Mining Fatality

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume VI, Issue 1800, 28 November 1906, Page 2

Mining Fatality

Accident iii the Talisman Miner Falls Down a 120 Feel Past v .'."'■ Another of those ate ever aaso iated with the sailing o|jp mining, and which from time to time;jfcs oomo as a shook to tho oommnnltyf oev4? f outred at Karangabake yostorday/ after-.;'' ■;' noon, Thoacoident in question,'details ■'■■' ■',: of whioh wore not available untir this ? morning, resulted in the death of Mr. -.$ George Smale, a little ovor ao hop/ after "'' h *' its ooouivence, : , ? ..-V \ : ;s} ■. ■ The nnfortunato man, wl'th';hfsi 'male, James Patterson, was ongaged, at the mouth of a pass in the Talisman 'mine, in an intermediate level between Nob, 8 and 9 and 10, when, wiiho'tit any warning &<\ fall of mnllook from overhead desoendelfc '-~v onto the top of Smalef who at the ' moment wbb bending over tho gaping pass, _ lho next moment, be pitched headlong into the depths be low, a distance of 120 feet, Patterson, who was prootioally sido by I side with his mate, was also struck by a pieoe of tho falling mullock and wasknock* ed down on to tho floor of the levol, Recovering himsolf ho with others hasten* od down to Wo. 10 level, Hero, at the bottom of the pass, they found Smale, and got him out in an unconsoious conditio*", Ho was at once taken to the surfaoe, ■ .' Dr Smith, who had in the meantime been summoned, was quickly in attendance. After a hasty examination the dootor eaid he oould bold out little hope of tho man's recovery. The most serious injuries were to the head, Alter tempor-, arily dressing tho wounds, the doctor ordered the injured man to bo takon to the Waihi Hospital, whither be was oonveyed in the ambulance. B'fore reaching the hospital, Smale succumbed to his injuries, . At tho request of his family, wbo reside at Katangahako, tho body was taken baoW in the evening to Kirnngabafeof • ;'■ i STATEMENT BY BMALE'B ' James Patterson mado th& following statement to Constable Bevan. , Rwaud Bmale wero measuring a piece ofMiinbor in an intermediate level botweenNos, Band 10 levels, at the Talismin mine, Tho timber projected ovor a pass, ' arid Smalo leaned over the pass to see the end of tho timber, and while in this ppsiiion some mullook fell from the roof overhoid oi to fluiale, the impact of whioh oaueod him to pitoh head, foromost down the pass, a distance of about 120 feet. Ho (Patterson) was aljo struck on tho head by a piece of mullock, whioh knocked him down, The last he saw rf his mato was his foet as he disappeared head first down the pass, On scrambling to his feot, he (Patterson) oallod out, "My mite has fallen down the pass," and then ran down the main . way to Ko 10 level, nhere with the assistance of others, he removed the iron doors of tho pass and extricated Smale, who was lying with beau down against the door; Ho was quite unoonsoiouß. IHEDEOEASED Tho deoeased man George Bmale, who came from Oobar, New South Wales, was fifty yours of age. Ho had been four years in Karangabake, «nd was a minor of oxporienco, A gloom haa been oast over the township by the sad occurrence, the deceased haying beon highly respeoted, Ho leaves a widow and a family of 6vo childron, One of his daughten is Mrs, B, Hoipß, of Waihi, . while ono of his sons is in Amerioa, An inquest 1b king oonduoted by Mr, Max D. King, Coroner, this aftomoon at Karangabake,