BLASTING FATALITY AT TIMARU.
(Per Press Association.) TIMARU, last night, A fatal accident happened at the Harbor Board's quarry this afternoon. A blast fired prematurely, and the rockfall caught -and killed a man named O'Neill and seriously injured the Board's engineer, Mr W. H. Clark, and slightly injured a third man. A tunnel had been driven under the face of a rock about 30ft. high, the drive having two leads m which 54 kegs -of blasting powder were placed, and the drive filled m. At 3.30 p.m. preparations were made to fire the cliarge, and the workmen were ordered out and a watch set at each end of the quarry. There remained the harbor engineer (F. W. Clarke), the quarry foreman (Calvert), and . O'Neill, a tunneller- O'Neill had prepared a fuse for lighting, and, Calvert was six yards way, and Clarke a chain away. Clarke told O'Neill that all was ready to light and he came away. For some cause the explosion followed immediately, and a vertical of rock was broken up and thrown outwards, burying O'Neill, and pieces of large and small rock were hurled soure. distance. One big piece hit Mr Clarke on the left leg, lacerating the flesh and breaking the bone at the ankle. Mr Calvert was moving away as directed and a big piece hit him on the shoulder, knocking him down. He got up and went to Mr Clarke, who said he was seriously hurt. Then he looked for O'Neill, who could not be seen, being completely buried. Other men came up and an amrAdance and doctors were sent for, and them j tired were conveyed away. Hands set to work to extricate' O'Neill, and after three hours or so succeeded. The body was found doubled up, but less crushed than expected. Deceased, Patrick O'Neill, was a man about 40,: with a young wife, and four children.
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Bibliographic details
Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12657, 10 January 1912, Page 3
Word Count
313BLASTING FATALITY AT TIMARU. Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12657, 10 January 1912, Page 3
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