TRAGEDY AT MANGAHAO
SEVEN WORKERS LOSE THEIR LIVES
VICTIMS OVERCOME BY POISONOUS CASES
TWO OTHERS NARROWLY ESCAPE
A disaster involving the loss of seven lives occurred at the Mangahao hydro-electric construction works, near Shannon, late on Sunday night. The account of the tragedy, which is given in detail below, shows that on Sunday evening there were two men at work at the Arapeti end of the tunnel. They noticed in the course of their duties that the water-pumping apparatus had gone wrong and that the air fan was not working. Going into the tunnel to investigate both men were overcome by poisonous gases and a similar fate befel five of their comrades who went to their assistance. In addition two other would-be rescuers very nearly sacrificed their lives and were only saved in the nick of time. The names of those who lost their lives are as follow: W. R. MHler, engineer, single, Dunedin. A. E. Maxwell, tunnel-foreman, Wanganui, married, with five children. F. Birss, tunneller, late of Arthur’s Pass, married, with four children. W. Birss (son), tunneller, single. P. Graham, tunneller, late of Arthur’s Pass, married, with four children. F. Graham, tunneller, Hastings, married, with four children. B. Butler, pump attendant, single, Shannon.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM19220704.2.41
Bibliographic details
New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11253, 4 July 1922, Page 5
Word Count
204TRAGEDY AT MANGAHAO New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11253, 4 July 1922, Page 5
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