Fatality at Blackwater

Inangahua Times, 27 February 1933, Page 2

Fatality at Blackwater

R. V. C. Sewell Killed Word was received in Reef too od Saturday afternoon that a fatality had occurred at the Blackwater Mine at Waiuta, and the Company’* General Manager (Mr E. W. Spencer), and the Secretary (Mr W. Gore Parter), accompanied by Dr. Marshall, at once left for Wainta. It appears the heavy rain of the previous days had percolated through the hill, and a fall of earth, carrying a large quantity of timber, came down the hillside at the entrance to the battery level, and a rakeman, Mr Richard Vincent Cyril Sewell, was engulfed. The deceased who was relieving Mr M. Phelan for the week, was bringing a rake of trucks from the battery to the workings, the trucks being drawn by a horse, and was only a short distance from the drive mouth when the slip came dowD. It is surmised that Sewell saw the I slip coming and endeavoured to | release the horse, as he was out of the truck when the body was found, and . the horse was some fifteen feet away, j being partly in the tunnel, and was I only partly buried bv the mullock." The horse was got out alive. It took a large party of men almost three hours to recover the body of Newell, and all that D-. Marshall, of Reefton could do. was to pronounce lile extinct. There was a large rock across the back of the deceased, but it is not thought that it was the cause of death. Rather, it is thought that it was suffocation. The cause of the slip was undoubtedly the abnormally heavy rains that were experienced in the district on Saturday morning, as a tree, and part of the airline were carried away the hillside where the slip occurred, apparently facilitating the fall. When caught by the fall the deceased was withiti only a short time of knocking off in fact it was the last rake of trucks for the shift that he was engaged in bringing from the battery to the mine.

The deceased, who was a native of Reefton and 31 years of age, was a general favourite in Reefton. He is survived by his mother, Mrs A. Wills of Reefton, and a sister Mrs R. Haldane, also of Reefton, who will receive the heartfelt sympathy of all in their sudden bereavement. The interment will take place to-morrow, the funeral leaving his late residence, Grey Road, at 2 p m. for the Suburban Cemetery. An inquest was opened at the Court House this morning before Mr

W. B. Auld, Coroner, and after evidence of the identification of the body had been given by Mr Richard Haldane, the inquest was adjourned ■iua die.