FALL OF CONCRETE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 210, 18 August 1933, Page 8

FALL OF CONCRETE

TWO MEN KILLED MISHAP AT WAITAKI WORKS EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST OAiIAKU, Aug. 17. The adjourned inquest touching the death of John Muir and George Todd, both of Dunedin, who lost their lives as the result of a fall of earth and concrete in the coffer dam at the Waitaki hydro-electric works on August 3, was contiuued by the Coroner (Mr W. H. Frith) to-day at Hydro. Todd was killed instantly, his neck being broken and his skull smashed. Muir suffered a compound fracture of the leg, succumbing to shock and haemorrhage in hospital the same night, medical testimony stating that his case was desperate and practically hopeless from the start. Mr T. A. Kinmont (Dunedin) represented the relatives of Muir at the inquest, Mr A. R. Tait (Oaraaru) the relatives of Todd and Mr H. H. Packwood the Public Works Department. The inquiry was conducted by Constable McCormick. Lengthy evidence was given by workmates of the deceased, who stated that they were engaged putting in shots in a rock face when a concrete block 10 feet above fell down the face, a newly cut off tram rail striking Todd on the head. The concrete platform was described as being reinforced with rails lying on top of a bank. The evidence of one witness was characterised by counsel as being unsatisfactory, but the Coroner held that he was telling the truth, saying that counsel almost suggested a certain lino of reply by assuming something that had not been established as taking place. Another witness gave as the reason for his alteration of statements he had made to the police and to the department the fact that he heard dozens of men discussing the cause of the accident and became confused. This witness gave it as his present opinion that the accident was due to negligence on the part of the overseers or of the men in charge of seeing to the safety of the places the men worked in. A carpenter deposed to cutting a tram-rail alongside the concrete block when the block shifted and the rail snapped off. He was of the opinion that the cutting of the rail had nothing to do with the shifting of the concrete, which view was supported by a ganger and other witnesses. In giving his verdict the Coroner stated that some of the witnesses were rather confused, but that did not alter the fact that the cause of the accident was that the block of concrete, resting on a conglomerate which the men were attempting to remove, by some means no-one seemed able to explain rolled over, crushing the two men. His verdict was that the men were accidentally killed by the falling of the concrete block, Todd being killed instantly and Muir receiving injuries from which he died a few hours later.