THE TUNNEL FATALITY.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1922, Page 5

THE TUNNEL FATALITY.

SPLENDID HEROISM OF MEN. TRIBUTE IN PARLIAMENT . FULL INQUIRY TO BE MADE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The fatality at the Mangahao hydroelectric works, by which seven men lost their lives, was referred to in the House of Representatives this afternoon. Mr. R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) gave notice of his intention to ask the Minister for Public Works if lie could give the House an assurance that the Government was in no way responsible for the sad fatality that occurred at Mangahao. I The Hon. J. G. Coates said he would i reply to the question at once. A full i and ample inquiry would, he said, be held into the circumstances connected with the fatality. Nothing would be hidden, and he hoped the steps taken would result in the prevention of any such an occurrence again. The newspapers had given a very fair account of the accident, but had not mentioned a fact which was made clear in the departmental report, namely, that the whole camp had set itself in a most heroic fashion to rescue the rescuers. The whole party mjjls looked upon as one of the finest in New Zealand. They were fine men, good workmen, and good men, and the manner in which the rescue party went to work was only another instance of what men will do to assist their brothers when in trouble. Mr. Coates added that the department lost a number of good men as a result of the accident, and suffered a particularly severe blow in the loss of Mr. Miller, the engineer, who was one of the brightest and smartest officers in the department. These remarks applied with equal force to Mr. Maxwell. He desired to express sympathy with those who had suffered as a result of the fatality, and to say that the Government would do everything necessary to meet the requirements of the next-of-kin.

Tn reply to Mr.' T. Seddon (Westland), Mr. Coates said there were many reasons why work such as that being carried on at Mangahao should not be governed by the regulations under the Mining Act, 1 one of which was that the men concerned were by no means unanimous that the mining regulations should apply. Replying to Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central), Mr. Coates said he had no recollection of meeting a deputation which laid before him the danger of the Mangahao tunnels, due to faulty working of the fans. He certainly did not remember ever having been told that, workmen had been previously gassed owing to this cause. THE CORONER'S INQUEST. Levin, July 4. The coroner’s inquest into the Mangahao disaster opened at Arapeti this morning. "Medical evidence showed that death was due to gas poisoning. Butler sustained a fracture of the skull when he fell unconscious, and Maxwell was very badly burned about the body through falling on his lamp. After evidence of identification the inquest was adjourned till July 13.