FATAL ACCIDENT.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2528, 12 February 1877, Page 2

FATAL ACCIDENT.

The saddest incident in connection with the storm of Saturday night is the fatal accident which befell Nigel Oatridge, a young man in the employ of Mr j. E. Perry, at his tailings battery, in the Karaka. The deceased young man was proceeding in company with a fellow workman named Martin to cut off the water from the race which supplies, the motive power at Mr Perry's battery, and while so doing was struck down by fall* ing boulders and instantaneously killed. This occurred between 11 and 12 o'clock at night, while preparations were making for discontinuing the work and closing the mill, and it was also just after the time when the rain storm was most severe. Martin, who was with Oatridge at the time of the accident, may be said to have had a narrow escape. We refer our readers for further particulars to the following evidence adduced at . .

The Inquest, which was held at the Claremont Hotel, Karaka Road, at 11 o'clock this morning before J. E. Macdonald, Esq., J.P., Coroner, and a jury composed of the following: —Thomas Graham, Wm, Newman, Jas. Conley, John Cumber, Jas. McAteer, John Artha, Eeuben Walters, Jos. Bates, W. Deebie, J. Cook, E. Sollerson, James Clark. ■ ' • •

The Coroner said that though they knew already enough of the circumstances of the case to satisfy most of their minds, yet as .deceased came to his end by a violent and sudden death they would have to hold an inquiry which he did not think need be a long one. The first thing to be done would be to choose a foreman. Mr John Cook was unanimously elected. The jury were then' sworn, and. proceeded to view the body. , . The enquiry, conducted j>y Sub-In-spector ißuHto. was then with. The fiflWiDess called being— William 9^^V> who, being, sworn, deposed—l l^Hm Block 27 behind Mr Day's.. I amWorking in Mr Perry's tailing machine. I know the manager Mr Lawlor. I know the deceased JNigel Oatridge. I think he was employed on the battery for about 12 months. Thtf battery is worked by a turbine wheel. ' It has always been customary between 10 and 11 o'clock on Saturday night to turn off. the the water at the head of the race. This race runs along a sidling down the Karaka creek; the sides of the creek both above and below the race are very precipitous. There are a number ,of boulders loose ia the face of the hills on both sides. .1 recollect Saturday night about 11 o'clock. I recollect Mr Lawlor giving instructions to deceased . and myself to turn off the water. The night was stormy, and dark. It had been raiuing very heavily for some time before, but it was not raining so heavily then. Deceased and I, with a lantern each, left the battery together, We proceeded along the usual

side, walking side by side, until we heard the stones coming down—this was about 25 or 30 yards from where we had to go. I told deceased that stones were coming, and to push ahead. I gained about three or four feet upon him, The first thing I heard was the lantern he held in his hand drop. This caused me to turn round to look. I could'nt see him, and went back to see where he was. I found him lying on the ground where the lantern was. I called him by name and shook him, but i I could., not see any life in him, and came down, as quickly as I could to the battery. I saw Mr Lawlor and told him. Mr Lawlor and Mr White came back with me to where I had left deceased. We brought the body to whei'e it now lies- — deceased seemed to be quite dead_ At the place where deceased fell, immediately above him was a rock, and the hill side

rose perpendicularly for about lOfeeet or more. The stones were bounding over this perpendicular rise. By the sound I should say a good many rocks came down, but it /was too dark to see. I have known deceased 16 months, and have always been good friends with him. By a juryman—l never thought whether there was any danger or not, as we always went up every Saturday night. I hare been up there on wet nights before. George James La-xLor, sworn, deposed —I am manager of Perry's battery in the Karaka Greek. Dec3ased, whom I know, has been in my employ over two years and a-half. I sent him and Martin on Saturday night to turn off the water in the race. The night was stormy and wet. I saw them each with a light leave the battery together. The deceased had always been: employed in similar work when it was his shift on Saturday nights. Martin returned about 15 or 20 minutes afterwards. In consequence of what he told me I went with him, and a man named White followed us to where deceased was. I heard nothing on the way of stones coming down until we got to where-deceased was, then we heard a rumbling which caused us to take shelter tinder a rock. This was' after we reached the body. I didn't look for injuries, but felt deceased's heart and pulse, to see if he was alive but could discoverno signsof life. Martin and White brought the body here and I accompanied them with a lantern. He was'fully dressed except a hat. I Bent to Dr Perston and to the Police. Martin and deceased seemed to. be the best of friends as far as I hare seen.

By a juror—l don't know personally of any narrow escapes that hare occurred previously. At the place where the water is turned off the water is deposited directly into the creek. It could not be done in the same way nearer to the battery without cutting away the hill side. s William Augustus Perston, . M\D., Sworn.deposed—l .am a medical man residing at Shortland. In consequence of information received on Saturday night I visited this hotel. I found the body of deceased, and made the customary examination. It was evident he had been dead for some time. I found a very extensive scalp wound, loosening a large portion of the scalp from the skull, and a very extensive fracture of the skull below it. ■The injuries were quite sufficient to cause instantaneous death, the skull being quite smashed in on the right-hand side. The falling of a stone would cause such injuries. At this point the jury unanimously agreed that no further evidence was required. The Jury, without leaving the room, returned a verdict of •' AecidenJalDeath," adding that it was desirable to have some place nearer the mill where the water could be turned off in bad weather, so as to avoid the necessity ef walking any distance up the creek.

The Funeral. The funeral of the deceased is fixed to take place to-morrow afternoon, and the various rifle corps on the Thames, the Naral Brigade, the two companies of Cadets, and the Independent Order of Eechabites, Star of Hauraki Tent 'No. 3, are. all summoned to attend. Deceased was only IS years and li) months at the time of bis deaih, he/was honorary sublieutenant of the Engineer Cadets, and a member of No. 3 H.E.V., and also of the Independent Order of Eechabites. He was highly spoken of and greatly respected by those who knew him.