INQUEST AT KOMARA.

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 March 1903, Page 3

INQUEST AT KOMARA.

(OTTB OWN CORRESPONDENT.) .An inquest was held before H. Burger Esq., Coroner, at Kumara Courthouse Yesterday on the body of Robert Evans who met his death at Carew's Creek, Lake Brunner on Sunday evening March d2ad. .Albert Beere; said I am overseer on Lake Brnnner road works and knew deceased Robert Evans He was working under qia on the Mitchel-Inchbonnie road. I last saw him alive on Sunday 22nd. at S p.m. he appeared alright then. He told me he Was going home to his camp which is_on the other side of Carew's Creek. We were about four chains from a wire bridge over the creek. It was necessary for him to cross the bridge otherwise he would have to cross by jumping from stone to stone. I next saw him at about a quarter to seven the same evening. He was then being pulled out of the Creek by Charles Cox. There were Bor 9 men present at the time. I concluded that he had fallen off the bridge, striking his head on the rocks and breaking his neck. I ordered his removal to Mitchel's Hotel. I then came to town and informed the police. The distanco from the bridge to the boulders below would be about 10 feet. The bridge is absolutely unsafe for traffic. It ia a wire swing bridge with no hand rails or other side supporfs. The timber in the approaches is in a very bad condition. Some lime ago I drew the attention of the Grey County authorities to the state of the bridge, staling that I had to cross it several times a day. I have received no reply. I have cautioned the men with me to be careful in crossing the bridge, in fact to cress it on their hands and knees and tben only one at a time. I consider the bridge to bo a "man trap." Evans was quite sober when I last saw him alivo.

Charles Cox said, I am a miner residing at Greenstone, I knew deceased. 1 last saw him alive at Mitchell's Hotel on Sunday last in the afternoon. A little after 5 p.m. I saw him goiDg towards the wire bridge on his way home. The bridge i 3 over-Carows Creek and it was necessary for deceased t i cross over it. Sometime after I and anothtr went over to the roadman's camp. Deceased had not reached his camp and the men were in quiring for him, as they had seen him leave Mitchel's for home some time previously. Four of us returned t > Mitchels and in doing so we crossed the creek about a chain below the bridge as it was shorter. Deceased was not at Mitahels, so we made further search and found deceased in the creek about 7 p.m. There was a hole of water backed up by the rocks. He was lying face downwards in it and nearly covered with water. I pulled him out of tha creek. He was lying directly under the bridge and judging from the bruises on hi* head, I concluded he had fallen and go 5 killed. The bridge is in a very bad state and wan's to bo pulled down as it is unfit for traffic. It is about a quarter of a m'le fr m Mitchel's to tha camps. 1 crossed the bridge but did not notice whether deceased was in the creek at the time as it was dusk, and I crossed as quickly as 1 could. A verdict of accidental death was recorded. A rider was added to the effect that the attention of the Grey C amty Council be caUed to the state of the bridge where deceased met h's death, which wa3 shown by the evidence to b) in a very dilapidated and unsafe condition.