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HORRIBLE SHAFT ACCIDENT.

A MAN FALLS 570 FEET.

One of those accidents which are, un» fortunately, nearly always connected with goldfields' life, but from which the Thames has hitherto been in a great measure free, occurred last night at the New Prince Imperial shaft, a man named Walter Adair falling from the surface to No. 7 level, a distance of 570 feet, and receiving injuries which mast have caused instantaneous death, if any life was left by the time he reached the bottom. The circumstances were as follows -.—Shortly after 9 o'clock, James Clarken came up from No. 4 level to get some cribbing, which he placed close to the shaft, tSe gates being necessarily open, and went into the engine house to wait while the cage in the nor? them compartment was rung away, when he would be able to put the timber in the descending truck. The engineer (Chas. Morton) stepped down from the platform to attend to the fire, and while thus out of sight of the sill of the shaft (which it may be remarked is lighted from the gas-burners in the engine house) oe heard the rope shaking violently, and no signal for the cage to be raised being made, he concluded that something was wrong. After a minute or two he lifted the cage gently, when those below rang to stop, and very shortly afterwards the shift " boss " came to the surface and reported that a man had fallen down the shaft. Mr Clark (the mine manager) was sent for, and in company with Constable Dunn he proceeded to the bottom and brought the body to the surface, whence it was conveyed to the Imperial Hotel. The trucker, H. Brownlee, discovered the accident when be came out to the chamber to place a full truck in the cage and remove the empty one.i but a young man named Christie was standing in No. 4 level chamber, when Adair went headlong past, and seeing that it wa3 a man he went to No. 5, and told H. Lough, the shift " boss," who at once repaired to the bottom level and assisted to extricate the unfortunate man. Subsequent examination of the shaft showed that Adair must have descended feet first, and the rope kept him on the east side of the shaft all the way down. His foot caught ths flat^sbeet at No. 4 level, the sole of the boot being torn right off, and on reaching the bottom he struck the truck across one hip, there being a terrible wound there. His head then fell towards the chamber, and a horrible gash in the temple, exposing the brain, shows that his head must either then or during the descent come in contact with some projection. The force of the fall (for Adair was a big, heavy man) smashed the truck, doubling up the iron plate in the bottom, and breaking the guard of the cage. The man's face was not injured beyond the j wound referred to, but many of the bones in the body and limbs were broken by the shock. The body was identified by Messrs E. W. Lowe and F. Sykes, who knew deceased at Te Aroha, • from whence he had only come to the Thames yesterday. He was formerly em« ployed in Wells' and Souter's store, and is a married man with a. smasl family. No blame can be attached to the mine authori ties, as every reasonable precaution has been taken. Adair was seen about town during the evening, and was at the Prince Imperial Hotel a few minntes before the accident. It is stated that be was the worse for liquor, but further particulars

as to the prohibit; reason for ttie accident will be gleaned from the report of the

COEONEE'S INQUEST.

An inquest was held at the Prince Imperial Hotel at 2.30 this E.fternoon, before, J. Kilgour, Coroner, and the following jury:—Jas. Marshal (foreman), E. Wilson, E. Stackpole, fi, Wight, J. Coutts, A. Butler, J. Walker, B. Honiss, J. Ferguson, J. Floyd, F. Law. and F. Woodward. Mr McLaren, Mining Inspector, was also in attendance.

After the jury had viewed the body, and the shaft, the following evidence was taken : —

Jas. Caphill, licensee of the Prince Imperial Hotel, deposed—Deceased came to the hotel a littie after eight o'clock; he seemed dazed, and wanted to know whether he wa3 in Napier, Wellington, or some other place. He had a small glass of beer, and sat down and remained for some time. He said he had been out having a sleep in a garden where there were some orange trees. He was not the worse for liquor, but seemed to be somewhat light-headed, and rambled in his talk. Am positive he was not drunk. He afterwards went out for a few minutes, coming back again with a boy, for whom he got a glass of sarsaparilla and gingev?' beer, having also a small glass of whisky himself. He then said he would go to Shortland and get his portmanteau from tho Waitoa, and that was the last witness saw of him alive.

To the Foreman and jury : It was about 20 minutes after Adair and the boy left the house that I heard of the accident. Deceased did not stagger at all. I saw no one but the one boy in his company. Daceased seemed troubled about his wife, whom he said was paralysed. ■

To the police : Before deceased came in with the boy, he said something about "he might get seven years for what he had done," and witness asked jocularly, " Why, you haven't murdered anyone, have you ?" and the matter dropped. Henry Brownlee deposed that about 9.20 last night, as near as he could guess, on coming out to the bottom of the Imperial shaft, he saw deceased lying half in and half out of a truck in the cage. Galled to the men in the crosscut, and with their help took the truck out of the cage, laying the body out in the chamber, and sent for the boss of the shift. A man was sent to the surface to tell Mr Clark, who came down with Constable Dunn and darken. The body was then lifted into a track, and sent to' the surface.

Wm. Eea, who was working in the No. 7 level crosscut at the time of the accident, gave corroborative evidence.

James darken deposed that about 9.15 be came to the surface for some timber, having got which ready, he went ioto the engine house to speak to the driver. While there the rope shook violently, and the braceman came in and said he thought samething had fallen down the shaft, as he heard a noise. The engineer then lowered the track on the surface a foot or two, and the braceman and witness put the timber in. The engineer was about to lower witness when the signal was given to stop the cage, and he then got out; a minute or two lalcr the empty cage was rung up, the braceman seeing some blood on it, and saying there was something wrong. H. Lough then came up, and said there was a man killed at the bottom of the shaft, r

The manager and Constable Dana were soon in attendance, and went below, when, the body was brought to the surface.

To the foreman and jury: I was not away three minutes from the shaft before the rope shook. The east shaft gate was open. I saw no one near the shaft either before going to the engine-house or afterwards. The gate could not bave been shut while I had the timber there.

To the police: The gate on the hill side of the shaft was open when I came to the surface. I had no order to shut the gates on descending, or ascending; the Rates on the seaward side are generally kept shut all night. The braceman (T. Knee* bone) was on the brace above the shaft at the time of the accident.

[The inquest was being continued when wa went to press.]

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/THS18841205.2.11

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4963, 5 December 1884, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,352

HORRIBLE SHAFT ACCIDENT. Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4963, 5 December 1884, Page 2

HORRIBLE SHAFT ACCIDENT. Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4963, 5 December 1884, Page 2

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