FALL OF EARTH

Southland Times, Issue 22296, 11 April 1934, Page 9

FALL OF EARTH

GOLD MINER’S DEATH

INQUEST AT OREPUKI.

An inquest touching the death of Robert Albert Barrett, who was killed at Orepuki on March 24 through being buried by a fall of earth while tunnelling for gold on his claim, was held at Orepuki yesterday afternoon before Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., Cof-oner. Senior-Sergeant Packer represented the police and Mr R. Cross the Gold Miners’ Association, while the inspector of mines for Otago, Mr T. McMillan, was also present. Richard Mackrell, a gold-miner of Orepuki, stated that at about 11 a.m. on March 24 he was called to deceased’s claim by Horatio Horace Braid. On arrival he entered the drive and found the body of the deceased. He felt his pulse for any sign of movement, but there was none. Witness then proceeded to dig deceased out. His knees were bent up, he was lying on his back and he was covered with debris from the middle of the body down. Artificial respiration was applied for an hour, but it was unavailing. They also tried giving him a little brandy. Witness expressed the opinion that there was not sufficient timber in the drive, this being responsible for the fall. The weight of the mass of earth which fell would be about 4cwt. Deceased came to Orepuki about two years ago. He had been working about the district for that period and was a very clean-living man. Horatio H. Braid, aged 17, deposed that he was engaged in goldmining at Orepuki. He was working partner with the deceased. The claim was worked by tunnelling and was about a chain in from the surface, the height of the tunnel being about 4ft and the width 3ft 6in. There was an overburden of about 50ft. It was not a greasy claim. The face on which they were working wast 2ft 6in of sand wash with lignite above. The tunnel was timbered with wooden rails running its whole length, the props being about four feet apart. The deceased put in the timber with witness’s help. Witness ran the soil out on the trolley while deceased did the mining. In an hour four trips would be made. Deceased always worked past the props and put them in after. He worked out from the end of the drive. No supports were put in till the floor was cleaned up. On March 24 tl.ey commenced work at 7.30 a.m., and at about 10.30 a.m. witness took out a load from the tunnel, leaving deceased at work. Witness returned at 10.45 a.m. The candle was still burning, but there was no sign of deceased. Investigation disclosed that there had been a fall of earth and witness found deceased with his legs doubled back underneath him. He had been kneeling and had fallen forward on his face which was crushed against the ground. There was a large lump of soil on his back weighing about 4cwt. Witness concluded his partner was dead. He moved the big piece from him and laid him on his back and then went for Mr Mackrell. Witness said that he considered himself a practical miner. He had been gold-mining for about three years. He considered the tunnel was safe. He was never afraid to go on with the work, though he had told the deceased he thought it might become dangerous. Another miner had said that the timber was too far apart, though it was safe ground to work. When witness left deceased at 10.30 a.m. he had cleaned up the floor and when he returned the fall had occurred. Deceased had picked out some earth in the interim, but witness could not say how much. He heard no fall. Witness said he considered he was competent to open a shaft and do the timbering, but he would, in the case of the mine concerned, have set about the timbering in a different way from that of the deceased. Had this been done he thought there would have been no accident.

Constable Skipworth, of Tuatapere. gave evidence of his examination of the body of deceased and of inquiries made relating to the fatality. Tho Coroner returned a verdict that the deceased was accidentally killed by being buried bv a mass of earth which fell on him whilst he was working on his gold claim.