Accident to the Queen of Beauty Machinery.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2633, 16 June 1877, Page 2

Accident to the Queen of Beauty Machinery.

At a few minutes before eight o'clock this morning the residents of the Waio. Karaka flat were alarmed at the appearance of pieces of wood, iron, &c, flying in all directions from the Queen of Beauty engine shaft, and on making enquiries the following details of the accident and its cause were given to our reporter. At the time mentioned above, the braceman was prepr.ring to let down the eight o'clock shift, who had not then rolled up. The two cages were at the surface, both resting on the same pair of clips, one of them, of course, being out of gear or disconnected with the winding machinery. In order to start work the braceman was obliged to send tbe working cage to the bottom before putting the other one in gear. In order to do this he pulled out the clips (which are a double pair), and what was his surprise when the disconnected cage fell to the bottom of the shaft. The rapid uncoiling of the rope at the enginehouse carried away all tin spider arms, which were thrown about in all directions through the roof and out at the walls of the building, dealing destruction around. The pulley legs which are stationed half way between the engine house and the brace, were completely- wrecked, the cross piece having been sent spinning through the air | a distance of over fifty yards, and embedding itself in the ground for a depth of several inches. On the rope running out its full length it tore avray from the spider, and with a crack as that of a large whip, it sprang over to the brace, winding itself round and round the poppetheads. The two small pulleys were thrown over towards the shaft for a distance of 30 or 40 feet, one of them being completely broken. There were two or three men on the brace at the time, besides the braceman, and their escape, together with that of the engine driver, is wonderful, as the whole of the ground between the engine-house and the brace was strewn with fragments of the pulley legs and the engine-house, which is rather severely damaged, there being several large holes in the top, and sides torn away by the flying timbers. Owing to the shock given to the enginehouse, the steam pipe cracked, and to avoid a more serious calamity it was necessary to blow off steam, and the appearance of the large quantity of steam caused by that action, led to the rumour in town that the boiler had burst. As to who is to blame for this accident it is \ very difficult to say, but it looks very like as if there had been carelessness somewhere. It is customary for the braceman of the night shift to place slabs under the cage which is out of gear on his leaving the brace, but it appears in this case he was unable to do it, as he was working below half the shift. Ifc seems strange that the day-shift braceman on coming on did not notice that the slabs were wanting, and that the cage was only resting on the clips. It is a rather dangerous habit that of havingone pair of clips for both cages, as had there been a single clip for each cage the accident might have been prevented. It will be remembered that a similar accident occurred at the City of London a short time ago from a very similar cause.