A private telegram received in town today stated that Mr Percy Valpy met with an accident at Glenorchy yesterday, and died this morning from the injuries received. -Evening Star, 8/12/1908.
INQUEST.
An inquest into the circumstances of the death of Mr Percy Valpy, who lost his life on Monday, 7th inst., when working in Valpy Bros', sluicing claim at Precipice Creek, was held by Coroner Hotop at Glenorchy on Wednesday last. After the body had been viewed the following evidence was given:
Frederick Fnlton Valpy, being sworn, said: I am a miner residing at Glenorchy. The deceased was my brother and I identify the body viewed as my brother. We were working together in a claim at Precipice Creek for gold; he was not a miner by occupation but he has been working with us off and on for 3 years. We were working together on Monday morning last, the 7th December. About 5 minutes after we commenced to work a bush slip occurred; we were working in a gorge creek, one side of which was precipitous, the other covered with bush forest of undersized timber — l0in to 1ft in diameter. The rock banks were about 20ft on either side, above which on one side was the timber. We had been working in the creek since 1st July. No slip had occurred before. It was open working. I believe that the slip occurred owing to the heavy rain on Sunday night. We had just a little break to cover in a tail race. We considered that in case of a slip we could jump into the tail race, which was 5ft high. The ground seemed good, solid ground. Percy and I were working in the claim on Monday morning and about 5 minutes after starting I said to deceased I had better go and get a shovel as we were preparing to wash up. I just stepped into the wall of the tail race when the slip suddenly occurred. It caught the wire cable used for winching, which, catching me by the neck, threw me out of danger. As soon as I jumped up deceased called out "Quick, Fred, I am jammed." I ran forward to him and found him jammed at the mouth of the tailrace against the tailbed about the region of the chest. The creek was filled up for a distance of 60ft and to the depth of 8 or 12ft. Trees and timber coming down he said to me "Get an axe and cut the timber quickly." As I turned away I noticed about 40 heads of water coming along on top of the slip towards deceased. I jumped behind him to shelter him from the water, covering his head with my coat. I called out for my brother Ernest, who came running down, to bring sacks and canvas to keep the stream off, but even then the water was over a foot over his head. After the water subsided below his chest we commenced sawing away the timber, which being done we removed the timber and tried to pull him out. He was alive or conscious all the time. Being unable to pull him out we fastened him in this position with ropes. M y brother and I then got under the water in order to find out what was holding him fast and found his right leg and foot caught behind the handle of a sluice fork. After sawing it off in two places we again tried to pull him out but did not succeed. My brother Len then decided to ran for help. I again tried to find out under the water what held him and found he was held by the ankle by a stick in front and a heavy stone on the heel, which I also did not succeed in removing on account of the large quantity of water. We then got in again and removed the stick from his ankle and got the body out, but life was extinct. I think he died about 2 hours before he was got out and that he died from the shock of cold and exposure. He was a fairly strong man, 33 years of age, married, no family, and a native of New Zealand. I consider we used the necessary precautions in working the claim. I have had 10 or 12 years' experience in mining, and I have had no accident before.
A verdict in accordance with the foregoing statement was returned, viz, that deceased's death was due to shock from cold and exposure before he could he extricated from the position in which he was pinned by the slip.
The funeral, which took place shortly after the inquest, was a large one, the Rev. James Wilson conducting the service at the grave in a most impressive manner. -Lake Wakatip Mail, 15/12/1908.
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