FALL DOWN DEEP SHAFI

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1931, Page 6

FALL DOWN DEEP SHAFI

FOUL AIR OVERCOMES MAW

'MIRACULOUS ESCAPE FROM ■ ACCIDENT AT MANGAMAHQE DA»L When he was overcome by foul air and lost, consciousness about 20 feet from the bottom of a narrow 80ft. shaft in the core wall of the Mangamahoe dam shortly after 10.30 yesterday morning, Mr. H. J. Briggs, a carpenter, employed by the contractors, Messrs. J. T. Julian and Son, fell or slithered to the bottom of the shaft and remained there groaning until rescued by a fellow worker, Mr. P. MacKenzie, who also felt tfie effects of the bad. air. Mr. Briggs had a miraculous escape from injury,. and apart from a slight touch of gas poisoning and a skinned hand, was none the worse for his adventure. With the intention of tightening the packing around the valves in the tunnel, Mr; Briggs started to climb down the hand irons in the deep shaft. The v&lve chamber’ shaft, which is about 80 feet deep, pierces the core wall of the dam from top to bottom, but is very narrow, measuring only four by two feet in width. Down the side run two iron valve spindles. When nearing the bottom of the shaft Mr. Briggs was overcome by the fdul air, which was heavy with carbon dioxide, and lost consciousness. Whether he fell to the bottom of the shaft or broke his fall by sliding down the shaft spindle is not known, as he remembers nothing of what happened after he had climbed down about 60 feet of the shaft. The attention of the workers on the top of the shaft was drawn to Mr, Briggs’ predicament by sounds of groaning which came up clearly to them, as the long shaft acts like a sound chamber and the slightest movement below is heard distinctly on the surface. _ As sopn as the situation was realised grave fears for Mr. Briggs’ safety were entertained by the meu on the dam. , Immediately Mr. P. MacKenzie started to climb down the shaft. As he was nearing the base of the tunnel .he began to feel the effects of the foul air. After considerable difficulty he reached Mr. Briggs and managed to fasten- a rope round his waist, and with the help of those on top the unconscious man was lifted up the shaft. When the two men had traversed about half, the journey up the shaft with Mr. MacKenzie guiding his companion, Mr. Briggs regained consciousness and attempted to make his way. He was still under the influence of the gas, however, and it was necessary to aid him to the top. In the meantime Dr, D, E. Brown had been sumifioned from New Plymouth, and. when he arrived he found that Mi, Briggs had almost recovered. An examination revealed that there was no injury but a scraped hand apd traces of carbon dioxide poisoning.. Mr. Briggs went home, but was able to do light work later in the afternoon. Mr. .MacKenzie also suffered slightly from, the effects of the foul air, but in the fresh air he, soon revived. The shaft had previously been used frequently, but when the clay batter was nearing, the. top of the core wall the top of the shaft was covered by a lid, which was not opened until yesterday morning. There is a four-inch vent pipe at the bottom of the shaft which is intended to cause a draught up the tunnel. It is surmised, however, fhat owing to the downward draught caused by the tunnel . water and to the fact that the foul.— aiF was~ofa heavy~nature, thatTEe gas did not escape through the top of the shaft but was .gradually seeping out below when Mr. Briggs went down. As Mr. Briggs was not bruised, which would have been almost inevitable had he fallen a distance down the narrow shaft lined wi_th the hand irons, Pr, Brown was of opinion that he must have broken his fall by sliding down the spindle shaft while in a state of semiconsciousness. This would account for the fact that his ; hand only was skinned. About three hours after the accident Mr. R. P. Driver, clerk of works, descended the shaft and carried out the work which Mr. Briggs intended doing. By the time he went down nearly all the .foul air was gone, though the shaft was still very stuffy and the conditions were distinctly unpleasant.