KILBIRNIE TUNNEL FATALITY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81918, 26 February 1907, Page 3

KILBIRNIE TUNNEL FATALITY

THE INQUIRY. DEATH BY ACCIDENT. Per Press Association. The inquiry concerning the deaths if the three men—Barrett, Harrington, and Eli—who were killed by a fall t.f earth in the Kilbirnie tunnel" on Friilm' night, was continued to-day and this evening before the District Coroner. An Engineer was present on b.-half <•? the Public Works Department. Evidence was given by men' who lull worked in the tunnel concerni.;:; tii" methods adopted when putting in tiis - hers and in taking them nwav. The all agreed that every cave was taken, though one said some of tin- bars v,e; : lighter than he had > u*ed in -imilar works in England. When tV.,' king post was taken from 11I.■ timb.'i. I early in the evening everything -ce.ue 1 secure. An inspector or work- fur lit;- i corporation said that while he consjd- | ered tile timber li-ed as a whole was I strong enough, he had about ten we 'ks ago pointed out that the timber which was then being utilised at tile scene <.| the accident was not strong cnou"b, and stronger timber was" secure,l There was bad earth at this particular spot. In his opinion, the accident occurred through the side lengths between the sills being taken out without other supports being put in before the sills were removed. The sills were not let into the earth at each side sufficiently tx> prevent a lateral movement. Mr Maguire, the contractor, said his foremen controlled the details of the work, and were given anything tliev asked for. If they had wanted Oregon logs for timbering they could have had them.

The Engineer said every precaution had been taken on the works. The cause of the accident, he thought, was the removal of the horizontal spreader securing the traverse timbeing. Mr Hay, Engineer in the Public Works Department, agreed with this theory. In his opinion the timber ÜBed was weak.

The jury returned a verdict that death ■was accidentally caused, adding a rider that there was not sufficient expert supervision exercised on the works during the night shifts.