THE LIFT FATALITY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 640, 18 October 1909, Page 8

THE LIFT FATALITY.

.' ■ ;'NO/BLAME : ATTACHABLE.; r ;.. The inquiry'into ' <fie".'.> death of Thomas Donovan, who waa killed in "Winder's lift on Thursday evening, \ was -.resiiined' by ■ Dr. M Arthur, S.U.I at-the'Magistrate's Court on Saturday morning. , Mr.. A'. Gray' represented • : Mr. Geo: Winder, Mr. E. H. D. Bell' the deceaseds' family, Mr. B. Brosni the South British Insurance Company/and Sergeant Dale the police: , •'■ ■ ; \ - ■ -'"■. '■' ■•■ • < ■■•.'.• ■.•:■. >■■■-■ Thos. Archibald, assistant' storeman, gave evidence as to the condition of the lift -ihd the doors leading to the,lift .well-, on >iich floor. He knew nothing of the occurrence until 'the next morning. He arrived 'at '8- o'clock, shortly after which he was instructed by Mr. Campbell, thorstoreman, to.go.tp the engine-room at the top' to ha.ve a look if. the plumb was all right.'.-This is two' little hammers, which: the lift .touches.\:lt had. elecfric' wires leading ; to it; The'plumb. wks:all. right.- When he was there the storeman asked'him what was "that white-thing" 'sticking out.v.\oir looking 'down he saw on the fourth floor a'hand and-part of a-head,.and he;sang:odt that it looked like the, body of Ddnovflni • On going down to -he fourth - -floor .he;; saw' a - hospital'- bed ■. against the door,of the lift. The.bed'was taken away, the door; opened,, and; he saw-, the body.of: a .man. with Ins head, between 'the weights 'and' an iron-bar.. Hβ called out: "It's Tom Donovan!" After.that he went downstairs,; and went" on with, his duties;:. ;. ■ .... . ...

By Sergeant Dale: He,was sure .'he had bolted tho lift door on the-fourth; floor. It Hid not.., strike 1 him ';m strange that the bed. (fas , found.against,the door after he had bolted it. By Mr. .•Gray:'.',Someone was sent' up every evening to .see that, all the lift doors were shut, —they .were, only opened when goods for a particular Hat were being handled.. Ho,knew that, the. lift was, not working that evening! The lift had. stuck before, through the hammers being out.of order. % : . ■,•,.'; ...•''.■ Bjr Mr..Brown;;, Donovan. : could;-only . iave got. in. the position ho was. by walking- round the ■ plank, or ■ scantling. on the inside of 'the.well. . "'. i ',- ■ .. : .".. :■• •■• ..■.„-,' ■:..;, _'■,'■ 'BrMr,. Bell sSomeone must have been" ,up.and unbolted ; the ,door . after, he, had bolted it.. to ...allow. Donovan . in.. : The . bed must hay.o been ,put against the door, from Hie outside." It was .impossible for-Donovan, to have gqt.wbero he was without, the assistance of someone .'.else.: : ",.-".. ',''■' •■'•' ,: •■'■ By Mr. Gray: If was possible .that Donovan went up in the lift, and ttieniby getting: i'ut',' going ronnd the scantling and-pulling the wire, could' have sent it down a^ain.• 'Then 'when he wanted; to : go down ngaih 'he could have, got it up in. the.same , way. ' ' '. ' ' Mr. B. Brown :■ It is ; possible, that the second time he would be leaning put todo this'(got the lift up-by. pulling' the wire), ho forgot the counter-woights and -was "trapped! •; ':' ' ■ Geo. -Irons, - ,'jronnionger, ' gave."•evidence as to Donovan,being reported missing, and the search made:for hiin. : Between 6 p.m. and.ii.3o'. p.m;- on Thursday he was on the'fourth floor, and finding- the lift. door slightly open, he, saw that the'lift was Sown, closed the-.do'or, and placed a mattrass-"against ; it. -It. was • part' of. hisduties tb' see that all; the doors' we're closed, and he did so on! Thursday.'evening.' On that oveninc he-walked to the top floor'and ihon came down'to the fourth , floor; when'he saw tho door sliglitlv" open. When ho looked into the well ho could see nothing,-as. it',was pitch dark.- He heard-no .noise;whcn he:looked into tnn wnll; ■ . ■■■.'•■-.■ ■ ' •' •'• (Jonstabilo Griffiths evidence': as to the finding of thebddy.' "■', ,;" ■'' "' ".;■''. .'.. i ■ Chas. ; 'H;" '. Jcnsoni' electrician, \ gave avideiicoas to releasing thc'',body by working -.ho lift, which was in a hon'-running positioriwhen .he arrived. ... .' '■■-..

-,'M.r. Kydd, Inspectoi:.;of Machinery, gave corroborative evidence. .' .- : ! •■" ... 1

:In summing:up,. Dr.- M' Arthur snicl that evidently: deceased . hud been' •: attemptirig ;to bring' up- the lift so that 1 ho might descend in' : it'instead-of .walking down."' Unfprtunatoly, he had:'been. successfiU' in working- the. lift, but had not taken' intd 'account tho desecriding weights, which. had pinned him down and .'so brought'about tho: fatality;; Death', had been caused by. raisadvonture, bro.ught about by an attempt.oh the part of,tho : deccasod'to A operate the lift on, his. own 'behalf; > and no' blame .wiis attanhablo to .anyone in 'Mr. Winder's 'estabhsutnenti -. -.. '■.-.■■ :.;■<■■•: .•■•,■•:■■■.■■■ ~..-;■