THE TIMARU EXPLOSION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 109, 16 January 1912, Page 5

THE TIMARU EXPLOSION.

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST-, By Telegraph— Press Association. Timaru, Last Night. At the resumed inquest into the death of P. O'Neill, killed by a premature explosion of a blast at the Harbor Board's quarry a week ago, when between fifty and sixty kegs of blasting powder were fired, the principal evidence was that of Hayes, who assisted O'Neill to prepare the blast. His evidence showed that O'Neill, in order not to keep members of the Harbor Board waiting long to see the blast, disregarded the usual precautions. The fuse was laid in a groove in the timber from the face of the rock to the charge, and loose powder laid in the groove beside the fuse. The powder should not have been laid within five feet of the face, but O'Neill laid it all the way. The fuse beyond this should have been two feet long. O'Neill cut it down to six inches, and some loose powder was lying outside. Hayes remonstrated with O'Neill that it was dangerous, but the latter said it was all right. Hayes said he had seen every shot fired in the quarry for twelve years, and never before had the power been laid right out to the face.

W. J. Bardsley, secretary to the Harbor Board, gave evidence regarding the experiments with the kind of fuse that was used. Jf the charge had been laid according to rule it would have taken over four minutes to go oil'. Laid as described by Hayes it would take only 27 to 'IS seconds. ?

The inquest was further adjourned for the evidence of the harbor engineer, who was seriously hurt and is in hospital.