A TERRIBLE FATALITY.

Waipa Post, Volume XXI, Issue 1200, 2 February 1922, Page 5

A TERRIBLE FATALITY.

FOUR MEN KILLED.

SHEER FALL OF SEVENTY FEET,

HURLED TO INSTANT DEATH

(By Telegraph. Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, Wednesday.

A distressing tragedy, involving the death of four men, occurred just before two o’clock this afternoon in Endean’3 Buildings, at the foot of Queen Street. Four men were painting the inside of the five-storey building, near the liftwell, and were standing on a scaffolding near the top, when, without an instant’s warning, a crash occurred. One of the heavy supporting beams had broken, and the men were precipitated to instant death on the tiled flooring, about seventy feet below. The names of the unfortunate men are: W. Moore, George Jones, Charles Courtney, D Campbell. They were employed by Messrs Henderson and Co.

On the ground floor tiled surface, just behind the lift, after the accident, there was presented a gruesome sight. There was no evidence of the nature of the injuries sustained except a few spots of blood bespattered over the white calico clothes usually worn by men so occupied. Each man was bareheaded, and in facial expression bore, almost a peaceful appearance, despite the awful suddenness with which death had overwhelmed them. Three of the men it is stated were killed instantly, and the fourth died about five minutes after he fell.

The plank which broke and caused the tragedy was' of Oregon, 6 x 4. An examination afterwards showed that there had been a large knot where the break occurred.

The platform after the accident was still suspended by one end from the plank that had remained intact. There were six men in the party which was engaged lime-washing the well. The two other men, G. Burrows and H. Oxley, were about to go on to the scaffolding just before it fell, but decided that it might not hold the whole lot.

Courtney, one of the is a well known painter, who was 16 years in charge of the painting at the Asylum at Avondale. He was foreman for Henderson’s. He is a widower, with several children.