BURIED BY COAL

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21160, 9 July 1940, Page 4

BURIED BY COAL

DEATH OF HUNTLY MINER STATEMENT AT INQUEST The circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Thomas McEwen, aged 27, a miner, of Huntly, who died in the Waik‘ato Hospital on Sunday as the result of injuries suffered at the i Renown Colliery last Wednesday, ! were inquired into yesterday when : an inquest was held before the coroJ ner, Mr F. W. Platts. Deceased’s stepfather, William Henry Donaldson, said he was working about three and a-half feet from McEwen when, without warning, a slip of 10 to 12 tons of coal came down, striking him on the head. Deceased staggered back and struck his head on a mine prop. He then staggered forward and just as he fell a rush of loose cgal buried him. The body was recovered in from four to six minutes. All the props were in their proper places. An inspection made in the mine two days after the accident was described by the district inspector of mines, Reginald Hugo Schoen, who stated that the timber in the place he inspected was not in accordance with the timbering rules for mines. For the Renown mines the rules required. a distance of not more than five feet between two rows of props, or between a row and a rib. At the place of the accident there was a distance of about seven feet between the front row and the face. In reply to a question from the coroner, Schoen said he could not say that the accident would not have occurred if the prop referred to had been in position, but he pointed out the necessity for closely adhering to the rules of timbering in mines. A verdict that deceased died as a result of injuries accidentally received when he was struck by a fall of coal was returned by the coroner.