BLASTING FATALITY.
THE MT. EDEN EXPLOSION. ACCIDENTAL IGNITION. .■■ ■ • i . The adjourned inquest concerning the death of Mr. Percy Ernest Aydon, a single man, who was fatally injured in a blasting accident at sewerage works in Sylvan Avenue, Mount Eden, last Saturday morning, was held by the coroner, Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., yesterday. Sergeant McAlister represented the police, and Mr. Lowrie appeared for, deceased's employers, Messrs. Stevenson • Bros. William Te.ford, a miner,; said that deceased had been working with a hammer and a gad, and the explosion might . have been caused by his striking the.unexploded portion of a charge with the gad. : Witness had frequently seen cases where only portion of a charge was exploded when the shot was fired. ' George Richard Noble, miner, said that in that class of country it; was pos sible for the bottom plug of a-charge,to be cut off from the top one, leaving the bottom plug imexploded. Witness was in charge of the firing. On the previous afternoon six holes had been loaded, and as he got six reports he concluded* all the charges had gone off. There was no way of ascertaining if the whole of a charge had exploded. Witness said he had had 15 years' experience in firing."',. All the charges were carefully laid. \ James D. McKenzie, labourer, who had been working a few yards ahead of deceased, said that a few minutes before the explosion the latter had been trying to get tight material out oft the floor of the tunnel. Witness was momentarily stunned by the explosion. (V ' '>." The coroner , returned a verdict that death was due to shock following Injuries caused by an explosion. ' The explosion, it appeared, .was due to the accidental discharge of a portion of a charge which had not been exploded the previous day. He could not say there had been any carelessness on the part of anyone. It was not possible to ascertain if the whole of a charge had been exploded. The ignition seemed quite accidental.
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New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18325, 15 February 1923, Page 9
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334BLASTING FATALITY. New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18325, 15 February 1923, Page 9
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