FATAL ACCIDENT TO A MINER.

Te Aroha News, Volume XII, Issue 1784, 2 November 1895, Page 2

FATAL ACCIDENT TO A MINER.

A fatal accident./ occurred at the Thames on Wednesday afternoon, to a miner named Alexander McNeil, who was employed in the Ciuues Gold Mining Company’s mine, situated up the, Shellback Greek. The unfortunate man was employed with his mates in timbering up a drive, which was passing through old workings. In carrying out this work it was necessary to keep the drive timbered pretty close to the face, and to drive laths in overhead to keep the ground from falling away. A set of timber had been placed in position and all the laths driven in with the exception of one, and this one McNeil was preparing to place in position. To do this he had to knock out a ‘chock,’ and whilst so engaged the cap piece by some means or other slipped out of its place, which allowed the whole of the lathes to fall away. Some two or three tons of earth fell away and completely buried McNeil, although he made an attempt to get away. His mates, who were close by, fortunately escaped injury, and at once set to work to liberate him, but it took fully fifteen minutes to get his head free, by which time he was dead, having apparently been smothered. The deceased was a married man about 30 years of age, but leaves no children. |