HURLED TO DEATH.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 15 December 1925, Page 10

HURLED TO DEATH.

YOUNG MAN’S AWFUL FATE. DOWN IN A SEWER SHAFT. SYDNEY, Nov. 25. A young man named John Cummins teas hurled 2poi't. to death in a sewer snaft at Enfield, a suburb of Sydney, on Monday afternoon, the body* being recovered with much difficulty/ Cummins was expected to start work at 3 p.m. He was not there when the rest of the gang signed on, and began to descend the shaft. They left word that lie was to come down when he arrived. At 5 p.m. he had not put in an appearance, and a man was despatched to the surface. He .learnt that Cummins had been seen near the moutli of the shaft soon after the other men had gone down Some of the surface workers said they had seen Cummins near the top ot tlie shaft. When next they looked some time after, he had disappeared, and they naturally concluded that he had _ descended to "begin work. After resultless inquiries had been made Cummins’ mates began to fear that ho liad fallen down the shaft, which, is 250 ft. deep. They descended hurriedly, seeing, as they did so, signs which confirmed their worst fears. On. the sides of the shaft were scratches and parts where the earth had dislodged. At the bottom of the shaft- is a pool of water 7.ft deep, the depth of which the sub-foreman of the gang decided to search. He dived several times before he was able to locate the body of Cummins. Other men assisted him to drag the burden to a nearby channel. Her© respiratory measures were tried. Meanwhile the ambulance and police had been notified and were rushing to th© scene. On their arrival two 'ambulance men and the constable descended the shaft and took charge of the rescue work. With great difficulty '•the man was brought to the surface, where another hurried attempt to restore animation was made before placing him in the ambulance waggon. Their efforts, however '* were unsuccessful. Cummins was beyond human aid. Ho left a wife and three children. »