Accident in the Queen of the May.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1955, 10 April 1875, Page 2

Accident in the Queen of the May.

An accident of a serious nature occurred in the Queen of the : rMay mine to-day. The injured man is named Thomas Hucker, one of the contractors whose tender was accepted for driving in the leading stopes. From the details we hare been able to gather it would apppar that Hucker was employed in - making preparations for blasting, and by which he was so unlucky as to injure himself. Having put in the shot it became his duty to attach the fuse and set fire to it. In this case, as frequently happens, the fuse did not appear to ignite, well. Hucker therefore resorted to the common practice of cutting off a piece to test the quality of the length. Whether the end he cut off was alight or not it is hard to say, but it is reasonable to assume that some part of it was fired, for on throwing it away the piece or some spark from it, fell in o an open tin of powder close by, and ah explosion at once took place. Hucker was very much burnt about his face and arms, and every exposed portion of his bod 7. He was at once conveyed to the Hospital, where he received proper attention. It is not thou ht that Hucker has sustained any serious injury, though he is severely burnt. In this case another instance js hffprded of the necessity of practicing great care in underground mining—operations, in each and every department of which there is so much danger. Custom seems to make miners totally oblivious of the need there is for caution; and the repeated cases of misfortune do not appear to have a very great eff.et.