FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE CENTRAL ITALY MINE.

Thames Star, Volume III, Issue 1667, 4 May 1874, Page 2

FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE CENTRAL ITALY MINE.

A fatal accident occui'red in the above company's mine on Saturday, by which another of our miners was suddenly deprived of life, and another widow and 'orphan child left to the mercy of the world. They have lost their bread winnsr. His fall was . short and sharp, no shrift; no time for a prayer even, but struck dead -at once. How his mates escaped is a miracle. They, too, must have been within a foot or two of instant death.' The evidence *: adduced -at the inquest held to-day gives full particulars of the cause of the sad accident. Some people believe that misfortunes never come alone but in battalions";; let us hope that this may not be the case with our miners. They are . bravo-juen, holding their lives in? their ..hand. • We can ill afford to loose them, not only 1 on account of the nature of the work they perform, but as most useful members of society.

„.";." !::'the;'js'qfestV ; / v " , The inquest on the body of the deceased James McAuJiffe was held to-day at the Claremont Hotel, Karaka, before J. Kilgour,. Esq. The jury having chosen Mi* Shaw" as their foreman,.proceeded to view the body, which" was lying at deceased's late residence. some distance further up the Creole. returned, the first witness called was--^ ■.

John iiyland, who said—l am, timberman ia the Central Italy mine. On Saturday last, at about half-pastitwo, I was working at the mine. I was in the act of placing a set of timber in position by the direction of the manager. While doing so the manager came down to where I was working. He remarked the appearance of the ground to the men who were working with me. He told us to desist putting that piece of timber in position till "we had secured the piece'of ground above us. . I said, as also did' the; deceased, that we thought it would stand. The manager insisted on our taking*it down*.' or; i Splitting* .;a prop ? underneath; He told irie to take' the length of the prop that would bei required. I-did soj; and McAuliffe went, to cut the foot hole for its reception. Before he did' soj the manager told him to keep in under the solid' ground. The manager made this request times, and as he spoke the third time the stuff fell. The manager spoke sharply, and said-" Jimmy, why do you not come into the foot-wall." The men came up from the lower level and rendered/what assistance they could. : I remained to help in recovering the body, but was much hurt myself. T called ,to deceased two or three times, but;he only moaned. At the time the stuff fell on him he cried out. i could see he was dead. I cannot say how long it took to disinter him—probably it, was an hour.. The deceased was landed in the tunnel'oh the Moanatairi. T was engaged trucking during the morning, and had told the deceased that he had better knOclethej ihanginif; flakte'xlowtf.f eady: for ttfe' to put'other timber in.; or, at least, to secure it until I could put proper timbering in.

. Tp "'. the;[Foreman—-The : deceased : did not seem to see his danger, and did not do as I wished him.

•>, rThe Inspector of Mines, who had visited me ground, here produced a plan of the working. ■•■ ■-■■-

Witness, continued—The height of the prop required to keep r'the flake up would be about 3 ft. 3 in.

To Jurors—McAuliffe did not think it necessary to put, a temporary prop in. The deceased:;- was , working- ~Qn day's -wages, r Tlip ;maa was* only-afiout five minutes hurt before help came. Timber and the means to cut it is always at,hand. All they have to do is to ask aud have it. The manager first instructed and then insisted upon ouEVpbeying hi> ojdersvin this matter. There was%o remisshess on his part, so far as care was taken—nor has there been. '•Thenext^witriess' called was—^ ; ■ - • George McMullen,. who stated—l am a miner. I'was working in a, rise in the Central Italy ; mine on Saturday last.' The deeeased'and last witress were .working' with me. A t the time the accident happened the deceased went to cut a foothole. The boss told him to keep clear, but before he. could get away the stuff' fell. The carpenter had before been tdld to cut a prop and was doing so. The deceased was ' going off the stage when the stuff came down. The manager had previously' warned him to keep under the .side more, and'keep out of danger. When the earth fellthc deceased screamed oat. I remained and helped to recover the body, i noticed that his right leg was broken, and left arm.. He was quite dead. ■•>!'■ ■■'/;'l"' ;" :' ■■■■' • ""' •'■ i;t ' '

To the Foreman—There was not more than a 'minute or so. elapsed after the manager gave the r caution, and the falU I drew deceased's' attention to the dangerous state of the ground: He thought it was all.right, and sounded it,with his pick. It'impossible that deceased might have escaped. : ; ; ' ■ C. D. Corns, mine manager to the Central Italy, sworn deposed.-^-1 remember Saturday last. That day was our pay day, and I am seldom down below after two o'clock'on paydays, as some of the men want their money ; some ; how on this .day I v^ent : below to; see how they were getting on in No. 3. That, wf.s about 2 o'clock or half-pasfc. I went to the rise and found that there was room' for about a set and half of timber. In the morning I gave the carpenter orde,rs to get a set ready; and if therelwas not enough, hands sto;, put! the . timbers in, to help. The men were in the act_ of putting the set of timber jupj but * it i Would ', hot? have .caught the flakes that fell. I saw it and thought it was dangerous, and knocked the mell off to secure wliat I thought to be this

dangerous flake of eaftjiK? i£,the' men had continued to put the set in *|ey were at work at they would \all hitVp'been smashed : tfiesoldier's.prop would! have prevented it.t I repeatedly .warned the deceased^ Had he done as I wished him he would hayebeen safe ;] the.others did. There was not|sie slightest warning when the earth- fell." I could not see any earthly good in the deceased working in actual danger, so. I warned himi-^The' ofi'-g-oing shift, warned the deceased and his mate when, they went on to work that a soldier propwas wanted, and I haveno .doubt that if 1 had not gone down when I did f,hree:'nien .Would "inevitably' have been killed, - as they would -have gone on putting in the set. I senator the polica, and did all T could. I knew it .was no use sending for a doctor, as 1 could see the 4 man was dead. \

To the Foreman—The flake that fell ■rwas right-up to" the solid. ': | ':: . ..To Sergeant Elliot—The deceased had been working in the Central Italy ' for some time. He seemed to me to be an eager mau to push on work, but, I have found him careless as to timber, especially a§ he knew the ground was flakey...." ; Sergeant Elliott, sworn, said—On Saturday last, I examined the body of the deceased. I found a gash closb to the mouth,-■: from, which there was a quantity of-bl6od' flowing/" The right shoulder-bone was broken ; the lefc arm was also broken close to the wrist. The " left leg was broken above the ankle, and the tight leg above the knee, andsthe body was:much bruised. •

Captain Goldsmith said that he had examined the works, which were pro-, perly timbered. The stone that fell would. 1 weigh, about three tons. He could not find auy possible fault with Mr. Corns, who was a cautious und careful man.

The''Coroner, in addressing the jury ' said that in his-opinion no blame could could-be attached to the manager. The Jury returned an unanidous" verdict of accidental death. -