DOUBLE FATALITY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 19 August 1933, Page 11

DOUBLE FATALITY

WAITAKI HYDRO WORKS COLLAPSE OF CONCRETE BLOCK ißy Telegraph—Press Association) OAMAItU ,17th August. _ The adjourned inquest touching the death of John Muir and George Todd, both of Dunedin, who lost their lives as a result of a fall of earth and concrete in a cofferdam at the Waitaki hydro-electric works on 3rd August, was continued by the Coroner (Mr W. H. Frith) to-day at the hydro. Todd was killed instantly, his neck being broken and skull smashed. Muir suffered a compound fracture of a leg succumbing to shock and haemorrhage in hospital the same night. Medical testimony stated that the case was desperate and practically hopeless from the start.

Mr T. A. Kinmont (Dunedin) represented tlie relatives of Muir at the inquest, Mr A. It. Tait (Oamaru) the relatives of Todd and Mr It. TI. Packwood the Public Works Department. The inquiry was conducted by Constable McCormick.

Lengthy evidence was given by the workmates of deceased, who slated that they were engaged putting in shots in a rock face when a. concrete block from ten feet above fell down the face, a newly cut off tram rail striking Todd on the head. The concrete platform was described as being reinforced with rails lying on top of the bank.

The evidence of one witness was characterised by counsel as being unsatisfactory, but the Coroner held that ho was telling the truth, saying that counsel had almost suggested something that had not been established as taking place. Another witness gave as the reason for the alteration of his statements to tlie police and the Department the fact that he had heard dozens of men discussing the cause of the accident and had become confused. This witness gave as his present opinion that the accident was due to negligence on the part of the overseers or the men in charge in seeing to the safety of the places the men worked in. A carpenter deposed to cutting a tram rail alongside the concrete block, when the block shifted and the rail snapped off Me was of opinion that the cutting of the rail had nothing to do with the shifting of tlie concrete, which view was supported by a ganger and other witnesses.

In giving his verdict the Coroner stated that some of the witnesses were rather confused, but that did not alter the fact that tlie cause of the accident was that a block of concrete resting on conglomerate, which the men were attempting to remove, by some means no one seemed able to explain rolled over, crushing the two men. His verdict was that the men were accidentally killed by the falling of a concrete block, Todd being killed instantly and Muir receiving injuries from which he died a few hours later.