KILLED IN A HOLD

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 119, 21 May 1914, Page 8

KILLED IN A HOLD

A WIDOW'S CLAIM AGAINST U.S.S. COMPANY. The claim of Mrs. Lncinda Caldwell against the Union Steam Ship Company for £2000 damages as compensation for the death of her husband, Thomas Caldwell. was further heard before Mr. Justice Hoskiiig and a jury of twelve at the Supreme Court yesterday after the Post Went to press. Victor Batson stated that he was working in the same hold with Bradley and the deceased. lie also described the practice of loading and raising slings, his evidence being on similar lines to that of Bradley. Cross-examined, the witness said that personally he always looked up before leaving shelter ; but it was a common practice to judge by the sound of the winch, Alfred Heywood Stated that' he was winch-man on the Maitai when the accident happened When the sling came up the load was about two feet below the hook. The winch was stopped at the top of the hoist, and he was waiting for tho yardarm man to be ready so that he could lower away. The sling was stationary, and he suddenly saw the load walbble, the sling-load and part of the lope fell down the hold. The moment lie saw that happen he called "Under!" to the men below, loud enough to be heard. He believed he was heard. To Mr! Wilford : In his 28 years' experience, it was always the duty of the men to keep clear. The ha-tchmun always called out a warning because men diqf not always stand from under. He heard the foreman, Mr. Kerwin, give one man a forcible warning to stand from under. He was not a rope expert, but he thought a man Ought to be able to tell a bad rope at sight if it had external faults; but he liad seen a brand new sling with an ordinary load break and show no other sign of defect. If ai man went out to make up a sling before the previous one was clear, he did it at his own risk. To Mr. Gray : The gangs had plenty of time to make up. There were four gangs to serve one hook. The rope sling produced in Colin (the one which broke) 'was the worse for wear : but it should, in his opinion, 1 fiom an examination, cai ry eight sacks of superphosphates. Thomas Kenvin stated that he was liatchman at the time of th& accident. No man who had sense made up slings under the hatch while theload was going tip. He would not permit it himself in SMiy circumstances. 4Seorge G. Farland. secretary of the old Waterside Workers' Union, said that lie had never seen officers of the ships inspecting^ ropes before' they were used. The rope in use at the time of the accident was. in his opinion, perished. Judging by the external appearance of the flirtg he would use it for an ordinary weight of 12 cwt. or 14 cwt. Having made a careful examination of the rope, witness said that he would not use it for a load of 16 cwt. He thought the rope broke because a number of short ends had come together. That was a defect in the manufacture.