Individual Notes
Note for: Christine Muir, -
Index
Individual Note: *Latter Day Saints IGI Individual Record shows Robert Smith, Spouse: Christina Muir, Marriage: 10/8/1834, Shotts, Lanark, Scotland, Reference: Batch No: M116555, Dates: 1820 - 1855, Source Call No: 1066606, Type: Film, Printout: 6901497*
Individual Notes
Note for: Christina Brown, 1871 - 13 AUG 1892
Index
Burial: Date: 15 AUG 1892
Place: Orowaiti Cemetery, South Island, New Zealand
Individual Note: *Marriage Details Date: 1890, Folio No: 2363, Names: Christina Brown and John Muir*
*Death Details Date: 1892, Folio No: 1396, Area: Buller, Westport, September quarter*
Buller Council Records show Catherine? Brown, Date of Death: None Listed, Date of Burial: 15/8/1892, Aged: 21, Cemetery: Orowaiti, Old River Side, Plot: 245
Death Certificate show When and Where: 13/8/1892, Denniston, Christina Muir, Aged: 21, Cause of Death: Severe Burn, 19 days, ? Exhaustion, 4 days, Medical Attendant: J? Reid, When Last Saw Deceased: 13/8/1892, Father: John Brown, Occ: Miner, Mother: Ellen Brown nee Smith, When and Where Buried: 15/8/1892, Orawaiti, Minister: W. Layarolk?, ? Methodist, Where Born: Shotts, Scotland, How Long In New Zealand: 8 years, Where Married: Denniston, Age When Married: 19, To Whom: John Muir, Issues: Females: 2 and 1/2 years and 15 months, Informant: John Brown, Present at Death, Denniston
Individual Notes
Note for: John Muir, ABT 1866 - 26 OCT 1910
Index
Burial: Date: 30 OCT 1910
Place: Orowaiti Cemetery, South Island, New Zealand
Individual Note: *Marriage Details Date: 1890, Folio No: 2363, Names: Christina Brown and John Muir*
Buller Council Records show John Muir, From Scotland, Date of Burial: 30/10/1910, Aged: 44, Occ: Coal Miner, Cemetery: Orowaiti, Plot: No 1 Brown's plot
Probate Record shows John Muir, Place: Denniston, Date of Death: 26/10/1910, Court: Wellington, Archives Reference: AAOM 6029 13317, Probate No: 133317, Date Filed: 9/12/1910, Type: Intestate (Letters of Administration), Archives NZ, Wellington
Probate gives no other details but his name and date of death
Coroners Inquest details Name: John Muir, Date: 1910, Agency: J, Series: 46, No: 1132, Archives NZ, Wellington, unsure if correct one?
The Greymouth Star 27th October 1910 shows
A Mining Accident
Men Killed By Fall Of Earth
(By Telegraph - Per Press Association)
Westport, Oct, 26.
A big fall of earth and stone in the Woodend section of the Westport Coal Coy's Denniston mine occured late this aftrenoon, burying two men, Jack Muir (an old resident, and a widower, with a married daughter in Sydney, and a single daughter at Petone, Wellington) and Jim Bowers, a single man, who has taken a prominent part in local boxing.
Relief parties were at once organised, but their efforts to get near the scene of the accident were impeded by further falls of stone.
The accident occured in old workings, from which for the past two years men have been engaged removing the pillars. Miners are now at work clearing away the fall, which is believed to cover several chains of tunnel.
This is understood to be the first double fatality that has occured in the Westport Coy's mines.
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The Greymouth Star 28th October 1910
The Denniston Fatality
The Bodies Not Yet Recovered
(By Telegraph - Per Press Association)
Westport, October 27
Men have been at work day and night clearing the fall away in the Woodend section of the Westport Coal Coy's Denniston Mine, where the accident causing the death of two men occured yesterday. The workers have reached the coal tubs, without discovering the bodies of the two missing men. It is now necessary to strengthen the fall before proceeding further. Mr Dixon anticipates recovering the bodies tomorrow.
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Westport, This Day
Since the fall in the Woodend Bridge section of the Coal-Brookdale Colliery on Wednesdy afternoon burying Muir and Bowers, work was continously preceeding with towards the recovery of the bodies, but up to noon they had not been reached.
A new cut in the solid had to be made to approach the scene of the accident and timbered all the way. The coal output from the mine has been suspended.
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The Greymouth Star 29th October 1910
The Denniston Fatality
(By Telegraph - Pre Press Association)
Bodies Still Buried
Westport, Oct, 28
Up till half-past eleven tonight no word has been received of the recovery of the bodies of Muir and Bowers, the victims of the accident in the Woodend section of the Denniston mine.
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Westport, This Day
The bodies of Muir and Bowers, buried by the roof falling in Coalbrookdale mine on Wednesday, were recovered this morning at 2.15 and 6.45. They were apparently smothered without warning.
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The Greymouth Star 31 October 1910
The Denniston Fatality
Tribute To Recovery Party
(By Telegraph - Per press Assocation)
Westport, Oct 30
At the inquest on Saturday touching the death of John Muir and James Bowers, victims of the fall of coal and stone in the Wooden Bridge section of the Westport Coal Company's mines, a verdict was returned that death was accidental, no blame attachable to anyone.
The evidence went to show that a fall of earth that could not have been forseen had occured. Apparently a fall took place part covering Bowers, towards wher Muir must have been making to free him, when Muir found himself was overtaken by a further fall and asphyxiated.
Mr Rawson, S.M. Coroner, in addressing the jury, said the men who worked the recovery party had upheld the best traditions of the British moner. He believed that anyone of them would have risked his life to save a fellow worker.
The jury, Mr Marshall (Inspector of Mines), and Mr Dixon (the Westport Coal Company's District Manager) endorsed the Coroner's remarks, and stated that the miners had worked in a mist heronic manner.
This afternoon the funeral of the victims of the Denniston mine fatality, Bowers and Muir took place, the cortege being a very length one, with the Westport Garrison Band in attendance playing the funeral marches Rev. T Miller M.A., Presbyterian Minister, impressively conducted the funeral service.