INCORRECT SUNG.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 134, 9 June 1938, Page 8

INCORRECT SUNG.

CORONER'S VERDICT.

DEATH OF WATERSIDER.

FORMER UNION PRESIDENT.

That a case which slipped from a sling during unloading operations on the motor vessel Aorangi on May 17 bad been improperly slung was part of the verdict returned by the coroner, Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., at an inquest held today concerning the death of Xicholai Martin Saunders, aged 65. a former president of the Waterside Workers' Union. Mr. Hunt found that Mr. Saunders bad died from a fractured skull and other injuries received when he was struck by the fa 11 mg case. Mr. W inter appeared for the relatives and Mr. J-.lliot for the Union Steam Ship Company and the Auckland Harbour Board. Sergeant Soutliworth represented the police. Mr. Saunders, who lived at 10. Coljdea Street. Newton, died in the Auckland Hospital on the day of the accident, O'corge Krnest Browij. an inspector of cargo gear for the Marine Department. said he found" the gear used ill pood condition, had the case been slung in the proper manner. In his opinion the accident was due to the hatchnien's not seeing that the load wa® properly slung. and to the men below slinging the load. There were no hard and fast rules applicable to the slinging of cargo, but one of the main features of a hatchman s job was to gee that the cargo was slung in a safe manner. W itnos stated he had carried out & reconstruction of the iingin it of th# case: this proved conclusive!*- that the method used by the men in the hatch was dangerous. The method thev had used had consisted of placing the two ends and the bight on the crane hook, thu< forming a four-legged liridle. 1 lie reconstruction also proved that the bight of the wire slipjted more ea.-ilv and agisted in the tilting of the <a<e if there was any motion. A model of the gear used and photographs of the fallen case were produced lor the coroner, who complimented the police on the way tliey had prepared the e\ idcnce. Stevedore's Evidence. Hugo Mentzer Benson, foreman stevedore. who was in charge at the time, said that he had ordered one of the men below to double the wire rope -o that th- case would dear the hold. He then walked away. It was the halehniau's job to see the cargo wa- safeh ~'.;r,g Alter the accident. witner-- a-i;c.i the hatchniaii why he liad not "reeved the wire. ]he hatchnian did not rei-lv and witness let the matter dr<>t>. oxing to the excitement at the moment. The hatehman. William I'ri-e. <aid he had >ho\ited a warning t<> indalthough lie attempted to j'.:mp ■ lear. he did not have much chance. When the ea>e was lifted it was quite level. It was slung by mie lieavv i\ redoubled round the ca-e. with t'.e tv.o ends and the centre hooked on t.> the hook of the crane. \A itnes.- opinion was that the ca~e had >li;i]ied out of the -lin" b'-cause one end of it was heavier than the other It was usual to u-f t n wir» ropes to lift cases of the wei-ht of the one that had slipped. Deceased had asked for a chain sling, witness but there wete none available and wire rope \va< in its place, lb.pe ~liu u -- had 1 u-d for other cargo lifted. The en-.- was well balanced. If it had been - the- vise he would not have sent it up fr<t'i" hold.