The Waihi Fatality.

Observer, Volume XVI, Issue 922, 12 September 1896, Page 6

The Waihi Fatality.

To the Editor,

Sib, — An inquest was held, it will be remembered, on the body of Joseph Devlin, the. unforanate victim of the Silverton mine disaster at "Waihi. The careful way, however, in which the whole thing was arranged prevented the posssibility of any searching inquiry being made. Jurors who dared to put questions which appeared likely to extend the inquiry were severely frowned down by the Coroner for their tinparalleled audacity. Some of the jurors were not to be frowned down, though, and the fact was elicited that deceased met his death through gross carelessness. In a mine, especially where explosives are nsed, every precaution should be taken to ensure thesafety of those employed in the dangerous work. That these precautions were not taken was amply proved, owing to the efforts of two of the jurymen. _ The endeavour on the part of those conducting the inquest was to make it as formal as possible.. Even the suggestions thrown out by the jury, advocating the placing of a blackboard at the mine entrance on which each shift should report to that succeeding it, were ridiculed by one of the mine-managers. The facts as elicited were these : Only two shifts were engaged in the work of sinking the shaft — afternoon and night shifts. The night-shift left a misshole. When they came to the surface in the morning, they told the day-shift boss to warn the men coming on at night-Bhift that there was a miss-hole. The day-shift bosß forgot to deliver the message. In the first place the night-shift should never have left the miss-hole, even if they had been delayed another hour in firing it. It is a rule always observed in mines that the shift leave no miss-holes behind them. The dayshift boss having undertaken the duty of delivering the message, was undoubtedly guilty of great neglect. Wbea it is considered that the unhappy woman and children lost their bread winner through this neglect, it is surely quite justifiable on the part of jurors to insist on the most exhaustive inquiry to prevent the likelihood of such accidents again occurring. The attempts to smother inquiry were certainly out of place in this instance. If the men working in the mines were only manly enough to show their independence, it would be so much better for them. The Miners' Union is a backboneless and absurd institution as at present constituted. Those controlling it are so afraid of meeting with the displeasure of their employers should they boldly declare their opinions, that they conduct it on severely Conservative lines, and it is a perfectly satisfactory show iv the eyes of the Fat Man. The majority of the residents, be it said to the credit of Waihi, were scandalised by the farcical inquiry made, and letters were sent to the Auckland Star pointing out the injustice done to the memory of the unfortunate victim of the fatality, and the poor woman and children he left behind him. That journUl, however, was apparently frightened, since these letters never appeared, and no reply even was made in the 'Answers to Correspondents.' I have voiced the opinion of a considerable section in Waihi, and you will therefore excuse me for having encrouched so far on your valuable space. — I am, etc , Daylight. Waihi.

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