THE KILBIRNIE TUNNEL FATALITY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8368, 26 February 1907, Page 6

THE KILBIRNIE TUNNEL FATALITY.

THE INQUEST. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. The inquiry concerning the deaths of Barrett, Harrington and Eli, who were killed by a fall of earth in the Kilbirnie tunnel, on Friday night, was continued to-day and this even- ( ing, before the District Coroner. An engineer was present on behalf of the Public Works Department. Evidence was given by men who had worked in the tunnel concerning the methods adopted when putting in timbers, and in taking them away. They all agreed that every care was taken, though one said some .-of the bars were lighter than he had seen used in similar works in England. When the king post was taken from the timbers early in the evening, everything seemed secure. An inspector of works for the Corporation said that while he considered the timber used as a whole was strong enough he had about ten weeks ago, pointed out that the timber which was then being utilised at the scene of the accident was not strong enough. Stronger timber was secured. There was bad earth at this particular spot. In his opir.ion The accident occurred through the side lengths between the sills being taken out without the other supports being put in before the sills were removed. The sills were not let into the earth at each side sufficiently to prevent a lateral movement. Mr Maguire, the contractor, said his foremen controlled the details of the work, and were given anything they asked for. If they had wanted Oregon logs for timbering they could have had them. I The City Engineer said that every ' precaution had been taken on the works. The cause of the accident, he thought, was the removal of. the horizontal spreader securing the traverse timbering. Mr Hay, engineer of the Public Works Department, agreed with this theory. In his opinion the timber used was weak. The jury returned a verdict that death was accidental, adding a rider that there was not sufficient expert supervision exercised on the works during the night shifts.