MINER KILLED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22961, 12 February 1938, Page 12

MINER KILLED

HUGE FALL OP STOi^/ - ' ■ 7' $ i VICTIM BURIED 20FT, WORK OF RECOVERING BODY [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT GREYMOUTH, Prtdiy Caught by a fall of stone in O'Bri 1 and party's co-operative coal mine Rawanui at 11.30 ,this Mr Robert Knight, married, fißed 66, 0 { j Bunanga, one of the 'oest-knowt * : \ in the Labour movement on the West; Coast, met his death. |" >tiNiffll Deceased was engaged at a face in r 7'. J high pillar section whefi without & 8 slightest warning there waa a full 0 » • between 500 and 1000 tone- of gton e . • which dropped out from the roof a completely burying Mr, Knight to a I depth of over 20ft. His mate, Mr. William Armstrong, who had just flliej : • • a box with coal and was near tie hot. > torn of the section, had a miraculouj < escape, having to run out of the way of ® the falling stone. " r " Working unceasingly up to 6.lt> l M fc evening deceased's workmates, with th« assistance of the mines inspector, Mr. \V. Parsonage, extricated the body' ; There was no apparent injury to v body, which was found? lying face down*' V ward at the coal f|ce, deceased still grasping his pick. Apparently death' ip was due to suffocation. Several hlasfi were required to remove stone beiori > the body could be recovered. Mr. Knight, who was born in Am. trail a, was related to the wife of tU Hon. R. Semple. He was an early, president of the State Miners'.. and at the time of his death wai, II president of the Runanga branch of the Labour Party.. : =