SHOCKING ACCIDENT.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1862, 26 September 1874, Page 3

SHOCKING ACCIDENT.

One of these fearful accidents incidental to mining and navvy operations occurred the other day, at that section of the Dunedin and Moeraki railway works, known as the Deborah Bay Tunnel. This section is the contract of the Messrs. M'Kenzie Brothers, and comprises the driving of a long tunnel through the Purakanui Uange. Work is carried on on both sides of the range, and it was at the Purakanui side that the accident occurred. There a long catting, constituting.the approach to the tunnel,' has been, carried up to tho face of the range. In this cutting some thirty or forty: men are still employed in varioug ways, and on a clear space just outsi de the' cutting is situated the blacksmith's forge, where tools are sharpened,. repaired, • &e. 'Amongst other material used by the contractors in driving tho tunnel is dynamite, or giant.powder, an explosive substance of -much, greater, power than .ordinary powder, and safer to handle'if proper precautions are'taken with it. In its ordinary condition, when stored np for use, it is absolutely non-ex- ~ plosive, a,certain .process havingto be" L f adopted to develop the-tremendous explosive: force.;that lies.;latent .witbin ifc. ,>.v I This process is to.simply soften the dynamite by the application, of, steam; so prepared it becomes charged with terrific power,. The; Messrs. M'lLenzio state,that extraordinary : care .in preparing the dynamite for use'has always been taken, acid, as;a;:ruleA:^iielor;othej:,.pf,i&e|ttattended to the operation. In the modus opercfn&v; the only appliances; uspd ,wergj/ a large-sized billy. fitted, with. a movable:: perforateU -false • ■ :The} ; false;-; bottoiii rests on-four legs, aud has a ' handle springing from the centre. When'.' a portion of dynamite is#-bo:prepared,'a : < certain quantity of-water.is put. intptho billy, and the latter is then placed on the .fiye until the water boils; 'then it is removed, the false bottom is inserted, and ~ ! ori that is placed the dynamite'to be acted upon, .The .billy is then covered, and allowed to stand until tte water becomes /nearly cold.:-. The steam, rising through the perforations acta upSn the dynamite . by softening it, and it is then ready for use. The accident was caused by the ex-plosion-of'•dynamite. It appears,,that, ; very soon after the men on the day-shift' / come to,,work, they had made three or four holes in the rock ready for charging, > arid froth this our readers will understand that blasting operations" were in progress. The foreman of the shift, James ttenshaw,"" a first-class workman and-a most; careful and reliable man, wenfc.'away ■to obtain some charges of dynamite, and, Sir M.Kenzie not .being in: the way,;he pro- :, ceeded to.prepare.it himself. • she was _ in a hurry, he was.guilty of making,too-j .much ; haste, for,' instead of first, boiling; .. v the water, then putting in.the false bottomland dynamite after the- billy had bek >.: ■taken off the fire, he placed ;the false bottom with the dynamite in it into ,the cold water,'and then proceeded to boil .the water. All this took place-in-the i smithy just outside the cutting. Besides Eenshaw, there were present Alexander ; Simpson, -the blacksmith, : aad, John Simms, a miner engaged about the works. From what we can gather of the lamentable occurrence; Eenshaw held the billy over the fire and worked the bellows, whilst Simpson and Simms were standing on one side. There were about, twelve •• ounces of dynamite in the billy. Suddenly ; there was an awful explosion that blew the smithy to pieces, killed. Eenshaw... dead, and seriously wounded Simpson, and Simms. The men who were working, jn the cutting rushed to .the scene, and found lienshaw dead, horribly mangled, with his bowels protruding, and head shattered ; whilst, the other men were,., stretched upon the ground—one of them; (Simpson) being covered with, .fleshy wounds, caused by the whirlwind : of.: 'missiles which were Bet in motion by. the explosion; Simms was not so much hurt,..,, his principal wound being in -the-leg. Directly the extent of the calamity was ascertained, a messenger was despatched to the port for medical assistance,<j and |Dr Drysdale was very soon on his-way-to the-scene, together with JSergt... ;Neil and, Constable Carter. Meantime, however, the two 1 wounded 'men'-wiere : placed on litters and sent on to the.porfc,. ;so that as the Doctor went by ; water theyj (passed him by. the. way. 1 .They arrived in' port in time to catch the 11.30 train, and, 'as. the doctor received intimation of th'oir : having been sent on, he'returned in'time I '- jto : examinethem.; His advice was to'- ; isend'them to the Hospital, arid there they * were ' despatched accordingly, -Mr A.-' jM'Eenzie accompanying them; viTheiri 'hurts were looked to, and everything done ■to alleviate the pain they suffered. We : ! believe that.no apprehensions of fatal re- ... i suits ensuing in either case areentertained. Sergt. Neil and Constable, Carter' pro-f: s ceeded to the scene of the accident,'and' j returned to the part in'the afternpon with : - Ulie mutilated' remains of the unfortunate' !man Eenshaw.—Otago Daily Times.