MINING TRAGEDY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 29 September 1927, Page 5

MINING TRAGEDY.

UNACCOUNTABLE EXPLOSION OF GELIGNITE.

OPERATIONS DESCRIBED AT

INQUEST

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) NELSON, This Day,

The inquest on the victims of the Hope Junction blasting fatality, E. T. Rotherham and Dennis Phillips, opened to-day. After evidence had been taken which threw no definite light on the cause of the explosion, the inquest was adjourned pending the result of tests that are being carried out by the Public Works Department of - samples of explosives used at the time of the accident.

Mr L. May, resident engineer of the Public Works Department,) and Mr Wallace, secretary of the New Zealand Labourers’ Union, who happened to be in the district, were present. Mr E. Russ, foreman on the relief works, stated that the deceased, together with George Gillespie (who was injured) were engaged in loading a hole with gelignite, about 2 p.m. on the 27th inst., preparatory to firing. Witness was standing about Bft away at the time of the explosion. Gillespie was handing the explosive from a warming can to Phillips, who was placing the plugs in the hole. Rotheram was engaged in squeezing the plugs home with a wooden tamping rod, following the usual method. Rotheram was an experienced , man, and had carried out work on the Marlborough electric power construction works at Waihopai. lie (Russ) examined the first plug he saw going out of the warming can, and found it was frozen. This plug was put to one side. He examined the remaining plugs required to complete the charge, and found them to be fit for use. Ho saw practically the actual completion of the loading. During the earlier part of the operation he had cautioned Phillips about tamping explosives so hard, and deceased eased up in consequence. A priming cartridge with detonator had not been placed in the charge at the time of the explosion.

The inquest was then adjourned sine die.

The remains of Rothoram are to bo taken to Wellington for burial. Phillips, who dipd about ten minutes after the accident, was buried at Murchison this afternoon.