DEATH FROM DROWNING.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 22, 26 July 1911, Page 3

DEATH FROM DROWNING.

The City Coroner, Dr\ M'Arthur, 8.M., held an enquiry at £he Morgue yesterday afternoon into the circumstances of the drowning of Edward Colton, an old age pensioner, who walked ovar the edge of the Eana Bay Wharf on Monday night. The evidence was to the effect that after disembarking from the ferry steamer Duchess, defieaeed was observed to stagger towards the edge of the, wharf and fall over, before ho could be reached, livery thing that <!oul« bo done was don© speedily to recover the body, There, were no light* on, the end of 'th« wharf. It was aleo given, in evidence that, deceased had appeared un««teady oft the boat on the way over. 'fh« medical testimony was to the effect that deceased died probably of shock caused by falling into tho water, In giving a. verdict in accordance with the nwdical evidence, the Coroner said that tbo Ferry Company's officials were to be commended for what they did it* immediately setting to and recovering the body, which appeared to have been, done very promptly indeed. At the earns time some enquiry should bo made into the fact that had been shown in evidence— that there w&s, no li#s» on, the wnd of the wharf—specially as it wae such a bleak, cold, dark, and rainy nigbi. In his 'opinion it was a podi'Ve danger to the life c-f anyone landing /rota the ateamer on art tiahghtcd wharf. He recommended that the> poJica make $8 as^wxjav^gaitiojufj, "' -~"^