MINING FATALITY

Maoriland Worker, Volume 13, Issue 31, 1 August 1923, Page 3

MINING FATALITY

-I .'*■ 1* » .—■ "^a Man Killed in Liverpool Mine A Fall of Coal On Thursday, July .19. Andrew Baker, employed at the Top Mine,.Rcwanui, .while working on a bank; was ' caught by the falling coal and pinned ' against a jig-prop, being covered with several tons of material, from the waist downwards. Other miners en-. i deavoured, to extricate the unfortu- . nate man, but he expired before this ! was accomplished. On heing ex- ■ amined it was found that the spinal column was dislocated, and one hip [• was badly injured. ' s The deceased was a native of Wales .'. and was 47 years of age. He had no , relatives in New Zealand, where he ' has lived for the last ten years. This is the first death from accident [ Raat has occurred in the Liverpool mine. ' No work was done at the mine the following day, as a mark of respect, [ and a meeting of th 6 Miners' Union, k . which was to have been held thai night, was adjourned. On the following Saturday practically all the of the State Miners' Union attended the funeral of , their late workmate. The Runanga I Band was in attendance and played the "Dead March," and the Rev. A. J. ' Farnell, of. the Anglican Church, con- ' ducted the burial ceremony. • CHECK INSPECTORS' REPORT. Messrs. T. Feary, O'Connell, and $ Mulrooney, check inspectors, made the following report on the accident: \ —The death, of Comrade A. Baker! was due to a fall of stone and coal, resulting apparently from bumping the goaf. The fall, on landing, appears to have struck and dislodged ' the first three sets, thereby dropping the roof of the place. Baker, into conI tact with a jig prop, and was crushed by the falling coal. The fatality \ is to us a startling illustration of the danger of working with obsolete safety lamps, for in our opinion, the chances of the escape of our unfortunate comrade would have been better had he been using an efficient ■> lamp. DANGEROUS SEAM. According to the "Grey River Argus," from whose reference to the fatality we have compiled this (report, the Morgan Seam, where the accident occurred is dangerous country, no less than six accidents having occurred there in three days, one of which was fatal, one serious, and four minor.. There have been numerous narrow escapes, one worker having a large piece of falling coal pass so close as to brush his cap. THE INQUEST. At the inquest, which took place on Monday in the Mines Office at Dunollie, the union was represented by Mr. Feary, and Mr. I. A. James represented the Department. The coroner was Mr. W. Meldrum. After medical evidence had been given, Roy Patrick, who was deceased's working mate, said that he and deceased had resumed work after lunch, half-an-hour before the accident took place. They had filled two trucks, when they stopped for about 10 minutes, deceased "saying to witness: "We'll put a couple of props up; it will help to strengthen the place. They put up one prop, and then witness was sent down the jig for another prop. Witness was returning along the -jig with the prop when the fall took place. He "®ould have been about half-way along*. Witness rushed up to where Baker was and say him lying at the bottom of the jig-prop, a wooden bar pinning him down. Coal and stone was also on top of him. Witness spoke to him, but got no reply. Witness tried to lift the bar and then called out for help. The trucker was the first man on the scene. In a few minutes there were about-20 miners there. About half-an-hour deceased was got out. The deceased was groaning for a short time, but soon ceased. Deceased did not speak at all. The body was brought out of the mine. The fall might have been caused by an extra pressure. When they left the place it was quite still. When they returned the place was also still. , They had not fired a shot that day. A "bump" caused by the removal of pillars elsewhere mignt nave caused the fall. They- were taking all the ' usual precautions. To C. J. Strongman (Acting-Inspec-tor of Mines): The shot fired the night before had weakened the , "stump," and brought down coal from ( the "rib." They broke through the. ~ : f,

goaf rib going up. Witness did not notice any evidence of "bottom Ite'fwas sure the floor did not rise,-whilst-they were there, and "swing the sets." OBSOLIITE LAjSIPS. /" To T. Feary.. (president.. of the ■union): There, might have been a fall from above that UDset the/Tejgs/' but Witness did not see evidence, of "that. Deceased ~■ carried his lamp in his mouth, and the fall might have, put! 'the'''light 'put. '"' -This would have; Utt, the man in danger. "The lamp was of ah obsolete kind,", said Mr. Feary. ...'..'..'. ",,; ......' ■ The Coroner: You could have that put "down. The lamps used were riot adequate. ■ Mr. James: Oh,; no! Oh, no! Witness, continuing, said that in his mind the light would go out .very easily. They had three lanaps, but one had gone out. Witness carried one away with him down the jig, and deceased was left with one, only. In 'jumping away from the ,fall,.deceased might have jerked it out. Mr. James explained that the safety lamp used, gave about three-quarter candle-power. The management was now trying a set of electric lamps. John Lewis Sweeney, Underviewer, said he passed through the place .where Baker was working at 11.30 a.m. Everything was in good order. The next saw the deceased about 1.20 p.m., he being then dead. There was danger in the goaf ahead, but there was no danger in the place where deceased was working, except from a piece falling from the open roof and rolling down the incline, thus knock-* Ing out the props. When he left the place at .11.30 a.m., the conditions were safe. In witness's opinion,, a fall of a piece must have knocked the props out. In that case, the roof would have come down. : .-..-. To Mr. Strongman: When, hei examined the place on Friday the bars were badly, crushed. This might have been caused by bottom and top weight, or either. He could not say tor certain. There was some of the goaf stone on the fall near the timber. It would have been possible for the 4ft. 6in. of top coal to cause the fall, as the timber was "swinging out of line." Mr. James: No, no, no! That's not likely. -Some other movement must take place. /Mr. Strongman: That 4ft. 6in. of topcoal caused the damage in my opinion. Witness, continuing, said that on Thursday, the timber was in good order, but on Friday a "creep" had set in. The "creep" was still taking place and was caused by the removal of the coal. THE VERDICT. Further similar evidence having been given by John Duggan (Foreman I Deputy), the coroner returned the! following verdict: —That deceased; came to his death from a fall of coal! in the No. 1 Mine, Liverpool Colliery, on the 19th day of July, 1923. The bumping of the goaf appears to have caused a fall of stone and coal ahead of the first two sets of timber, dislodging them from the support of the roof, or top coal, which fell on de- ; ceased. All the usual precautions appear to have been taken for the' safety of the deceased and his mate. Roy Patrick, who was working the; "place" where the accident occurred.