FATAL ACCIDENT AT MANGORE.

Shannon News, 14 September 1923, Page 3

FATAL ACCIDENT AT MANGORE.

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST. . An inquest was held at Mangaore Tuesday morning, before Mr Fraser, District Coroner. In giving evidence, Henry Joseph Lewis, labourer, employed at the surge chamber, Mangaore, said he was on duty in the chamber on the day of the accident, which occurred about 3.30 p.m. Witness knew the deceased, who was engaged in driving the electric locomotive in the tunnel. He was called to the scene immediately after the accident happened and saw a body jammed between the truck and wall, which he recognised as that of deceased. Witness at once went out of the tunnel to get assistance. He had known Rex for about six months and he had told witness that he was a married man, a native of Denmark, and about 52 years of age. Herbert Kensley Newcumb said he was tunnel foreman at Mangaore. On Monday afternoon he went on shift shortly after 3 p.m. Witness said he had a new man starting on the shift who was to be assistant to Rex on the locomotive and he had asked deceased to instruct him in the working of the electric concrete mixer. After Rex had done this, the man went away for a light. Witness then went into thetunnel in front of Rex, who was on the locomotive and intended to act as assistant for him- until the man picked them up. At the entrance to the surge chamber he stopped to push the tunnel pony to the siding, which act, he believed, attracted deceased’s attention, for at that moment the latter suddenly bumped his ; head on the framing, .which knocked his hat off and in trying to recover it he received a second knock, and, overbalancing, fell between the truck and the wall. Witness immediately jumped- on the locomotive and found the brakes hard on. He at once tried to assist the deceased and called to Lewis, who was near-by, to get assistance, and the carpenter arid others arriving they removed the timber and got the body out. Witness stated that Rex had been driving for close on three weeks and for some time had been assistant driver. He was quite sober. With reasonable precautions there was no danger. The timber in that part of the tunnel was low and the driver had to lean forward in passing through. To the Coroner: There had been no similar accidents at that spot. In reply to Constable McGregor, witness said if deceased had not tried to recover his hat the accident would not have occurred. Every precaution was taken against accidents. Constable McGregor, of Shannon, deposed that at about 4.40 p.m. on Monday he received a telephone message from Mr G. P. Anderson, Public Works engineer at Mangaore, informing him that a man had been hurt at the tunnel and was believed to be dead. He went out to the surge chamber and saw the body of the deceased. It was then lying in the bathroom at the surge chamber camp. In company with Dr. Macdonald, ot Shannon, he examined the body and found a bruised scar near the top of the head, the ribs on the left side of the chest over the heart were broken and pressed in, the right leg badly broken above the knee and other injuries. Witness stated he knew deceased by the name of Henry Fredk Deddler Rex, and he gave liis age as 50 years at the beginning of this year.

No further witnesses were called and the Coroner returned a verdict that deceased accidentally met his death on September 10 at the tunnel at the surge chamber, at Mangaore while driving an electric locomotive.