ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 173, 31 October 1910, Page 5

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

KILLED IN A COAL MINE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Westport, Saturday. The bodies of Muir and Bowers, the entombed miners of the Coalbrookdale mine, were recovered this morning at 2.15 and (3.45.. They were apparently smothered without warning. Westport, Last Night. At the inquest on Saturday, touching the death of John Muir and .lames Bowers, the victims of the fall of coal and stone in the wooden bridge section of the Westport Coal Co.'s mine, a verdict was returned that death was accidental, and that no blame was attachable to anyone. The evidence went to show that a crush of earth that could not have been foreseen had occurred. Apparently a fall took place, partly covering Bowers, towards whom Muir was making to free him, when Muir himself was overtaken by a further fall, and asphyxiated. Mr. Rawson, S.M., Coroner, in addressin" the jury, said the men who worked in the recovery party had upheld the best traditions of the British miner, lie believed any one of them would have risked his life to save a fellow-worker, Mr. Marshall, Inspector of Mines, and Mr. Dixon, the Westport Coal Co.'s district manager, endorsed the Coroner's remarks, and stated that the miners had worked in a most heroic manner. The funeral took place this afternoon, the cortege being a very lengthy one, with the Westport Garrison Band in attendance playing funeral marches. .

A CYCLIST KILLED. Christchurch, Last Night. John Alexander Gribbin, eighteen years of age, whilst cycling along Worcesterstreet about 10 o'clock this morning, met with an accident, which terminated fatally. He was riding westward between the tramway lines, when he was met by two cyclists going in the opposite direction, also riding beteen the tram lines. All the cyclists turned off from the lines to their proper sides of the road, but Gribbin got too far over the wheel, his machine skidded, and he was thrown off, his left temple striking the edge of the kerbing. He was wearing toe-clips at the time, which probably prevented his getting free of the machine before he fell. He was taken to a medical man's residence in the vicinity, but was found to be dead.