SERIOUS QUARRY ACCIDENT

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10522, 10 January 1912, Page 5

SERIOUS QUARRY ACCIDENT

A PREMATURE EXPLOSION. ONE MAN KILLED AND TWO INJURED. (By i'elajraph—Press Association.J TIMARU, Last Night. A fatal accident happened at the Harbour Board quarry this afternoon. A blast was fired prematurely, and tlie rook fell, and caught and killed l a man named O'Neill, seriously injured the Board's Engineer (Mr W. H. Clark), and slightly injured a third man.

LATER DETAILS. AN unexpected explostox. ONE MAN BURIED ALIVE. (By Telegravih—Press Association.) TIMARU, Last Night. Details of the harbour quarry fatality sho wthat a tunnel liad been driven under a face of rock about 30 ifeet high, the drive having two tees, in which fifty-four kegs of blasting powder were placed, and the drive filled in. At 3.30 p.m. preparations were made to fire the charge. The workmen were ordered out, and the watch set at each -end of the quarry remained, viz., the iharbouir engineer (Ma - F. W. Clarke), the quarry foreman (Oalvert), and O'Neiil (the tunneller).: -. O'Neill (had prepared a„fuse for lighting, Calvert being six yards away, and Clarke a. chain away. Clarke told O'Neill that all was ready, ta.light the fuse, and come away. From - isoni© cause'or other the explosion followed imimediately. A vertical /face of rock was 'broken up and ■thrown outwards, burying O'Neill, and l pieces, .large and small, were hurled for some distance. One big piece hit Clarke on the left leg, lacerating the flesh and; breaking the hone at the ankle. Calvert was moving away as directed, and a big piece hilt him on the shoulder, knocking him down. He inr and went to Clarke, who said he was seriously 'hurt. He then looked for O'Neill, who was not to be seen., being com' ipletely 'buried. The other men came up, and an ambulance and doctors were sent for. The injured men were conveyed away, and 1 hands set tb work to extricate O'Neffi. After (three hours or so, they succeeded. The body was fcmrd- doubled'. rr>, but teas crushed- than expected. 'The dieceased ('Patrick o'T\eill) was a man of about 40 years, with a Vouaig wife and four children.