THE CORNWALL FATALITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 148, 23 June 1908, Page 6

THE CORNWALL FATALITY.

COEONEK-S' INQUEST. : An inquest on the body of Edward Doherty; who was -kitied on. the s.s. Cornwall on ■ Saturday, • was opened yesterday afternoon. Mr. F. E. Baume, K.C., watched r the" proceedings for ±he a gents; and owners of the Cornwall, and: Mr. ifcVeagh for the stevedores, Messrs. Nearing and Company. Reuben Webster, a snow jack, employed on the liner, who had just left deceased's ■ side at the rime of the accident, in the course of a description of the occurrence, stated that the man only lived a.couple of minutes. Had the witness not moved, he, too, would probably have been caught by the spar. There was no warning of tie accident; the spar came down by a peal of thunder. " . Albert St. Clair White, a partner in the firm of Nearing and Co., stevedores, who superintended the rigging of the derrick, said that it was inota part of ■the snip's appliances. It was -a special derrick for lifting heavy weights. ■ The Cornwall had not a heavy-liffc derrick fitted in the ship, and the spar was kept lor sucn cases. Sixteen men and a foreman were employed, in the erection. The shoe into which the spar fitted was also ihe property of Nearing and Co. One end of the shoe was secured to the mast by lashing, and fhe other end by two tackles. Four men were engaged on - -Friday afternoon, getting things ready and making the shoe secure. The shoe and derrick had been used conjointly for ten years. The boiler which was being lifted weighed six tons IScwt.. The derrick iad lifted over 17 tons. The rope used in the lashing was brand new. The derrick had been -bearing the whole weight of the boiler for about a-quarter of aa hour, and the boiler was gently guided clear of the ship, and was almost landed -on the wharf when the forward bolt on the port side gave way, and caused the accident. Albert Whyte, partner in the firm of Nearing and Co., stevedores, stated that he superintended the putting up of the derrick that morning. It was their own property, and was used lor vessels not having gear sufficiently strong to lift heavy weights. The derrick was put up by a gang of Iβ men and an experienced foreman, and iiic shoe was securely fixed by lashing iG lis mast and by two tackles, port It was the port for'ard !?*_' ,-i carried away, causing the siioe to * evolve, and letting the spar loose. The gear had been in use for ten years, and this lift was the first on this occasion. The boiler being lifted ■weighed 6 tons IS rvrt. . There had never been, during his knowledge of the past six years, any casualties by the derrick. The derrick had had the whole weight of the lift for a quarter of an hour before the bolt broke, the boiler being clear of the ship and almost landed on the wharf. The gear was successfully -used that morning. Captain William Thomas Howell, master of the Cornwall, stated that he had been satisfied that the gear was adequate * to do the work required of it, and that care to avoid accident had been taken. Henry Wetherilt, Government surveyor of ships and inspector of machinery. testified that there had been no neglect in the erection of. the derrick. The gear was capable of lifting three times "the weight but for the bolt which snapped. The jury, in returning a verdict of accidental death, provided that there was no blame attachable to anyone. The funeral of the late Edward Dbherty took place at Waikumete yesterday morning. The ship's company followed in the procession, among them being Captain Howell. The officers and crew, with whom Doherty had been popular, have subscribed sufficient money to provide a headstone for their comrade's grave.