OBITUARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19916, 9 April 1928, Page 10

OBITUARY.

DEATH QF MR. JOHN BICE. GQLDFIELDS * PIONEER. SURVIVOR OF BLASTING MISHAP. A pioneer of the Thames goldfiejds, Mr. John Bice, died in the Auckland Hospital yesterday in his 82nd year. Mr. Bice, who was born in Cornwall-in June, 1846, was the victim of one of the-worst mining accidents, short of immediately fatal results, that happened at the Thames. In 1895 he was employed in the May Queen mine and he and his mates had loaded and lighted a charge. of gelignite in certain stopiilg operations and retired to another part of the workings to await the explosion. After .giving more than the time that would ordinarily have been allowed for detonation, Mr. Bice assumed that the charge had missed fire, and returned to the stope to ascertain what was the matter. Almost at the moment of his arrival the gelignite exploded, when his face was practically on a level with the bole, and he received the full force of the discharge. He was terribly injured about both head and body, one eye being destroyed and the sight of the other lo«t beyond recovery, while internal disorders wore caused which remained witt him to the day of his death. Prior to his arrival in New Zealand Mr. Bice was engaged in copper mining in South Australia. He was one of the best-known miners on the Thames field. He was one of the party who sank the Caledonian shaft when the company set' out to pick up the dip into its ground of the famous ManukauGolden Crown run of gold, which produced wealth to ; the extent of millions sterling. He also took part in driving the crosscut from' the shaft by. which the reef was intersected, but did not actually work on the great patch, his attention being redirected to the shaft-sinking operations. Afterwards he worked in most of the principal mines on the field. In the Alburnia, while the run of gold at the intermediate level near the Whau boundary was being worked under Mr, Thomas Radford's management in this early 'eighties, Mr. Bice was one of ths underground bosses. In late years Mr. Bice had lived with his family at Onehunga and, in spite of his total blindness and other afflictions, he had maintained the utmost cheerfulness of disposition. MR. W. CRICHTON. The death occurred suddenly in Wellington last Thursday of Mr. William Crichton, of the firm of Crichton, McKay and, Haughton, a prominent firm of architects in that city. Some months ago Mr. Crichton met' with an accident at the new Wellington Hospital building, and since then lie had not been well. He continued at work, however, until Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday morning he. collapsed unexpectedly. The late Mr. Crichton was a son of the late Mr. George Crichton, merchant, of Wellington, and was born at Cornwall, England, in 1861, coming to New Zealand with his parents 47 years ago. Soon after his arrival he entered the service of the Public Works Department, and subsequently left to enter business as an architect on his own account. In 1901 he was joined by Mr. J. H. McKay, and the firm iSontinued under the name of Crichton and McKay uistil 1923, when Mr. V. P. Haughton was admitted into partnership. Recently Mr. Crichton was appointed by the Wellington City Council to«ct with Messrs. W. Page and S. P. Fearn to, formulate and report upon a scheme, for a civic .centre in Wellington. He leaves a widow, The late lilr. Crichton's principal. recreations were racing and motoring, he being one of the original guarantors of the Wellington Racing Club, MR. WILLIAM FOXCROFT. [JBY TELECRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] TAURANGA, Sunday. The death occurred here yesterday of Mr. William Foxcroft, at the age of. 73 years. He was born in Manchester, England, and was apprenticed to the building trade. He left for New Zealand in the sailing ship Lutterworth in 1879 and settled in Taranaki, where he engaged in building in the Inglewood district. In 1884 he revisited England and stayed there for five years, returning to Taranaki in 1889, taking up land near Inglewood. About 20 years ago Mr. Foxcroft moved to Tauranga, and had since resided here. He is survived by Mrs. Foxcroft and an adult family of three sons and three daughters, Messrs. W. L. Foxcroft (Tauranga), Hugh Foxcroft (Papatoetoe), and Arthur P. Foxcroft (Auckland), and. Mrs. Grundy (Thames), Mrs. Mallet (Taumarunui), and Mrs. Berry (Wellington).