HIKURANGI FATALITY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18174, 21 August 1922, Page 6

HIKURANGI FATALITY.

DEATH OF TWO MINERS. NEED FOR PRECAUTIONS. [BY TBLEGBAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WHANGAKEI. Sunday. The adjourned inquest concerning the death of John Craig and David Veitch, victims of tho aocident at Wilson's mine, Hikurangi, on August 4, -was held before 1 Mr. F. H. Levien, S.M., on Saturday. The evidence showed that the men were going on morning shift down- a steep incline leading into the mine, when they were overtaken by fire skips. These/had escaped from control at the top owing to the oversight of the two men in c&arge in starting i the downward train of skips | without first seeing that all the couplings were secured. . , The coroner's verdict, which was in > accordance with this evidence, attributed death to the collision with these uncon- ( trolled skips.. He added a rider that , some means of preventing this danger should be devised, and he that the skips, before being let away, should travel some distance on the level, so as an opportunity to test the couplings. He also stressed the need lor strict observance of regulations, so as there should be no overlapping of duty and no possibility, as in this case, of one | man supposing that another man had at- ( tended to the matter. V -'i :