Outback Graves Markers

Eric James MCLERNON

Burial Location:Cue Cemetery  (details...)
Occupation: Miner
Place of Death: A water shaft (well) 3 miles east of BIG BELL Mine
Date of Death: 19 December 1936
Date of Burial:21 December 1936
Age:23 years
Cause of Death:Explosion - Severe injuries to his legs/lower parts of his torso which would have led to his death through trauma and shock within a few seconds
OGM Ref#: 2787
Headstone:OGM Aluminium
This is a photograph of plaque number 2787 for ERIC JAMES McLERNON at CUE

REF 2787 ERIC JAMES McLERNON CUE

THIS IS A PHOTO OF REF 2767 Eric James Mclernon Cue

REF 2767 Eric James Mclernon Cue

Biography

Mr McLernon was instantly killed by the explosion of several plugs of fracture soon after he had been lowered into a well near the mine for the purpose of laying charges for deepening the well.

His parents married in Bunbury in 1912 (Marriage Registration 6600011/1912, Wellington).  His siblings were: Luke born 1912 in Collie; Bruce Thomas born 1915 at Pinjarra; Ivor Joseph born 1917 in Pinjarra; Ruth Frances born 1921 in Pinjarra.

On 15 January 1937, a Coronial Enquiry was held into the circumstances surrounding the death of the miner named Eric McLernon who was killed on December 9th whilst working in a water shaft near Big Bell. The inquiry was heard by the district coroner, Colonel W. J. Mansbridge, and a jury comprising Messrs. E. Gill. J. Gribble and K. H. Wingrave.

Kocco Tasoni, the deceased man's workmate, described the happenings of the morning in question up to the time of the explosion, in which McLernon
was killed. He said that he lowered the deceased down the shaft to charge boreholes. McLernon took with him two tins containing plugs of dynamite
and primers. The primers each consisted of a plug, fuse and detonator. He also had an ordinary miner's lamp with an exposed flame.  A few minutes
after McLernon had reached the bottom of the shaft witness heard a shot and, looking down the shaft, he saw a cloud of smoke rising. Witness called
to his mate, but there was no answer.  He concluded that an accident had occurred and immediately left the scene of the occurrence, in order to obtain
assistance. 
Mr P Dorrington, who was in charge of the work, accompanied Tasoni to the shaft and made two attempts to descend, but each time he had to return on account of the fumes from the explosion. In the next attempt he managed to reach the bottom of the shaft, where he found McLernon terribly mutilated about the legs and apparently dead. The body was lying in several feet of water.
Later he examined two of the boreholes in the shaft and found that two of them had been fired, but the remaining four which McLernon had entered the shaft to charge were still empty. 
Dorrington said that the deceased might have set his lamp down close enough to inadvertently set fire to one of the fuses. The deceased would not hear the fuse burning if he was using the blowpipe to clean out other holes.
Dr. A. A. Hinchley said that death had in all probability taken place within a few seconds after the explosion. There were extensive injuries to the legs and the lower part of the trunk, which would quickly cause death through shock and haemorrhage.
After a brief retirement the jury returned a verdict of accidental death, no blame being attachable to anyone, and with this finding the coroner expressed agreement.
Parents:Ellen (later known as Nellie) Frances (nee WHELAN) and Thomas Joseph McLERNON
Spouse:Unmarried
Birth Details:Born 1913 at Collie; Birth Registration 6600555/1913, Wellington
Death Certificate:4400009/1936, Murchison
State Records Office: Eric James McLernon AU WA S59 cons3458 1937/071 Item - Part of APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS OF LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION (ORIGINALS)
Comments:The plaque for Mr McLERNON has been adopted by his niece, Beverley McLERNON.