MAN KILLED"

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 229, 28 September 1938, Page 7

MAN KILLED"

BLASTING FATALITY.

ON AERODROME JOB.

STRUCK BY FLYING ROCK,

(By Telejjraph.—Press Association.) WELLIXGTOX, Tuesday

Struck by flying rock when a shot fired on the Moa Point works at Lyall Bay this afternoon had an unexpected result, a worker received severe head injuries, from which he died in hospital a little over an hour later, and several other men received minor injuries not sufficient to require special attention. The victim was: — Mr. Frederick Charles Liddy, aged 47. married, 58 Breaker Bay Road, Wellington. Mr. Liddy was one of 40 men employed by the Wellington City Council on the work of taking the "top off the point as an improvement to the Rongotai aerodrome. Nearby rock, which varied in character from grev stone to rotten rock of the most friable character, is being loosened with explosives, loaded into motor trucks and used to cover sand at the exhibition site.

The victim was struck hy a piece of rock blown out of the hillside by a shot. He was about 200 ft. awav from the explosion, the farthest of all the workmen on the job. The apparent safety of his position was added to by the facts that the hill in which the explosive had been inserted faced away from him and a power shovel was between him and the charge. I The shot is believed to have been normal, except that the energy of the explosive, instead of being expended entirely in loosening and bringing down the rock, as had been intended, hurled some rock into the air in an unexpected direction. A warning whistle had been given and the workmen had retired to a distance that was thought safe or taken cover before the shot was fired. The accident happened about 1.15 p.m. Mr. Liddy was hurried to hospital by ambulance, being admitted at 1.35. He died at 2.25.

Work has been proceeding for several years at Moa Point without such a mishap occurring before. Large charges are not usual and to-day's is stated to have been no greater than is customary. It is the second blasting accident close to Wellington in eight days, two men being buried and killed bv*a premature explosion on the Public Works Department's Xgahauranga Gorge works on September 19.