IN P.W.D. CAMP DISASTER INQUEST

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 80, 5 April 1938, Page 7

IN P.W.D. CAMP DISASTER INQUEST

Spoil Dumped Into Stream DID IT HELP TO DAM WATER? Per Press Association. WAIROA, Last Night. The inquests on those victims of the Kopuawhara tragedy whose bodies have been recovered were resumed today by the coroner, Mr V. F. Winter. The tragedy occurred early in the morning of Saturday, February 19, when the single men’s section of the No. A camp was overwhelmed by flood water:and 20 men and one young woman los’ their lives. Nineteen of the bodies weru recovered, and evidence of identification in respect of these had already been taken. Sergeant John Mclntosh, of Hastings, conducted the inquests for the police, and Mr L. W. Willis, of Napier, represented the Public Works Department. The first witness called was Rvjpe William Rangi, bridge-builder employed by the Public Works Department. He said that on February 18 he .was . working at the No. 6 camp. It was drizzling in the morning but rained heavil> in the afternoon, continuing on until the evening. On the evening of February 8 he visited the Y.M.C.A. When going home at about 11.15 he crossed the bridge and noticed that the water ol the stream was then fairly high, being half-way up to the decking. It was raining fairly heavily at the time, but he did not think there was any danger of a flood. He had seen rain falling as heavily on previous occasions, but there had been no flood. He was pulled out of bed at about 3.30 a.m. by a man named Doyle, who said that the camp was under water. The electric light had failed. Witness got dressed and went towards the single men’s quarters. He found that it was hopeless, however, and turned back. At that time the water was coming over the single men’s quarters. He could see the cookhoues and some men crouched on the roof. As the cookhouse collapsed they gradually worked their way on to an annexe. Brought Ashore by Ropes. Witness secured ropes and secured a motor-car, focussing its headlights 0.. to the cookhouse roof. He saw a man drifting down in the current and then saw him pulled on to the cookhouse. With the aid of the ropes about 20 people were brought ashore from thecookhouse. Witness stated that he had been living at the camp since June, 1936. He hod never seen the stream come over the banks. He had always considered the camp to be safe. He knew the No. 6 Tunnel, and for some time the Public Works Department had been dumping spoil taken from the tunnel into tho stream. He did not think this dumping would have any bearing on the disaster. The single men’s quarters were about 11 or 13 feet above the level the stream, which was about 80 feet wide at this point. To Mr Willis, witness said that spoil from the tunnel was dumped on the side of the old bed but not into the water. The spoil would be about nine feet deep over the old bed, or perhaps a little more. About three chains below the corner where the spoil was dumped the stream formed a bottleneck, the width of the stream at this point being much narrower. Safety of the Site. There were trees growing on the site of the camp. They comprised totaras and willows. The totara was a very slow-growing tree, but it would be haru Cor him to say if the totaras on thej camp site were 80 years old. They were, however, very old. The ground where the camp was situated was rocky and silty. He had considered that the site was free from the possibility of flooding. The flood on February 19, he added, washed out totaras and willows, and on the upper end it washed 10 or 12 feet of soil down to the level of the stream bed. It also washed away all the soil on the camp site and a large part of the metalled road. James Thomas Lorrien, one of th*survivors, was the next witness. R«* said he had lived in a tent at the camp for 18 months and had considered the site to be safe so far as floods were concerned. He went to Ded at about Jp.m. on February 18. The stream was then discoloured a bit but did not appear to be very high. He woke up about 1 a.m., but he could not say ii it was raining then or not. He awokw again about 3 a.m. It was raining hard, and he could hear the roar of boulder He got out of bed, and when he looked out the water was not over the camp He then dressed and went down tin lines of tents calling out to the others to get out. He saw men named Dunlea and Cronin. They made towards the cookhouse and witness managed to get into it. The water was then up to his waist, missed his two companions. Witness climbed on to the roof of the coc/r.ous: where there were about five others Later the cookhouse gradually collapser and they climbed on to the roof of ar annexe.

Witness said that his reason for saying that the camp was safe was that large totara trees were growing on it During the time he had been at the camp he had never experienced such heavy rainfall.