FATALITY ON PUBLIC WORKS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 2 July 1907, Page 2

FATALITY ON PUBLIC WORKS.

■ VEMJICT OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH, A RWKR THAT REQUIRES ATTENTION. I An iii'|iiesl was held in tlie Stratford CmirUii-sisc on Saturday on the body of Williui.i Koltlies, who was killed on the Skinner road gravel pit on the Public AVorkM, writes our Stratford correspondent.

.Mr l\ S. Dyson, assistant engineer, stationed at Stratford, sworn, said lie knew deceased, who was working for the Public Works Department on-the cooperative system. lie was einjiloycil I with a gang of thirteen men in the grav!el pit m'ar the Skinner road. Went to, 'gravel pit on Kiday and saw the body of deceased there, and was shown the scene of the accident. As far as he could judge as an engineer no one was to blame for the accident. The pit was under his general supervision, and he visited ilie works about onee a month. Robert Hill, supervising overseer, was in charge of the works between Huiroa and Douglas road, and included the pit mentioned. Hill was not present when the accident happened. Peter Patterson Cormack was in charge of pit that day. Deceased, as shown by the books, was. a married man from Eltham with a family of five, and had been on the public works since January 15, 11106. lit; was a steady, good workman, and about fill years of age. The face of the pit where deceased was working was 17 feet high. The first 12 feet at top was perpendicular; the other live was sloping. The face was all stripped. To a juror: No instructions were given as to how they should work the pit. All

AT THE Eltllilm '

in answer to uic loreman jur Dyson i said he did not know there was a rule in the Public Works Department that a man should be on top watching for any cracks or fissures, whilst men are working below. Further questioned, he said, the Publie Works Department pay compensation for accidents—half the average earnings, and also compensation in event of death. He was not aware of any rule prohibiting a man working under any depth or face of gravel. He did not consider the pit dangerous. There was no regulation that ho knew of to inspect the face of work by the officer in charge after adjournment and before resuming. Thomas Cunningham said he was employed in the Skinner Road gravel pit, land deceased worked with him. De-

ceased started work about 7.25 a.m. on the 2!) th. Haw deceased working on the face of the pit as witness went to work. Deceased was working on the face of the pit about, about 10 feet from the bottom. From where ho was working to tec top of the pit it was sloping. He was undermining the face. No one else, was present. There was no one on top of the face. Told deceased that it was undermined enough, and that he had Wetter get on top, and bar it down. Witness told deceased he thought it was dangerous. Deceased replied, ''it's nil right." Witness slated he then passed

on, and did not see what happened afterwards. The ne.xt time he saw deceased he was dead, not more than ten minutes after. 'The fall of gravel that killed him was about 15 cwt. Did not consider the wet weather altocted the nature of llie work. .No shots Wad been fired in

ihe vicinity of the face where he was working. 'The only gravel that came away was just where deceased hud picked under. Had cautioned him several times before, but one hardly knew whether deceased took notice as he was such a quiet fellow. I''. Lahuod said We was working in the

gravel pit when deceased got killed. [ Witness found him under the face of [gravel about 7.30 a.m. The whole of his body was covered up. He said, "I'm a goner, Fred." Deceased did not speak again, and died soon after. Witness called for help, and the gravel was soon cleared oil' him. Prompt assistance was given to the police Wy the Public Works Department in Wringing the body in. i Constable Bleasel found £l2 on the body. The jury returned the following verdict:-_ '"The jury unanimously agree that the deceased, William Kohlies met his death by a fall of gravel at the Ngaire gravel pit, near the Skinner road on June 2!), 11)07, the cause of death being accidental. The following rider was added: "That the Hon. the Colonial Secretary's attention We called lo the statement made Wy ConstaWle Evan at the inquest of William Ivohlies to the ell'ect that the secretary of the Stratford Hospital and Charitable Aid Board refused the police permission to put the body in the morgue, and that he will continue to refuse admission of bodies, giving as his reason—'That the Borough Council had not subscribed to the hospital as a public ■institution.'"