William Hourigan, 1844-30/1/1869. "the knot had slipped"

An inquest was held yesterday, at the Junction Hotel, Ross, before Dr Beswick, the District Coroner, on view of the body of William Hourigan, who met his death in the falling of a derrick, on Saturday last. The evidence of Patrick McNamara disclosed that on Saturday the deceased was working on the top of a derrick, and had told the witness and the others engaged to haul in the slack of one of the guys. In doing so one of the ropes broke, and the derrick fell down, deceased falling with it. Witness had knotted the rope which had given way. It was the upper rope which gave way. Witness and his mates had been pulling on the lower one. Deceased was bruised on the forehead and breast, and only lived three or four minutes. Thomas Cleary stated that he had witnessed. the accident, having been at work near to it. Deceased had ascended one of the guys to the derrick-head, for the purpose of shifting a rope. He was sitting on the upper guy, when his mates pulled on the other, he having told them to take in the slack. On their doing so, the derrick fell down with deceased. Witness afterwards examined the rope, and found, from its appearance, that the knot had slipped, which caused the derrick to fall. The coroner, in summing up the case for the jury, said that he regretted that there was no Inspector of Mines, to see that mining operations were carried on without risk to life and limb. In the present instance death had been solely caused by the use of imperfect gear, and a great many accidents on the goldfields appeared to arise from the want of such an officer. The jury retired, and found a verdict of accidental death.   -West Coast Times, 2/2/1869.

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Fatal Accident. — Another fatal mining accident is reported from Ross. The victim in this case is William Hourigan, who was engaged making preparations for the erection of new poppet-heads in thE Irish republic claim, in which he was a shareholder. On Saturday at three pm he was at the top of the derrick on which his mates were tightening a guy, when suddenly the derrick fell, and with it deceased, who received a severe blow on the chest and head, and never rallied. Dr Hisking was promptly in attendance, but although the poor fellow breathed stertoriously for a few minutes, he was evidently past human aid.   -Press, 9/2/1869.

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Ross Historic Cemetery.