SEVERAL TONS OF ROCK COLLAPSE ON THREE WORKMEN
(Per Press Association).
One Killed In Quarry Accident
TIMARU, Last Night. One man was buried alive and two others injured, one seriously, when, without warning, several thousand tons of rock and debris fell in a quarry at the Cave lime works, 20 miles from Timaru, this morning.
The man who was buried alive was Eric Woods, married, who resided at Cave. James Gunn McVey suffered severe internal injuries, and Marcus McVey, his brother, a dislocated shoulder and head injuries.
Marcus McVey was working at the top of the cliff face 100 feet high when the face gave way. He gripped at the safety rope but missed and fell on top of the falling rock.
Woods, who was buried, was working a few feet from the bottom of the cliff and was trapped without hope of escape. James McVey was working on a tractor scoop at the foot of the cliff, and the tractor was buried 20 yards across the flat and down the bank. McVey retained his seat till the tractor came to rest at the bottom of the hank, where he was thrown a further 15 feet among willows. When found he had a large limestone rock across his groin.
A fourth man in the quarry, Alfred Kerr, escaped uninjured. -Central Hawkes Bay Press, 21/3/1939.
MAN BURIED ALIVE
CLIFF FACE FALLS IN QUARRY
TWO OTHERS HURT IN LIME WORKS ACCIDENT
(From Our Own Reporter.) TIMARU, March 20.
One man is presumed killed and two were injured, one gravely, by a fall of thousands of tons of limestone from the 100-foot face of the quarry at the Cave lime works, at 10.30 this morning.
Killed Eric Woods, married, aged 22, labourer, of Cave. The body has not yet been recovered.
Injured James Gunn McVey, single, aged about 40, internal injuries and shock.
Foreman Marcus Roderick McVey, single, younger brother of James McVey, dislocated shoulder, head injuries, and shock.
A fourth man, Murdoch Alfred Kerr, heard a warning yell from Marcus McVey, and managed to get clear, escaping injury.
The four men were working on a narrow strip of land between the Tengawai river and the quarry face, which is reached by a light railway bridge over the river from the crushing plant on the Timaru-Fairlie main highway. Eric Woods was on the face of a cliff clearing loose matter, which was picked up by a tractor scoop driven by James McVey. Kerr was about 12 feet to one side of Woods, and Marcus McVey was on top of the cliff.
Warning Given Marcus McVey felt the cliff give way, and yelled a warning to the others. Kerr heard his call and ran clear. James McVey was thrown about 40 feet, apparently through a boulder striking the tractor, which was pushed over the bank and partially destroyed. Woods was not seen again. Marcus McVey fell with the cliff face, and was buried to the waist in debris.
The injured men were taken to Timaru, and James McVey admitted to hospital. He was given a blood transfusion, and after an operation his condition was reported to be satisfactory.
Nelson McVey, youngest of the three brothers — who operated the works on contract with the South Canterbury Lime Company — and Walter Hessell were bagging lime in the works when they heard a fall. On the bridge they met Kerr, who after moving a large boulder off James McVey, was running for assistance. Marcus McVey managed to free himself.
Word of the accident was sent to Timaru immediately and the managing secretary of the company, Mr M. M. Enting, made arrangements for the urgent dispatch of heavy machinery to move the debris, in which were rocks the size of an ordinary dwelling room.
Woods had no family. He had been employed at the works at various times in the last two years, and had only recommenced on Friday last. Had a rush order not been received this morning, all six men would have been at the quarry face, which was being cleared preparatory to blasting in the afternoon. There were no explosives there at the time of the fall.
At a late hour this afternoon, machinery from Timaru had not arrived at Cave, but even with its assistance there is little likelihood of Woods being found for a day or two. It was stated that in accordance with his usual practice, James McVey had tested the whole of the face before work began this morning, and found it safe then. No further falls occurred during the day. -Press, 21/3/1939.
BODY RECOVERED
VICTIM OF QUARRY ACCIDENT
[From Our Own Reporter.] TIMARU, March 22.
The body of Eric Woods, a married man, of Cave, who was killed by a fall of limestone in the quarry of the Cave lime works on Monday morning, was recovered this afternoon. From the appearance of the body, it was evident that death must have been instantaneous. It was extricated at 5 o’clock and taken to the morgue at Timaru, where an inquest will later be held.
The condition of James Gunn McVey, who was injured in the same accident, was still serious to-night, and there had been no change in his condition during the day. -Press, 23/3/1939.
FUNERAL
WOOD. — The Friends of the late Eric Wood are respectfully informed that his Funeral will leave his mother’s residence, 39 North Street, Timaru, This Day (Thursday), March 2,. at 3 p.m., for the Timaru Cemetery. (Sewell Bros.) -Timaru Herald, 23/3/1939.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Mrs E. Wood. Mrs E. A. Wood and Family desire to express their thanks for all expressions of sympathy tendered during their recent sad bereavement.
The relatives of the late Eric Wood desire to express their gratitude to all who toiled so arduously, also to those who offered their assistance in the recovering of their loved one. -Timaru Herald, 27/3/1939.
DEATH IN FALL OF ROCK
ACCIDENT AT CAVE VERDICT GIVEN AT INQUEST
(From Our Own Reporter.) TIMARU. May 12.
“It is quite clear that he met his death by a sudden fall of rock,’’ said the Coroner, Mr H, Morgan, S.M., at the conclusion of the inquest held at Timaru to-day to investigate the circumstances of the accident at Cave on March 20 last, whereby a young man, Eric Wood, lost his life. The verdict was that Wood was killed instantly by a sudden extensive fall of rock at the quarry of the Timaru Lime Company, Ltd,, at Cave.
Sergeant R. Henry conducted proceedings for the police, Mr L. G. Cameron appeared for the widow of Wood, Mr L. M. Inglis for the General Labourers’ Union, and Mr W. H. Walton for the insurance company holding a cover over the employees of the company.
Sergeant Henry said that James McVey, one of the victims of the accident, was still seriously ill in hospital.
At 11 a.m. on March 20 a slip occurred at the quarry, completely burying and killing Eric Wood, said Marcus Frederick McVey (Cave), contractor, giving evidence. Wood had been engaged at the bottom of the quarry face shovelling soil on to a tractor. Witness started work at 7.30 a.m. with Wood, Murdoch, Alfred Kerr, and his two brothers, He was working at the top of the quarry, where a hole had been drilled into the rock to a depth of 20ft, in preparation for a shot. He “bulled” the hole about 8 o’clock, and swabbed it out about an hour later, He had inserted in the hole a full charge of dynamite, consisting of 134 plugs, and he had in his hand a fuse to which was attached the detonator inserted in a plug of explosive in readiness for insertion into the hole, when about 11 a.m., without any warning, the face gave way from under his feet. When he first felt the movement he yelled and grabbed at a rope, which, however, he could not hold. Something seemed to strike his shoulder, and he slid down with the rock, landing close to the face, where he was buried to his waist in debris. After extricating himself he saw his brother James lying by some trees near a tractor, apparently badly injured. The fall was sudden and fast, and anyone working beneath it would have a remote chance of getting away. He could give no reason for the slip, which was not caused by a premature explosion. He had been working on the quarry for some time and no similar slip had occurred. There was nothing to indicate from an examination of the face that the slip was likely to occur. His brother James always fired the shot himself. He had considerable experience in this class of work.
Evidence was also given by Montague Martin Enting, managing secretary of the company.
In answer to the Coroner, T. McMillan, inspector of quarries for the southern district, said that in his opinion the accident was caused by hidden cross facings in the quarry. -Press, 13/5/1939.
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