KILLED BY A FALL OF EARTH. THE INQUEST.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 148, 20 December 1905, Page 8

KILLED BY A FALL OF EARTH. THE INQUEST.

The District Coroner (Mr. Ashcroft) held an inquest this morning into the circumstances surrounding the death of the young man Ernest Charles Bourne, who wa-s killed by a fall of earth on the Constable-street road works on Monday. Mr. 0* Begun watched tho proceedings on behalf of the father of the deceased (Mr. Win. Bourne), and the City Solicitor (Mt. O'Shea) represented the City Corporation, which is carrying out tho •work. The evidence showed that about ten or twelve tons of earth fell on to deceased, completely covering him. The father of the deceased, who was working at the name placo, said the ground at that placo had been undermined on the Saturday and Monday, and tho fell took place about half-an-hour after he, in accordance with instructions, took the last "leg" or prop out. He thought it strange that, tho ground should have been left with' both "legs" out. It was usual in his experience to let the fall come at once. Dr. Kemp stated that deceased's nack was broken, and death was doubtless instantaneous. The ganger in charge of tho work (Jas. Carr) said he had had experience in that capacity since 1869. Ho was close % deceased when the earth fell, and was knocked down. He had just given orders to a man to go up and knock the fall down, and he had told Bourne, sen., to come away, as he had taken enough out of it. The fall previous to this one took an hour and a half to get down, and he saw nothing to make him think that this one was any different. He thought they were out of reach of the fall. G. F. Robinson, District Engineer, Department of Roads, said he had examined the works where the accident occurred. "When the last "leg" was taken ont the fall should have been broken down at once. There had been heavy rain on Sunday night, and the earth •would break away more easily than when it was dry. He believed that the whole reason for the accident was the rain on Sunday night, which had not been taken into account. He thought, however, that the ganger had taken reasonable precautions. The jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure, and added the following rider: — "The jury suggests that the ganger in charge should be more fully prepared for the fall of a large quantity of earth before removing the support necessary in undermining."