ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 30, 5 February 1912, Page 2

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

• TIMARU HARBOUR QUARRY AFFAIR. fBX XBLJBGKAPH— PVLZSB ASSOCIATION.! TIMARU, 3rd February. An inqu«st on the recent fatal premature blast afc the harbour quarry concluded to-day wilh the evidence of F. W. Clarke, harbour engineer, who is still laid up by an injury to his leg, having been hit by a flying etone. Witnesa said that Cafvert, the quarry foreman, and deceaeed (O'Neill), who laid and fired the blast, considered that the men could be relied on to follow instructions. Calvert told witness that everything was right, and witness had no doubt that two feet of fuse 'was projecting. He did iiot see What deceased was doing While the tools were being cleared aWay. The coroner (Mr. V. G. Day ( S.M.) returned a formal verdict of accidental ddath. Comniehting oh the evidence of Hayefl, deceas'ed'e assistant, that decsSsetl had cut the fuse to six inches, and that the gunpowder was laid to the end of the wooden trunk, instead of stopping six feet off, the coroner eaid that these arrangements were absolutely contrary to instructions and dangerous to life. It wa« Hayes's moral duty to report the fact to his employers, and Calvert, as foreman, should have watched the final acts. Counsel for t the Harbour Board said that the enginocr had stated that O'Neill was a man who did not need watching. The coroner replied that commonsense should have required his oversight of a critical act. It was a case of "familiarity breeds contempts Hayeß, in. his evidence, said that he had warned O'Neill of the danger, but did not think it his duty to report what his superior had dpne. . FATAL FIRE. WESTPORT, 4th February. A large two-story hotel, occupied by Mr. Martin and owned by R. T. Watsony situated at Graiiity, Was destroyed by fire at 3 O'clock this morning. An adjoining hall was also gutted. The charrod remains of a, miner named Hopkins were found in the debris, The insurances are not ascertainable. LITTLE BOY DROWNED. GORE, 3rd February. David, the eight-year-old eon of Mr. G< G. Gaudion, Mataura, was drowned in the Mataura Hiver below the falk at noon to-day while bathing. The body has not yet been recovered. t«I THJSQBAPH— SPECIAL TO THE POST.] , • DARGAVILLE, This Day. James Cameron, aged thirty-five years, was drowned yesterday a mile below Mongonui Bluff. Three other men narrowly escaped. They were net fi|hjnj;, and had rounded a heavy school of fish. The backwash carried them off their feet in a deep ba«in. Cameron waa unable to reach th 6 shore, and sank. His body hae not yet been recovered. Deceased was well known and highly respeoted.