BLASTING FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 164, 10 January 1912, Page 8

BLASTING FATALITY.

A MAN KILLED. By Telegraph —Press Association. Timaru, Last Night. A fatal accident happened at the Harbor Board's quarry this afternoon. A blast fired prematurely, and a rockfall, caught and killed a man named O'Neill,' seriously injuring the board's engineer,-'-Mr. W. H. Clark, and slightly injuring a third man. i Timaru, Later. | Details of the harbor board's quarry fatality are that the tunnel had been driven under the face of a rock about 30 feet high, the drive having two,tees, in which -54 kegs of blasting powder were placed and the drive filled in. At 3.30 n.m. preparations were made to fire the cnarge and the workmen were ordered out, and a watch set at each end of the quarry. There remained the harbor board's engineer (Mr. F. W. Clarke), quarry foreman Calvert and O'Neill, the tunneller. O'Neill had prepared the fuse for lighting. Calvert was aix yards ' away and Clarke a chain away. Clarke told O'Neill that all was ready to light and to come away. From some cause the explosion followed immediately, and the vertical face of -the rook was broken up and thrown, outwards, burying O'Neill. Pieces lajge and small were hurled some distance. One big piece, hit Clarke oil the left leg, lacerating the flesh and breaking the bone at the ankle. Calvert was moving away as directed»and a big piece hit him on the shoulder, knocking him down. He got up and, went to Clarke, who said he was seriously hurt. Then ,he looked for O'Neill, who was not to be seen, being completely buried. Other men came up and the ambulance and doctors were sent for. The injured man was conivey«d away and'all hatids set to work to extricate O'Neill, and after three hours or so, . succeeded, * The body was found doubled up, but less crushed than was expected. The deceased, Patrick O'Neill, was a man about 40 years of age, with a young wife and four children.