ACCIDENT AT THE STONE CRUSHING WORKS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume X, Issue 1819, 4 January 1888, Page 3

ACCIDENT AT THE STONE CRUSHING WORKS.

A very serious accident occurred at the site 01 the stone crushing workß, on the WaiDgongoro hill, this morning. One of the workmen, H. Clement, engaged in deepening the well, was descending m a bucket, when tbe iron handle came out of the rope spindle. Clement fell with great force to tbe bottom of the shaft. As the well is about 86 feet deep, and he was not inuoh more than 40 feet below when the apparatus gave way, his horrified fellowworkmen feared that he was killed. However, most fortunately the accident was at once seen not to have been fatal, and Clement stood the shock so well that he was able to hold on to the rope until he was hauled to the surface. Dr. Lightbourne was speedily in attendance, and his examination showed that there had been a marvellous escape from injuries, for although the victim of the accident was necessarily shaken and bruised, only a cut on one foot, and a fracture in one ancle, not, in the opinion of the doctor very serious, had been sustained. Tbe escape from death was certainly little short of miraculous. The cause of the accident seems to have been bad workmanship in the construction of the windlass. The part of the iron handle which had been inserted into the Bpindle was perhaps too short and certainly was tapered off towards the end, and, as the hole into which it was inserted was of uniform diameter, the hold for the most part must have been of a slight nature; and, as soon as the handle worked loose in the slightest degree, out it came. To all appearances, however, the windlass was as strong as could have been wished for, and, we understand, not the slightest weakness was noticed until the accident actually happened. The Bufferer was sent to the New Plymouth hospital this afternoon.