Riverton Notes
FATAL ACCIDENT.
Word was received here on Monday afternoon that a serious accident had happened in Dunedin to a well-known ex-resident in the person of Mr. William Hopwood, a ganger on the railway at Dunedin. Mrs. Hopwood and family, who reside here, received word of the accident, but no particulars were given, and a later message announced the sad fact that the unfortunate man had succumbed to the injuries. On receipt of the information Mrs. Hopwood immediately proceeded north.
“Bill” Hopwood, as he was more familiarly called, was for many years on the local branch of the railway, being engaged as a surfaceman. Some time back he was promoted to ganger, and left to fill his new duties, the family deciding to remain at the seaside. A smart and intelligent man, he made many friends with the public and his fellow workmen, all of whom will regret to hear of his untimely demise. To his wife and family the sympathy of a large circle of friends will be extended in their bereavement. -Southland Times, 30/11/1927.
THE BLASTING TRAGEDY
INQUEST ON DECEASED WORKMEN
INJURIES ACCIDENTALLY RECEIVED
The inquest on Andrew Kydd and William Hopwood, the two victims of the blasting fatality at the Burkes new railway construction works, was held this morning before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, coroner.
Evidence was given by Charles Gardiner Wilson, assistant railway engineer, and also by Duncan McArthur and Charles Rendall Anthony, two members of deceased’s gang.
Charles Gardiner, assistant railway engineer, produced a plan of the scene of the work at Burkes, where the deceased men were employed at the time of the accident. He stated that Hopwood was picked up 30ft from where the blasts exploded, and that Kydd was 15ft away. Hopwood was directly in charge of the gang, and would have decided on his own shots.
Duncan McArthur, laborer, stated that he was employed at the deviation works. On November 28 he was working in a gang of five, which included Hopwood. During the afternoon Hopwood had bore three boles in the face, and at about 4.14 be fired those shots. Prior to Hopwood’s charging the holes, Kydd had arrived with the gelignite and detonators. Witness assisted Hopwood to charge the holes. The charging consisted of powder. It was bulled by a small piece of gelignite, thus the explosive power of tlio blast would be increased. The country there consisted of clay and loose boulders. When Hopwood gave the warning to clear four men and witness went to a safety zone about 200yds away, Hopwood and Kydd going in another direction. They would be in perfect safety about 100yds away from the shots. From the positions taken up neither party could see the holes, and in order to determine whether the blasts had gone off or not they had to go by the sound of the explosions. They heard two blasts, and from where witness was they saw Hopwood and Kydd start moving towards the face. Anthony and witness also moved forward, because when they saw Hopwood going forward they thought that the shots must have gone off; they took their cue from him. As the deceased were closer to the face they reached it before the rest of the men, who heard the other explosion when they were about 50yds away. They then walked to the face, and, on looking over the bank saw Kydd lying half submerged in the water. Witness said he was not experienced in the use of explosives. He could not say how far the deceased were from the face when the third explosion occurred. They had time to reach the face.
Charles Rendall Anthony, a laborer, residing at Ross street, Ravensbourne, stated that on November 28 he was working with others on the face where the accident took place. Hopwood and Kydd were in the gang, Kydd having come on in the afternoon. Witness saw Hopwood charging the shots, but did not notice what he charged them with. All the men retired to a safety zone. Hopwood, having fired the fuses, was the last to leave the face. In the company of Kydd he went to a point about a chain and a-half away, the other men taking up a position in another place of safety. Witness had no view of the shots from where he was, nor could he see the deceased. After two shots had gone off witness saw the deceased returning towards the shots. At that time witness was satisfied that three shots had not gone off. He was in a position to warn them, but as Hopwood was such a careful man he considered a warning unnecessary. The men with witness had also started to walk towards the shots, and had covered half the distance before the third shot went off. When he saw Hopwood and Kydd walking towards the shots he expected they would have waited in a small face where they would have been safe.
Witness said that he was not experienced in the use of explosives, and was entirely guided by the instructions of Hopwood. The wounds on deceased were all on the face and head, which showed that the two men had been close up to the shot. It was like the action of a shot gun; the explosion had not had time to spread. When witness got to the face he saw Kydd lying in the water. He pulled him on to the bank, and afterwards found that Hopwood had been blown nearly under the temporary bridge. When he picked Kydd up ho was satisfied he was dead; the injuries to his head were severe. Hopwood was badly injured in the face; witness could not say whether or not he was conscious. Kydd was lying about 48ft from the face, and Hopwood about 30ft away. The two men must have been standing pretty well in front of the blast, and received the full force of it. Between the first two explosions and the last there was an interval of about thirty seconds. Arrangements were at once made for the ambulance, and the men were removed as quickly as possible.
The Coroner, in summing up, stated that Hopwood was in charge of the work. He was an experienced and competent man, holding a quarryman’s certificate, and was spoken of as being a very careful man. How the accident had happened was clear enough. Hopwood, in the company of Kydd, went back to the face before the third explosion had gone off. It was hard in understand why Hopwood, a careful man, came to commit such a very serious oversight and return to the face before the explosions had gone off. There was no evidence to show why he had done so, and the reason for the oversight was only a matter of speculation. The verdict in each case would he that death was duo to injuries accidentally received through an explosion of blasting material on the railway construction works at Burkes. -Evening star, 5/12/1927.
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