FATAL ACCIDENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XI, Issue 3994, 31 August 1874, Page 3

FATAL ACCIDENT.

Another fatal accident has to be chronicled, the unfortunate person who has been deprived of life being William Gribble, aged about thirty-six years, a shipwright by trade. The deceased was in the employment of Mr. D. Gouk, master shipwright, and was engaged with his employer, on Saturday morning, effecting some repairs on board tbe ketch Clematis, then lying on the gridiron. The vessel had been found to leak from a defective part in her centre-board well, and to get at the leak it became necessary to lower the centre-board, for the purpose of unshipping it. The deceased proceeded to attempt this by applying the handle to the winch, by which means the centre-board is either raised or lowered, the pin holding the board having been first removed. Mr. Gouk, knowing its great weight (1A tons), called to deceased and told him to wait until he was ready to lend assistance. The deceased replied lie could manage it himself, and the words were hardly out of his mouth when Mr. Gouk saw him struck senseless to the deck by the iron handle, and having a fearful gash in his forehead, just over tTio left eye, from which the blood flowed copiously. The poor fellow had been overpowered by the weight of the centreboard, and, being unable to retain his hold of the handle, it had flown round with great velocity, aud struck him on the head as described. Assistance was at once procured and medfeal aid scut for, the deceased being at once conveyed to his resideuce in Lorne-strcet, upon one of the vessel's hatches. Dr. Hartmann, having examined the wound, pronounced the sufferer past human skill. His skull was dreadfully fractured by the force of the unfortunate blow. The accident occurred at about seven o'clock in the morning. The sufferer lingered on until nine o'clock yesterday morning, when death put an end to his sufferings. The sad part of the story is, that the deceased, who was a sober, steady man, leaves a wife and seven young children to lament their loss in his untimely end. The deceased was a member of the Ed-wardes-street Chapel. His father was one of the pioneer settlers at New Plymouth, having arrived in that province in 1542. The deceased was generally known by the name of Bacon, being a stepson of Mr. Bacon, formerly of the Oddfellows' Arms, Chancerystreet. He had been in Mr. Gouk's employ about two mouths. Subscription lists will be at once opened for the relief of the widow and orphans. We shall be happy to receive subscriptions on their behalf at this ollice. An inquest will bo held on the body of deceased this afternoon, at the Greyhound Hotel. The funeral will leave his late residence, Lornj-street, shortly after three o'clock. Notices appear in another part of this paper requesting the members of the Independent Order of Recliabites to assemble at the Temperance Hall, Albert-street; also the brothers aud sisters of the Sir Henry Haveloek Lodge, 1.0. G.T., to meet at the lodge-room, Ed-wardes-street, at three o'clock, for a similar purpose.