FATAL MINING ACCEDENT.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 33, 16 August 1864, Page 3

FATAL MINING ACCEDENT.

An iuquest was held on Saturday, tlie 6th mst., on the body of Uriah James, a miner, at Arthur's Point, -The following jury were assembled: — Messrs. Martin, (foreman) M'Guire, Burns Mary tia, Dobson, M'Donald, Williams, Bonar, Ken" Rogan, House, ancl Suffern. F. Smith deposed that the deceased was a mate of his, and that they were engaged on the afternoon of Thursday last in working a drive at Arthur's Point. I Avas throwing out some dirt at the top of the drive when a large flake of sand fell on me. I then called out to the deceased saying that the drive was falling in. .The deceased was about six feet from me. Immediately after that another piece of earth fell. I turned round to see where he was, and saw a large flake bury him up. I took a shovel and tried to uncover him ; l»»it as fast as I dug tlie eai-tli fell on him. After that I came out of the drive. Subsequently assisted to dig the deceased out. When recovered lie was in the same position as when I first saw the db't fall on him. To the Jury —When I called to him he did not speak, except a groan. He did not speak to me aboufc slabbing ; wo placed two slabs after dinner before entering the drive. There was another man in the drive leading fiom the shaft; he came out and helped me to dig the deceased out. The claim is nofc a valuable one. It is not worth above a pound or thirty shillings per man a week. Bartholemew Doweil said—l knew the deceased ; he was not a mate of minr when he met with his death. On Thursday Inst heard Smith calling out, aud went to the shaft, tin-owing the sand back. "Afterwards went and relieved one of tliem. We thought it best to sink a paddock We broke through at eight or nine feet. About three quarters of an hour afterwards, I came upon the defeased. He was quite dead. To the Jury. —Do not know if the deceased had any relatives. ITe was lying on his knees and elbows. He came from the borders of Devon and Cornwall, in England. PreAious to the body being recovered, Dr. Evison was sent for from Queenstown. and was on the ground when the body was rtfcovered. Dr. Evison deposed. —l examined the body of the deceased as soon as recovered, and found no external injuries upon it. He was quite dead, and the cauge of death was suffocation. The Jury returned a verdict of "Accidental Death."— Wakatip Mail.