COLLAPSE Of COILS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 87, 14 April 1931, Page 10

COLLAPSE Of COILS.

"BOLTS INTERFERED WITH." MAN CRUSHED TO DEATH. AOCIBENT. AT FREEZING WORKS. After' a 'searching inquiry .into the death of John Patrick Logan, married, 48, who was killed when a heavy condensing coil at the Auckland Farmers ; Freezing Company's, premises at; Kings ; wharf fell on .him on March, 5. the Mr. F. K. Hunt,; S.M., returned i verdict of accidental, death yesterday afternoon. / " •'There is no doubt, that the nuts and bolts on the condenser were interfered with by someone," remarked the coroner, 'and the only conclusion I can come to is that the unfortunate man himself must have- touched them." James Stoddarfc Thomas, chief engineer f oi- the Auckland Farmers' Freezing Company, said that at the time of the accident four, men- including Logan,, were engaged ''. fitting up a condensing- plant, an<i Logan was the fitter in charge. About 2 p.m. witness inspected the place where the men were working and found that twelve condensing coils were standing about eighteen • inches: apart. The men were . placing the .coils in correct alignment. Witness was later told that the coils had fallen. When he arrived he .found Logan and another man pinned between two coils, which weighed about a ton. each. . Three anchor bolts held the plant together and within a quarter of an hour of the accident, the nuts were properly screwed up, said witness. After theaccident one bolt with the nut off was in the standard, while the other two bolts were found on the ground. Witness paid the only conclusion he could come to was that the nuts had been removed. . Mr. Hunt: But who would remove them? Witness: I have no idea; only a lunatic' would touch them. Mr..J. F. W. Dickson: There are two people who are always in the wrong— the absent and the dead. Mr. Hunt: That is human nature. Other witnesses spoke of the interference with the bolts that held the coils to the "concrete wall. Mr. Hunt found that Logan died from injuries^received through a condenser p<iib<^%fl e ritally -falling on him. The .j-oner said there was no doubt that the i;oit» and nuts had been interfered with. There; was no evidence, however, to the matter.