THE NIHOTUPU FATALITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 147, 22 June 1901, Page 5

THE NIHOTUPU FATALITY.

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Mounted Constable Ramsay, who went up on Thursday afternoon to the scene of the fatal accident at Nihotupu, returned yesterday afternoon, after a most trying time.

The accident occurred in an almost inaccessible part of the ranges, near Quinn's creek, and some four miles from the main road. The party were working on the face of a hill excavating the track for the water mains. Five men were employed at this particular point, Evans, Goltier, Ko.sser, and the two deceased, Hugh Fulton and William Gough Smythe. Victor Parker, the foreman of the contract, had gone up the hill just above the party to loosen a rock with a crowbar, the others being- on the nine foot truck beneath. In loosening the rock Parker suddenly felt the ground give way, and called out "Look out!" thinking the stone was going. Instead of this a slip about tiireequarters of a chain wide occurred. Rosser, who was between Fulton and Smythe on the track below, turned at once and ran to the left past Smythe and escaped. Fulton, who was shortsighted,' and was not wearing his proper glasses, stood for a moment looking up, when a rock from the hill struck him on the right breast, and knocked him over the cutting to the bottom of the gully, some DO feet below. Smythe ran to the right, past Fulton, and was caught by the falling debris, and carried to the bottom of the gully with Fulton. The two bodies were found within 6ft of one another, the debris rising some eight feet above them. Smythe had a severe cut under the left.eye, and a scalp wound at the back of the head, while Fulton's right breast was bruised, his right eye closed, and the back of his head cut.

The work of rescue was carried cvut by some 50 men. composed of the men of Fulton's and Carrie's gangs, and three City Council workmen, each shift being composed of twelve men. All of the men wei'e in constant peril of their lives, as no one knew at what moment another slip might occur ana bury them. Hocks and debris were constantly falling, and some of the men were' struck." Six men did "sentry go%on the hill above, ready to give tW rescue party warning, in case of another slip. When the bodies were recovered the men had to carry them up a steep hillside to the camp. On the following morning (Friday), however, the most arduous part of the work had to be done/ The camp was four miles from the main road, and thetwo bodies had to be carried to the road over most difficult country, sodden with the recent he/*vy rain, twenty rive men performed the difficult task, and it took them three and a half hours to go the four miles. They had first to descend a very steep hill, and then to climb the other side, and then to proceed along a narrow, dangerous track, that in some places took them up to their waists in' mud. The two bodies were carried in litters made from sacks, and hung on poles. When the party got to the road, a cart was waiting to convey the bodies to the Avondale Motel.

Constable Ramsay says that, though he has had some rough experiences during the 15 years he has been in the force, he has never had such a trying time. He speaks in glowingterms of the way in which all the men worked, and especially of the devotion shown by the bearers of the bodies during their arduous four mile walk.