EXTRAORDINARY FATALITY

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume VII, Issue 1310, 18 May 1886, Page 2

EXTRAORDINARY FATALITY

(per press association.)

DUNEDIN, May 18.

A fatal accident occurred last evening at about five o'clock. Some of tbe unemployed, who had been working in Dowling-street, had been firing blasts within the past few days, and, just before the hour mentioned, a blast was fired, and either from too large a charge of powder, or not sufficient binding, or probably both, some very large stones were hurled some distance. Some fell in Princes-street, and an expressman is stated to have had his thigh Iractured. Numbers of tho stones fell on the roofs of shops in Princes-street, and one large piece, which came crashing through the roof of the London photographic rooms, crushed, and instantly killed Mrs. Finch, sister of tbe wife of tbe proprietor, Mr. Irvine. Mrs. Irvinp herself was sitting at the same table, and h&d^ber skull fractured. Her recovery is doubtfuF. Two otber ladies in the room received slight injuries. Tbe London photographic rooms are fully 150 yards frem where tbe blast took place. Some pi tbe stones penetrated other roofs in tbe vicjnity, the cbimney of one house being wrecked' The . blasting operations are said to be in charge pf one of the unemployed, who receives sixpence per day extra.