INQUEST AT THE ARROW.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 46, 7 October 1863, Page 1 (Supplement)

INQUEST AT THE ARROW.

An inquest was held on Friday last, before J S. Hickson, Esq., R.M., on the body of Christiai Lall, who was killed by a fall of earth in a tun nel in which he was working, at German Hill Arrow, on the 24th July. William Meyer, sworn, said—On the 23ri July I was helping to clean out a dam, an wanting ihe deceased—Christian Lall—to assis me, I went to the tunnel to call him, and on en tering discovered the deceased lying covered with the exception of his head and shoulders with earth and stones. I set to work at once t uncover him. Shortly after two men, with m; mate, John Beuer, came to assist, and the worj was continued till twelve or one o'clock at night when I dropped senseless. Deceased was i native of Germany, and about 28 years of age. believe the body now lying at the mouth of th tunnel to be that of my late mate, Christian Lai John Beuer, sworn, said—On the 23rd Juiy was working with the last witness, clearing ou a dam. I went with him to call deceased t assist us. When I entered the tunnel I hear* deceased call out for help. I found him in; cross-drive, covered with earth and stones up t his»breast. He was lying on his face. I callei for assistance; two men came, and we coutinue< working the whole night. Deceased was quit sensible at the time we were working. I sen for a doctor the next morning, who came wit several other persons: deceasid was alive whei the doctor arrived. At daylight on the morninj of the 24th the men who came with the docto: set to work to get deceased out of the dirt. The; worked till about 12 o'clock, when he was stil alive. Immediately after the timber gave way and heavy stones fell, causing the back of thi drive where deceased was to be entirely fillet up, and I heard the doctor say he was dead. ! went to see the body after hearing he was dead I have been working off and on ever since trying to get the body out. The body now lying atthi mouth of the tunnel is that of my late mat Christian Lall. He was dug out yesterday, th< Ist October.

Dr. James Douglas, surgeon, sworn, said—Od the morning of the 24th July I was asked by M] Buchholz to go and see a man who ii a tunnel. I went, accompanied by a sergeant o police and two constables. On arriving, ! entered the tunnel, which was about fifty feel long, and at the end turned at an angle. It wa* very narrow and confined, and only one mai could approach the person who was buried, anc that by creeping. He was lying with his heac downwards on the reef, which inclined downwards towards the mouth of the tunnel. I could see his head and shoulders. Large stones and loose earth were supported by pieces of wood put in temporarily over his head and breast. A miner was engaged driving a tunnel round, witl the view of getting to his lower extremities, he having considered it dangerous to attempt further the removal of the large stones and earth on hu head and breast. As far as I could judge, this was the only safe method by which the deceased could be removed; because if any of the large stones supported above his breast had come down, it would have killed him at once. The miners engaged in making the side-drive, succeeded in completing it towards night, and attempted to clear his legs from the earth which surrounded them. After having put in laths and props so as to support the roof as the earth was removed from around him, they succeeded in clearing one leg ; and were talking of attempting to extract him, when unfortunately the great; pressure above caused the props which supported! the laths over his breast to give way, and the earth and stones then settled 011 his chest, causing immediate death. 1 consider the miners worked very energetically indeed, in their efforts to save him, and displayed a great amount of judgment in the: ; manner in which they tried to do so. I consider the body now lying at the mouth of the tunnel to be that of the man Christian Lai!,, who I was called to see on the 24th July. The body is now in an advanced state of decomposition. By a Juror—Deceased had one arm buried when I saw him first.

The Jury relumed a verdict—" That deceased met his death accidentally, by the falling oi earth and stones upon him while working in a tunnel."