TUNNEL FATALITY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 424, 4 August 1928, Page 15

TUNNEL FATALITY

VERDICT AT INQUEST ACCIDENTAL DEATH A verdict of accidental death was returned by the coroner, Mr. \V. R. McKean, S.M., who presided over an inquest held yesterday on Charles Lyon Cameron Edwards, who was killed on July 13 by a fall of earth in a drainage tunnel ; l Kdendale. “All precautions appear to have been taken,” said Mr. McKean, “and experts agree that no blame was attachable to anyone. The timber used seems to have been quite adequate for the purpose.” Mr. Hore appeared for the contractors, Messrs. Grinter Brothers, and the New Zealand Insurance Company, indemnifiers. Messrs. E. 11. Birchell and Slaughter represented the Labour Department. Thomas Segrave the trucker, who was on shift with Edwards, said that when the tunnel fell in, he was caught by the legs. He extricated himself, and Edwards, who was completely buried, called for him to shift some timber that was crushing him. This he w; unable to do, so he went for assist; T. McEwan, foreman on the job, said that he had last inspected the tunnel at five p.m., when all appeared correct. Edwards came on duty at midnight with Segrave as trucker. At 2.40 a.m. witness was called to the work where the accident had occurred. In endeavouring to rescue the imprisoned workman two falls took place and it was eventually necessary to sink a shaft from the surface, which had been done and the body recovered at ten o’clock on the morning of July 13. Witness thought that the accident was caused by the excessive rains experienced beforehand. Edwards was an experienced tunneller and a careful worker.