CALLIOPE DOCK ACCIDENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13347, 29 November 1906, Page 5

CALLIOPE DOCK ACCIDENT.

. ANOTHER DEATH. OPENING OF THE INQUEST. INSPECTION OP THE DOCK. Upon inquiry at the hospital last evening it was learned that James Mayall, an elderly man, injured in the Calliope Dock accident, died during the afternoon. He became unconscious during the previous night, and never rallied. Smith, whose injuries are very serious, was getting on fairly well, and the rest of the injured were making steady progress towards recovery. The chairman of the Harbour Board (the Hon. E. Mitchelson), the engineer (Mr. W. H. Hamer), and the secretary (Mr. J. M. Brigham). paid a visit to the Calliope Dock yesterday morning. The chocks upon which the Mamari had rested were thoroughly inspected, and were found in exactly the same condition as described in the Herald yesterday. So far as could be seen they had canted over when .the vessel touched them, but why they did so is not yet clear. Having fallen, they let the vessel drop upon them. Many of them were twisted and torn, notwithstanding that they are from 12in to 15in square, and from 3ft to sft long, and consequently required enormous pressure to treat them as they have been treated. The wedges placed between the, piles of blocks have been forced out to the sides of the dock for the most part.. The sides of the dock at the bottom indicate that the rolling chocks of the Mamari had touched, and' to this is attributed her maintaining the perpendicular. The dock has suffered no injury of any sort. Consequently its stability is in no way impaired. It is only reasonable to suppose that if anything would have suffered at all it would not have been the dock (which is nothing more, not less than a gigantic stone basin), but the ship—no matter how big she might be, providing she could enter the dock at- all. New blocks have to be made to replace those destroyed by the Mamari. This will be a work of time, and it is not expected that the ship can be taken into the dock before Saturday next. Work on the newblocks began yesterday. They will be placed in position as soon as the old ones are' permitted to be removed.. THE INQUEST. The inquest on the bodies of R. Clarke and T. May, the two men who lost their lives, was commenced at the Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, before Mr. C. C. Kettle. S.M. : The following jury were empanelled:— Alfred M. Salmon (foreman), John Turner, Thomas H. Sinytheman. Christopher Shannon. Allen H. Brown, and Clarence E. Potter. Sergeant Hendry represented the police, and Mr. Selwyn Mays the Government Life Insurance Department. Messrs. J. R. Reed and E. Russell appeared on behalf of the relatives of the deceased May and the Auckland Harbour Board respectively, and Mr. F. Earl, who was notified too late to attend, has been retained by the Shaw-Savill Company, the owners of the Mamari.

Mr. Kettle explained to the jury that in the absence of Mr. T. Gresliam ho would fill the.position of Coroner. Referring to the accident, Mr. Kettle said* that he had telegraphed to the Marino Department, informing them that the inquest would probably be©very. lengthy, as an exhaustive investigation would he necessary to determine whether the affair was occasioned by a. faulty method, of structure, that mighthe remedied by representation to the proper quarters, or whether it- was one of those unfortunate mishaps which were always liable to occur under the best conditions. The jury then "went to the scene of the accident in a special ferry boat.' ,

Upon arrival an examination, which extended over half-an-hour, was commenced.

After the inspection an adjournment was made to the "Esplanade Hotel, for the purpose of viewing the two bodies. May's body was identified by his father and brother, and the body of Clarke by Mr. and Mrs. George Knight, '.'of* Wyndham-street, with .'whom deceased had latterly been residing. Mrs. Knight said that Clarke was known to them as Harry Anderson, late of Sydney, s, but the Harbour Board ..officials said that on the wharf he was known by the name of Clarke.

The burial warrants were then granted by Mr. Kettle, and- the proceedings were adjourned until Wednesday morning next. A military funeral will be accorded to W. C. May, who was a member of the Newton Rifles, in which corps he held the rank of lance-corporal. Volunteers are requested to attend at a-quarter past two p.m. to-day, at deceased's residence, Victoria Avenue, Eden Terrace.