TERRIBLE EPISODE

Northern Advocate, 12 October 1934, Page 5

TERRIBLE EPISODE

YOUTH burned to DEATH TRAPPED IN BOILER. 1 RESCUE ATTEMPT FAILS. V? (Special to “Northern Advocate.”)’ AUCKLAND, This Day. A grim tragedy occurred at Freeman’s Bay yesterday .afternoon, when a young apprentice, "Stuart Simpson, j aged 17, was trapped in a marifie boiler and burnt to death as the..result,..of his clothing catching fire. The youth was working in the boiler, which stands in the yard of his employers, Mason Bros. Erigineerihg Company, Ltd., Pakenham Street, Freeman’s Bay. A brave attempt at rescue by Mr ,G. H. Mason was unsuccessful. Mr Mason suffered burns on both.arms, and managed to escape from .the boiler , when almost overcome by fumes and heat. Stuart Simpson lived at Ring Terrace, Herne Bay, and .was the eldest son!of Mr and Mrs R. A. Simpson, Pulham Road’ Warkworth. The boiler was used in the motor vessel Pukeko when she Was a steamer, but for some time past it has stood in the yard of Mason Bros.’ premises .as a storage tank for oxygen. The bi- . ennial examination of the boiler by a Government inspector was‘due, to take place yesterday, and the oxygen- was t therefore drained, out on Wednesday. A manhole in the top of the 'boiler ; was Opened yesterday morning,’ ‘llnd about 4 p.m., one of the. engineers, Mr , George Franklin,'and Stuart Simpson, entered to lay sacks about, the inside to facilitate the inspection. . The apprentice ‘ went' first,. Vand climbed down the. chutes., arid , stays until he was near the bottom, of .the boiler. He , was followed by, .Mr Franklin. They had no , lights with them, and it is presumed that, Simpson struck a match to see where to . place the sacks. . •• 1 . . ’,!■ Burst of Flame. ...

Without warning,. there came'a burst of v flame., from'! where the apprentice was standing, and the flames reached up to Mr Franklin, - near the ; top of the boiler. He ifnmedlateiy climbed, out and down the ladder, in search of a' bucket ol’water; 'arid-'pall-ed for help, - ■•wv-.-v 7

One-'of the proprietors, -Mr- G. H. ' Mason,, hastened up the- 1 ladder-and ■ looked through' the manhole,'" ''from • where he could see the youth held upright by the tubes with - his clothes ablaze. He. called out to the staff- be- . low to hand him'a sack', and Wfigglted f through the manhole in ah ‘ eff save the apprentice. ■ -------W

“I extinguished a piece. of rope that, was blazing just inside the manhole, and then slipped down by Simpson,” * Mr Mason said. “There Was so little room inside, however, that I could not wrap the sack round him as' ! I ihser*d- 1 ed. The boy was a-mass; of."flames, ; : and as soon as I reached him, my-own clothes caught‘fire. T had'"to climb ■ out hurriedly.”By the time Mr Mason had climbed i to safety, other 1 members of'the staff were on top of the boiler With buckets : of water, which were poured doWn the manhole, and the flames quickly • extinguished.;, ‘ ,' I .... Life Extinct;.;• i A St. John ambulance, a doctor, and /’ the police, .were summoned, and on their arrivari an effort Was "madeto recover ' the; body. ; .Owing 'to" ’ the v fumes • inside the; boiler,- ■ however, it was impossible for.any one to enter, ,v and another; manhole near: the bottom ; was opened, and compressed air cir- • ■ culated for. some time.- Finally one, of the staff' climbed ‘down from the top, and tied a, rope about the body‘ which ; ; was drawn up through the manhole. It was lowered to the ground, and examination showed. that-.the youth was dead.,',' "r,.;:.V. Mr Mason, whose arms Were dressed by the St., John ambulance driver, stated later that although was ']■ not inflammable, anything' set'alight in a container ,in Which traces of oxygen remained, would burn, imuch. -more < fiercely than in ordinary 'atmosphere. There was. little doubt that" the youth Wasquickly/burned .to"death'.• - ■ Stuart Simpson, who hgd been ’em- f. ployed by t the .firm for, less ! thgn a year, ; Was .'well known in .the Wark- , v worth district, where his lather .is a fa farmer, ~Hh had played for .the..Wark- y worth junior. Rugby 1 fifteen,‘‘and - took’ a keeh'uhteresfc-'in’ ciflc&et' and' ■ V other branches of. sport while attend- { ing the - Warkworth ' District High >

School, in which he passed matriculation about two years agoi An inquest, will- be opened today. : ,