THE TUNNEL TRAGEDY.

NZ Truth, Issue 89, 2 March 1907, Page 3

THE TUNNEL TRAGEDY.

! \ . '"' '■ — — — ■■,■»■■■ ■ ■■ ■ DOODAHS LOOK ON AND REFUSE TO HELP.

- The terrible accident m the Kilbir- | nic tunnel, by which three men were slain "quite unnecessarily, and which actually, seems, ' on the evidence, to have , been specially provided for, was" not: only remarkable as an instance ol.reckle'ss carelessness of human life, but for an exhibition of brutal callousness on the part of things 4ii trousers which, it is- much to be re-^ gretted, niust- foe called •men. • A • y crting man who had been work^4nsi*.in,V*tibie.'?rtima.el 'as avi^i'briekla'yfef^ heard of/ the cave-in whtle standing talking "ah : Adelaide-road, and, though, iri- his best clothes, ran at once to the scene, Wbeh he arrived he found only, a very few men at work on the labor 6f love of removing the earth | that pinned poor Eli ' m what proved a grip of death. He buckled to hirn%self, but, • noticing how few hands were engaged, he ran to where the shovels were kept and carried an armful to where a number of city clerks,' doodahs with the inevitable brief-bag— probably containing property they had pinched, from ;fcheir employers that evening . The young bricklayer offered shovels to these vacuous loafers and begged them to buck m and assist m shifting the -'.fallen clay, but they refused to a "thing." They were not goingto soil k their hands and raise blisters b^vusihg a • beastly demnition shovel, d^ncherno. What that brawny younjg I bricklayer said to them and of them aLrid. their obscure parentage, and so j,6n,« is unpunishable; but it was well deserved, if somewhat inadequate to the: circumstances. There was one exception to this' shameful exhibition ol heartless, callous carelessness and cowardice; and tliat.was m the case of a well-dressed young gentleman who tolled ■ at r • the heavy unaccustomed task ; of shovelling clay, until the bldpd , dripped from his , lacerated ha;nds.and even then he would not desist; but, ■.; regardless of danger or pain; kept at ■it right along till the day dawned and fresh gangs took up the task. ... ' *