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Table showing Number of Deaths from Accidents at New Zealand Metal-mines and Dredges during the Years 1906 to 1914.

The following is a brief description of accidents at mining operations other than coal-mining during 1914: —

•- — Cause of Accident. Explosion Fall of ground In shafts .., ... Miscellaneous— Underground On surface About dredges 1906. 3 3 1 1907. 2 1908. 1909. 1' . r 3 2 2 I 1 1 3 1910. 2 1 5 : 1911, 1 2 1912. : "l 1 l 1913. j 1914. 5 I 3 3 1 1 6 2 3 2 ! 1 6 5 1 2 "3 4 "*2 2 "l '2 '2 Total killed ... Number of employees... „ persons killed per 1,000 employed 14 8,716 1-60 7 9,389 084 15 8,880 1-69 14 15 7,651 ' 8,121 1-83 184 5 5 ! 10 6 7,100 I 5,239 4,941 4,470 067 0-95 202 1-34

Name of Person killed, j f***^ Mino or Claim. Causo of Accident, and Remarks, i i Edward Downey .. I 17/1/14 Energetic Mine (quartz) ) Tho deceased mine-foreman was killed while picking down ground preparatory to standing a set of timber near the pass on No. 11 level, middle block. About 2 tons of dirt fell away from hanging-wall of pass, crushing his head against the cap-piece and killing him instantly. The jury brought in the following verdict: " The fatality occurred by a fall of stone in No. 11 level," with a rider that tho manager's orders, which were disregarded, should in future bo more strictly observed. This fatality occurred in the company's hydro-electric power-house at Kanieri Forks. The body of this youth was found partly inside the danger-guards, consisting of a fence 5 ft. 3 in. high covered with wire netting which guards the lightning-arrester. It is believed by some that he was practical joking with a syringe, the water therefrom coming in contact with a live wire, transmitting tho current to his body. The Coroner found that the deceased was killed by an electric shock, but that there was no evidence to show how the fatality occurred. Tho deceased was scalded to death at the works of the New Zealand Sulphur Company, White Island, by the bursting of a east-iron retort used for steaming the sulphur. The east-iron retort, which had only been in use six weeks, was originally IJ in. in thickness, but owing to the extremely acid water (containing 5-47 per cent, hydrochloric acid) the metal had wasted to in. The jury returned a verdict that the fatality occurred through a defect in a retort, and added that there should be some means of communication between the mainland and White Island.* After firing two shots in a stope under 8 ft. in height the deceased and his mate returned and worked the loose rock down ; later, when shovelling the broken quartz into a pass, about 1 ton fell, striking deceased on the back. The jury brought in a verdict that the accident occurred by a fall of rock, and that, no blame was attachable to any one, with a rider that in future the hanging-wall shall not be broken or shot down as a means of filling in the stopes. Reminyi SarginsonJ 11/5/14 Ross Mine (alluvial) . . John L. Williams .. 18/5/14 White Island (sulphurworks) Enos Page Marks .. | 24/9/14 j Watchman Mine (quartz) * At White Island, on the 11th September, 1914, ; fall of about 4 chains of a cliff 600 ft. in height occurred, th as the Blowhole, which subsequently erupted with extrei island, and hurled out to sea all the eleven inhabitants o: or of the company's plant and buildings being discernible, by the Inspector of Mines, Mr. Bonnie, in a report shortly no legal authority to order the men to leave the island. Tlii as it did not occur when the men were at work, and was an i at about 2.30 a.m., as the rosult of an earth-tremor, a ho debris blocking up the great active thermal crater known sine violence, considerably changing the topography of the if the island —the company's employees—no trace of whom The danger of living upon this weird island was referred to ' prior to the calamity ; but being freehold property he had lis disaster is not included in the list of fatal mining accidents, act of God.