FATALITY AT MANGAHAO.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 5 August 1921, Page 3

FATALITY AT MANGAHAO.

WHAT CAUSES MISFIRES?

VERDICT OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH

An inquiry into the circumstances touching the. death of Alexander Murdoch, a miner, who was killed in the No. 2 tunnel at Arapeti,, Mangaliao, on Wednesday morning, was held in Shannon yesterday afternoon, before Mr W. C. Nation, district Coroner. Mr Alexander Dinnie, engineer in charge, watched the proceedings on behalf of the Public Works Department, and Mr James Thorn appeared for the New Zealand Miners’ Union. Constable McGregor conducted the inquify on behalf of the police. | THE EVIDENCE. The first witness called was William Murdoch, a tunneller employed at the Mangahao works, and a brother of deceased. He said that deceased was 35 years of age, and was married six weeks ago. Deceased had been working for about 12 months at Mangahao, and was an experienced miner. Witness went to the tunnel about 11 o’clock .on Wednesday, when he was told of the accident. He saw the body of his brother, who, was dead. Witness was working with his brother in the tunnel about three weeks ago, and considered 4t a safe place to work in. He never heard any complaint about the safety of the tunnel. Mr Thom asked if there had been any misfires in any of the tunnels. Witness; Yes. He believed that this was owing to the inferior quality of the gelignite. The fuse was quite gpod, but he did not know the brand. To Constable McGregor: He had an experience of misfire. They occurred at the works nearly every time there was a charge. Mr Dinnie: Can you say that in every case of misfire it is the fault of the gelignite? Witness: No. Mr Thorn: Have there been any misfires during the last month or six weeks? Witness 1 Yes. Mr Thorn: To what do you attribute the cause of misfires? Witness: There are several reasons—the fuse may be damp, or the, cap affected, or the fault may lie with the gelignite. Sometimes portion of the gelignite is left in the hole and not exploded. Mr Dinnie: 'That would indicate the* gelignite being of poor quality. ' Witness’: Yes. ' 1 . Mr Dinnie: Have you found the fuse to, be of good quality? Wtness said the quality seemed to vary. Mr Dinnie: How long have you been on the work? Witness: Four or five weeks. Mr Dinnie: And there have been misfires all the time you have been there then? Witness: Yes. HOW THE EXPLOSION OCCURRED. James Lynch, miner, employed at the Mangahao works, stated that he went on duty at No. 2 tunnel at 8 o’clock on Wednesday morning along with the deceased, M. E. Kynzett and Michael Lynch. Witness was not working on the face, and did not hear the warning giyen about the misfire at the face before their shift came on. It was the deceased who told witness about it. The misfire took place in the previous shift. Deceased was working in the face and located the fuse of the misfire. Witness was trucking and went out with a truck of spoil, leaving deceased and Lynch at the face. When he had got away about a chain from the face he delivered the truck and turned, to come back when he heard the explosion, and Lynch shouting for a light. The explosion had put all the lights out. Witness and Kynzett lit their lamp and went in, meeting Lynch about 40 feet away from the face. He was stumbling about and doing his best to get out. They could see he was injured. Witness took him out of the drive, laid him down and got more help. Going to the mouth of the tunnel he met Mr Maxwell with a stretcher, and he and Maxwell went into the face and picked up the deceased and brought him out. He was dead. There was no sign of life whatever when they picked deceased up. To Mr Thom: He had been working in the tpnnel since last February, and had experienced several misfires since he had been there. He or his mates were not able to give any reason for the misfires. Witness had nothing to do with the use of explosives at the tunnel.\ charge still in fac* . ; Herbejrt Edward Kynzett, tunneller, said he went on duty with the deceased, James Lynch, and Michael Lynch at 8 o’clock on Wednesday morning. Deceased was shift boss, and told the shift two or three misfires had been reported by the previous shiit and to, be careful. Witness and James Lynch took out a track from the face, ( and deceased and M. Lynch ran in a .truck and were filling it when the explosion took place. Witness located one of the misfires and pointed it , out to deceased. Deceased said “We will get the loose stuff off it and fire it at dinner time.” Whilst deceased and M. Lynch were shovelling the explosion took place. Witness was of opinion that when de-' ceased was clearing away the earth from one misfire he struck another that had not been located, which caused the explosion. The charge that witness located was still in the face unexploded. After the explosion, witness left James Lynch to look after Michael Lynch, who was injured, and went" in after deceased, whom he found dead. Witness then assisted in getting Michael Lynch out. Deceased was badly injured about the face, in fact unrecognisable. Michael Lynch was practically Injured all over, and was sent to the Palmerston Hospital. Mr Dinnie: Did you see a pick in the face after the explosion? Witness: Yes. Mr Dinnie: Will , you describe the condition of the pick. Witness: The handle was shattered and the point blown off. Mr Dinnie: From the position, of the pick, would yon say deceased had been using it? Witness: I presume he was raking off loose stuff with the pick when the explosion occurred. Mr Dinnie: Do you think the acety-

lene lights supplied in the tunnel are etljcient? Witness: Yes, I think so. Candles would be useless. To Mr Dinnie: He. attributed the misfires to the fuses. The misfires \yere not so numerous now as was the case some time ago. He had found misfire holes which had been cut out by the explosion in another hole. Constable McGregor, of Shannon, stated that he received a telephone message at 11.20 on Wednesday from the Public Works Department, stating that a man had been killed by an explosion in the tunnel at Arapeti, and that another man had been severely injured. He went to Mangahao and there saw the body of the deceased. Witness described the injuries deceased, had sustained, which were such, as would be caused by. an explosion. THE VERDICT. The Coroner brought in a verdict that deceased came to his death by an accidental explosion,' of geligriite at the hydro-electric works at Mangahao, and no blame was attachable to anyone.