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Date. 1 Name and Situation of Mine. Xante, Age. and Occupation of Person killed. Cause of Accident, Nature of injuriis. and Remark-. !8 July .. | Progress Mine, Reefton .. .. Thomas Henry Robbins (34), miner 1 Sept. .. Waihi-Paeroa Gold-extraction Company .. Peter Lincir (39), elevatorman .. 7 Oct. .. Waihi Mine, Waihi .. .. .. John McPherson (44), miner .. i He was one of a contract stoping party on the Pioneer block over Xo. HI level. With his mate he had worked down sufficient rock to enable them to stand a set of timber on the hanging-wall side of the lode. Believing that no loose rock was left hanging, they proceeded to shovel away the broken rock, when several pieces of quartz, weighing in all about 2 A cwt., fell from tlie back at the hanging-wall, one piece weighing about 1 cwt. falling on deceased. The stope was well timbered up to the face, the. only ground open being the space for the set at which deceased was working. If they- had used a few poles to support the back while they cleaned up in readiness for erecting the set they might have averted the accident. There was plenty of suitable timber in the stope for the purpose. The back was close to them, and they- could have sounded it without difficulty. He was employed at an elevator used to raise tailing from the river-punts to the extraction works. The elevator is controlled by an electrically driven winch on a platform above the river. He had lowered the elevator from the platform, and it is surmised was attending to the grease-cups when his clothes caught in the driving-shaft of the winch and that he was drawn into the machine. He was found in an expiring condition, having a fractured skull and other severe injuries. On the shaft are three collar-studs, two of which project 1 in. The men employed were warned not to fill the grease-cups when the machinery was in motion. The Coroner's verdict was that the accident was due to deceased being entangled on the shaft of a winch, there being no evidence to show how he became so. A rider was added recommending that all projecting coupling-bolts on shafts in exposed positions shall be properly covered. At the time of the accident there was no provision in the Mining Act or regulations making this compulsory. .. i After shot-firing, the deceased, an experienced miner, was barring loose quartz from the hangingwall above Xo. 12 level when a piece of quartz weighing about 50 lb. fell, striking him on the head, fracturing his skull and almost instantaneously 7 killing him. The stope was worked on the shrinkage system; the height from the ground to the back at the scene of the accident wa» 7 J- ft. ; the stope was well filled.