WALLS COLLAPSE

Southland Times, Issue 21660, 23 March 1932, Page 7

WALLS COLLAPSE

TWO MEN KILLED BURIED UNDER TONS OF DEBRIS THREE OTHERS INJURED (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, March 22. The collapse of the walls of a large strongroom in the course of demolition of the old Government Life Insurance building at the corner of Jcrvois Quay and Orandon Street this afternoon, caused the death of two men and serious injuries to three others. Several-tons of debris had to be shifted, in the course of which a man was injured by a falling brick before the last body had been recovered. The victims (ire: Harry Byford, single, age and address unknown. Richard Harold Wilson, single, aged 19, 9 Caprera Terrace, Melrose. The injured are: Leonard Walter Lang, married, aged 39, of 15 Apuka Street, Brooklyn, fractured elbow and shock. James Summers, single, aged 28, of 58 Ira Street, Miramar, head injuries and shock. Alexander Donald, single, aged 38, of 40 Abel Smith Street, bruises and shock. Lewis Ham, aged 36, of 54 Ira Street, Miramar, hip injuries and shock. Those who were*working on the job state that there was no warning of impending disaster. Standing at the rear of the building on the level of the first floor stood a large and very substantially built strongroom. The gang was making preparations to demolish the stout 12in walls of the strongroom. The walls had been deeply scarred all round and the roof was strongly "toomed” to prevent a preliminary fall. No one knows precisely what happened, but at 2.50 p.m. there was suddenly a loud crack, the thud of crashing masonry and where formerly stood the strongroom was an ugly heap of jagged masonry and brickwork. It was known at once that human life was imperilled as five men had been engaged in and about the room. Fortunately, some of the men were outside the wall of the room, otherwise all must have been crushed to death by the weight of the masonry in the walls and roof of the strongroom. One of the injured men was pushed over the edge of what remained of the floor and fell some 15 feet to the ground. This was James Summers. He was taken to hospital by the Free Ambulance.

Lang, a builder of Brooklyn and foreman of the work then proceeding, had an arm broken and received a lacerated face by the falling masonry. He, too, bad to be despatched to hospital with Donald, who was also badly bruised and had an injured back. Byford was caught by the falling rubble near the outer side of the strongroom. He was rescued badly crushed and died on the way to hospital. Richard Wilson, a son of Harold WiLson, was literally buried alive. It seems that Wilson was standing out on one of the wails away from the strongroom when he was asked to take a rope to the workers in the strongroom, and when delivering it the whole place collapsed and he was entombed.

When the injured men were got away to the hospital, the contractor, Clement Capill, and his men, started at once to recover the body of the boy. The work involved over three hours. As showing the great difficulties with which the rescuers were confronted, a manual winch was used to lift the great blocks of debris. Capill and his men attended to the adjusting of the rope on an elevated floor 150 feet away. Even after part of the body was uncovered, it took another hour to free it entirely. Capill, who worked hand to hand with his men right through the rescue job, when seen this evening said he much regretted the tragic accident which had occurred and he felt deeply for the relatives of those who had suffered so severe a loss. Up to the present there had been few accidents on the job to speak’ of, none serious. How this one occurred he had not the slightest notion. He was not on the spot or within sight, but was standing in the yard where the lorries load up with the debris. “I work with the men, and if there is a risk I share it with them,” he added.