Missing fingers

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DescriptionMISSING FINGERS
For every death and serious injury suffered in the mines, there were many minor wounds. These ranged from lost fingers to heel lacerations caused by coal dust in boots. There were numerous court sequels as victims sought compensation from the mine owners. After hearing two finger amputation cases on consecutive days in 1959, Judge D. Dalglish commented on the peculiar tendency for Wallsend miners to suffer in that way. He said there had been seven cases among the 126 Wallsend workers since 1954, while the other 3,069 mine workers in the rest of New Zealand had lost just five fingers between them. But he found insufficient evidence to support the Mines Department, claim that the injuries had been deliberately inflicted, and awarded compensation and costs to both men. The comments must have caused a few smiles among men who had worked in quartz mines. There, “docking a prong” was a common method of raising a bit of quick capitalContributorTony Kokshoorn

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Missing fingers

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