Inquest at Mount Somers.

"• An inquest was held on Tuesday evening at Mount Somers Hotel by H. C. S. Baddeley, Esq., Coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr John Hood was foreman, on the body of George Cutter, a quarryman, who met his death by a fall of stone at Mr Peaches quarry on Monday afternoon. The following evidence was given : — Audley E. Mere wether, sheep farmer, residing at Lake Heron, said that at about half-past 4 on Monday afternoon he was riding past the woolshed creek. A large fall of stone attracted his attention to Peaches quarry. A few minutes later he saw a man at the quarry waving his hat. On going acrosß to the quarry witness found that a bad accident had happened. Examined a man named Daniel Hawker, who had been hurt by the fall of stone, but found his wounds were not dangerous. Accompanied by another man whom he met in the quarry — one Stephen Stanton — witness examined the scene of the accident. They found the deceased, George Cutter, lying face downwards under a mass of rock, only his head and part of one shoulder being visible. Two or three hundred tons of stone were lying on the body of Cutter, who was quite dead. Witness rode to Mount Soiners, procured assistance, and brought the body to the Hotel. Daniel Hawker, a quarryman in the employ of Mr William Stocks, monumental mason, Christchurch, said he had been working in the quarry with Stephen Stanton and George Cutter. They were driving under a large piece of rock. Part of it had been undermined by water, and they were blasting out the front. They had fired a shot about half an hour before the accident happened, and the rock appeared to be quite safe, giving no indications at all of settling. Two more blast shots would, they expected, bring down the mass. While witness and Cutter were boring, Stanton was on guard, to give the alarm if the rock gave any indication of falling. He gave j the alarm, and witness, who was four feet i further out than deceased, took a slanting j direction to escape. Was knocked down by the stone, and suffered injuries, which would have been far more serious had he ; not fallen into a cavity, and thus escaped ■ receiving the full weight of the stone. : Stanton came and helped him out. They j then observed Mr Merewether passing, and J called him. Mr Merewether and Stanton attended to witness' injuries. (These consist of a badly bruised right foot, and minor bruises in various parts of his body.) Deceased was a widower, with two children, a boy and a girl. He was about 47 years of age, and his mother is alive, residing with Mr T. Walters, Ferry road, Christchurch. Thought the hollow underneath the stone and the great weight above caused the accident. Stephen Stanton, quarryman : Corroborated the evidence given by the previous witnesses. They always watched for any signs of falling rock. When about to fall the stone made a crackling noise like anything breaking, and could be heard two or three chains away. There was nothing unusual in the way they were working, but the mass fell with less notice than it usually gave. The front support of the rock could not have been solid as they supposed, otherwise it would have required to bring it down the other blast they had calculated upon having to use. Th quantity of stone that was dislodged and came would represent a block 45ft long, 20ft high, and 7ft thick. It was freestone, and there were many cracks in the block. The Coroner i*eviewed the facts, and the jury returned a verdict of "Accidental Death."