Fatal Accident.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3474, 12 February 1880, Page 2

Fatal Accident.

: A fatal accident occurred up the Kauaeratiga Valley yesterday afternoon, to a busliman named Michael Sullivan. It appears that the deceased with three mates were busily engaged crosscutling a large log in the creek, when without any noise a large kauri pioe, growing on a steep siding where the soil is very scanty, fell, and in the direction of the men working on the lug. .The tree was half way, down before it was "noticed, and Sullivan who wag on the"log measuring, ran along ft to get off at the end, but was overtaken bythe falling pine and kilLd instantaneously. The other men took cover under the sides of the log they were engaged in cutting, and so escaped. The deceased was a single man about 24 years of age, and a good steady worker. It frequently happens that trees fail in the Ktiuaeranga lush as the pine lhab in this instance caused the accident, but the kauri, like the majority of the trees in New Zealand, send downno tap roots, but spread all their roots in a few feet under the surface, and where the soil is loose or stpney, when the shelter of other trees is removed, they easily are blown down, or wh<n the surface is cut by roads, are curried down by landslips. It appears that the earth slipped about with this tree which fell on the men. An inquest will be held on the body of Sullivan this afternoon, he being brought to town this morning by his late mates and fellow bushmeri.