INQUEST.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XI, Issue 793, 24 July 1878, Page 2

INQUEST.

On Monday afternoon an inauiry was held before District Coroner, E. H. Carew, Esq., at Ponsonby and Dalzell's Hotel, Blue Spur, into Ihe cause of the death of Bastion Ambrosie, who was killed in the North of Ireland^ claim on Saturday afternoon. By three o'clock, a jury of thirteen were duly sworn, with Win. Creswick as foreman. The following were the depositions made at the inquiry:— Richard Buriey, being sworn, saifch : I am a miner, and reside at Munros Gully. I have been employed working in the North of Ireland claim, at the Blue Spur, for three yean. I bave>seen the body on view, and identify it ns that of Ba'sliaa Ambrosie. He had worked in tho claim for the last seven weeks, and before that, for'about twenty tnontKs:"" On the .latter part of last Saturday afternoon, there were working- in the claim, John HamiltOr. myself, and Baafcian Ambrooie. Basbitfn had all that day been working in a drive by himself—driving to tho boundary for air from a slmftin that direction. Until lately th.re were ten men driving, but lately w&ter has been scarce, and so many have not been below. I had charge of the claim under Mr Grieve, who plotted oat the work, and I cirriecl it oat. I was in the d ive deceased worked in about two o'clock, Blue Spur time. He had just put in a hole for blasting. He risked me the time of day. He complained of a pain in. his chest, and t*told him it was the effect of the air being a little bad, and offered to put tho hole in for him, and that he could take my place. He said he preferred to work in his own drive, which is 10ft. wide by 6ft. high. The last shot he put in was upvfards. I asked him to charge the hole about twenty minutes to four. I then returned toiuy own drive about 105 to 110 feet distant. About ten minutes to four, I told him it was time to flro— that is, to put in the charge, and ho replied, "All right, Ritchi.e" He always called me by that name. Five or ten minutes afterwards, I heard the report of the blast. I was quite sure the hole could not be charged in the time. We had not received notice, as is usual. The report was so loud that i*~. blew out my candle. I asked Hamilton if that wa3 his Bhot. He said, " No ; it was little Joe's." I then struck a match and lit a candle, and went up to the place where deceased was working. I sung out, " Little •Joe-! " he did not answer. I sung out again, and he answered, "Oh, Kitchic! Oh, Ritchie! lam shot ! " When I got up to him, he was about 20 feet from the face. Ho must have rolled down, as it was an incline of about 3ft. in 12ft. After I spoke to him Hamilton came up and said, " What shall Ido ? " I said, go for the doctor as quick as possible. Ambrosie was lying down with his face 'quite black, when I found him. When I spoke to him, he said his eyes were shot out ; he was sure he had lost his eyes. I got him in a ccrtaiu position, and then offered him a drink. He just wet his lips. I then asked him to put his arm round my shoulder. He did so, and walked about ten feet. He then said, " Let me he down : I'm dying ! I'm dying ! " That was the last he spo'ce, until assistance came to me, which was in about twenty minutes. The cause of this delay was the long way from tho Spur, and the drive was 803 ft. down. There were only the three of us working under ground. Redman was the first to come to my assistance, then Wm. Paul, Joseph Harris, and others. ' Dr Withers also arrived, and examined Ambrosie. He said his eyes were completely gone. We then got him on a hand-barrow .we had in the claim, and got him out and brought him to Hinde's Assembly Room on the Spur. He died as we were coming up the hiil. The claim is well supplied with tools. I generally use a wooden bar to put the blast in, and an iron one to do the t3mping with. The last timo I used them was two days prsrious to the accident. That is the usual mode of working the claim. We have no, bars sho.l with .copper in the claim. If shod with copper it would prove as effectual a tool as the iron one. The deceased, I think, generally used the iron one, he did not care about the wooden one. He .never, to my knowledge, made a complaint about the bar. He was very careless, and I have often cautioned him. The danger in using the iron bar is from sparks on the stones, which sparks communicate with the powder. A copper-shod, bar is nearjy as dangerous as an iron one. Mr Griere knew of : the tools in the claim. About six months ago I spoke to him. about there being no copper-shod bars in the claim, but he put it off from time to time as there was no gold getting. I don't remember any men objecting to the iron ones. The best men I have had in the claim have offered no objection. The shot Ambrosie was putting in was an over one, which is more difficult to charge and to tamp. Deceased was an Austrian, about 28 years of age. He was a married man, and hus left a widow and two children. ' Cross-examined by a Juryman : I think the accident happened when he was putting the powder up. I found the tamping bar about ' 15 ft from the hole. There was a wooden one near. I repeatedly cautioned him, but he was too head-strong, and would never listen te anything I Baid. ■ Robert Withers then deposed as follows: lam a legally qualified practitioner. I have seen the body, and recognise it as that of Bastian Ambrosie. I was called to see.him on Saturday la.it. I happened to be at the Spur at the time, and saw him within 25 minutes after the accident. I saw him in one of the drive 3 some 800 or 400 yards in. He was lying on a roughly made stretcher, if is face was charred and blackened, and )ie was groaning as if in pain. On examining him I found that both his eyes were destroyed j his left arm broken about the elbow, and his chest very much .bruised and burnt. I' feared he had received internal injuries, and ordered him to be removed~al once. He died while being'removed. The injuries I have described were quite sufficient to cause death. On the chest the gunpowder specs could be seen, so I have no doubt the injuries were caused by blasting powder, bat I think his chest must have been crushed by the cement. John Hamilton deposed as follows. : lam a miner residing at the Blue Spur. I have been -working in the North of Ireland claim for about six months. I was working there on Saturday 4ast, with Richard Barley and Little Joe. I have seen the body on view, whioh ia that of Bastian Ambrosie. Burley and I were working together. I was in Ambrosie's drive about three o'olook. He was then, drilling a back or I returned when I got the tools lwent for. .Just before four o'clock, Burley called to Joe that i was time to charge. I then saw Joe go to get his powder. I was busy tamping my hole when his shot went off. It blew our lights Qut. Burley thoqght it wag my hole', »n4 asked me iffit was. I said, no i and instantly sang out to Joe, but gpt no answer. ' Ode of us then struck a light and lit the candles., ancj ran to the man's assistance, thinking he was. hurt. We found him lying on his ai(|e about 20 feet from where he had been at work. I said I would go for the doctor. I saw Bed* man and others on my way and told them to lend assistance. I then came to the store, and met Dr Withers, who at once proceeded to the claim. I have been mining now about eleven years. I have worked in the Otago Co.'s and the kelson Co.'c claims. When I went first tp the former, they used wpoflen sticks and iron bars. In the Nelson itfoej used copper ends, and iron shanks, I think it is only within the last two years that copper bas been used on the Spur, bnt I would not be certain. I believe copper-heads, are used on the Spur generally at present. Coppersbod tamping-rods are most certainly the safest of the two, and wooden are not »o effectual in getting the tamping home. I hare