FATAL ACCIDENT AT MANGERE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7004, 29 April 1884, Page 5

FATAL ACCIDENT AT MANGERE.

A MAN KILLED, ANOTHER DANGEROUSLY INJURED, AND A HORSE SMOTHERED IN A GRAVEL PIT. At about nine o'olock yesterday morning a fatal accident occurred at the Mangare Mountain gravel reserve, by which a carter named Robert Pollock was killed instantly, another named Joseph Hastie was seriously injored, and a horse, the property of Mr. Miller, was killed. The deceased and Hastie were both in the employ of Mr. Miller, settler and contractor to the Mangere Highway Board for the supply of scoria. Pollock had been in his employ for upwards of ten years. Mr. Pollock had driven his horse and cart into the pit to load up with scoria. A young lad named Short, a boy abont 14 years of age, son of a settler at Mangere, was present, and observing the dangerous state of the place, told Pollock anil Hastie that he would not take a pound a day and work in such a dangerous place, but they being accustomed to the place took no notice of the warning. Shortly afterwards, however, some gravel began to run, and they attempted to clear away with the dray, but they were too late. Down came an avalanche of tons of scoria and'earth from a bank 30 to 40 feet high, burying Pollock and the horse and dray under a vast quantity of scoria and earth. Hastie was farthest out from the face near the horse's head, and was only partially buried, his legs being buried and his head bruised. Poor Pollock fared worse. He was buried under the mass with his horse. The boy, who was the only one who observed the accident, at once gave the alarm, and a number of people quickly mustered. Mr. Knight,- a former resident in Mangere, who was passing at the time, at once drove into Onehunga and informed Constable Greene and Dr. Scott of the accident. They immediately came to render assistance, and in the meantime Mr. Stribley, with the aid of about a dozen willing helper?, extricated Hastie, who, although severely crushed about the legs and head, was tirst able to walk, but he almost immediately fainted, . and was taken to his own house adjoining. Neither Mr. Pollock, the horse nor cart were then visible, bat a dozen men working for life and death were endeavouring to extricate the unfortuuate man. Following the directions given by Mr. Hastie they worked directly towards where Pollock lay, but it took fully two Hours to extricate the body, which was then quite dead. • Dr. Scott and Sergeant Greene ■vere present when the body was taken out. t'be former having pronounced life to be extinct, the body was removed to the residence of Mr. Miller to await an inquest. He is not much disfigured, but it was evident chat death was instantaneous from the crash. The accident caused quite a sensation in Mangere, Onehunga, and Auckland, and people beoame alive once more to the danger ous circumstances nnder which hese gravel-pits are worked. Robert Pollock, who was about 43 years uf age, was a single man and has from his youth been employed about horses. For tbe last ten years he has been in the employ of Mr. Miller, as a carter, except at intervals, when he followed the profession of racehorse .".rainer. He was a steady, sober, and reliable man.

Joseph Hastie, the young man who is injured, but whose recovery iB looked for, notwithstanding the severe bruises he has received, is a son of Mr. Joseph Hastie, of Onehunga, and is about 30 years of age. He has u wife and two young children. Mr. Miller, for whom the two men were working, iB a Bettler at Mangere, and has for some time past supplied scoria from this mountain for the use of the Highway Board.

The pit, it is said, had been allowed to get into a dangerous state, and evidently worked without supervision. The entrance to the pit is a narrow roadway. All round the face, which is almost semicircular in shape, ia a steep overhanging cliff from 30 to 40 feet in height, the upper portion of earth overhanging very dangerously, and unsupported in any way. It was a small portion of this superincumbent mass which caused the catastrophe yesterday. The question naturally arises, Who is responsible for the management -of those scoria and metal reserves whioh have recently proved such veritable man traps ? Who is supposed to. ~be responsible for the ■ manner in which they are worked ? Primarily, of course, the Lands Board is clearily responsible, for although the management for the time being may be vested in the local bodies, the .Lands Board cannot, we think, divest themselves of their dutieß in administering the landß of the Crown. In this instance the quarry reserve is under the control of the Mangere Highway Board, and with it is a native reserve, and from both the Board obtains a revenue of from £400 to £500 for depasturing licenses. Yet, in the face of this, it seems to have been nobody's business to see that this was worked safely—to see that the snrface was stripped, and a safe , slope preserved. So dangerous did the place look some time ago that the police authorities >mde representations to the Board which had control of the quarry, but it would seem that no notice was taken. Yet it was not for want of warning in other directions that this neglect has been pursued. Under very similar circumstances George Bray and YValter Pell were some years ago buried in a gravel pit. at Mount Albert, and Samuel Bray, son of one of the victims, had a narrow escape .with his life. More recently still, a carter named Thornally, carting for Winstone Bros., was killed in the Mount Eden gravel pit. The Coroner's juries on each occasion pointed out the dangerous . manner in whioh theße quarries had been worked, and the total inadequacy of the supervision exercised. Under these circumstances it mußt be acknowledged that the local authorities cannot, even on ' the plea of ignorance, 1 palliate their conduct in allowing the reserve under their control to be worked in this dangerous and reckless manner. An inquest on the remains of Mr. Pollock will be held this afternoon at Mangere, when, no doubt, a fnll inquiry into the cause of the accident will fix the balance on the proper shoulders.

Robert Pollock, who has just been killed, is the son of an old Auckland identity. Hia father, Mr. James Pollook, who is still alive, formerly carried on business as a blacksmith, and two of his brothers are sow employed, one at the office of the evening paper ail compositor, and the other by Mr. Garrett, batcher, Karangahape-road.