QUARRY FATALITY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 672, 25 May 1929, Page 5

QUARRY FATALITY

KILLED BY FALLING STONE INQUEST AT WHANGAREI WHANGAREI, Today. The inquest concerning the death of Mr. W. Graf at the Tahraroa Public Works quarry was held yesterday afternoon. Dr. Hail stated that Mr. Graf was admitted to the Whangarei Hospital on Wednesday evening suffering from a compound fracture of the skull and. in an unconscious condition, the wound on his head being consistent with a fall of rock striking his skull. He died without regaining consciousness, death being caused by a fracture of the skull, coma and heart failure. A Public Works contractor said that Graf was working at a drilling machine on the face of the quarr>. In his opinion a stone had fallen from the top and struck Graf. Questioned by the foreman ot the jury he explained that three men were w'orking above the drilling machine, hut tbout. teu yards to one side. A shot had not been fired for some months, and he could not account for falling rock, as the quarry face was stripped after the last shot was fired. The jury returned a verdict that Graf met his death accidentally* by a fall of rock striking him on the head.