in a verdict that deceased came to his death by an accidental explosion of gelignite at the hydro-electric works at Mangahao, and no blame was attachable to anyone.