WATERSIDE FATALITIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15233, 21 February 1913, Page 5

WATERSIDE FATALITIES

INQUESTS ON VICTIMS.

KILLED BY FALLING CARGO.

NOBODY TO BLAME.

The coroner (Mr? T. Gfresham) continued the . inquiry yesterday into the circumstances surrounding the death of Charles Clyne, who was fatally injured on January 26 by the fall' of two bales of kapok in the hold of the steamship Waihora. '-Hie inquest was heard before a jury of six.

Mr. Bagnall appeared on behalf of the j Union Steam Ship Company, Mr. Shorter j appeared on behalf of the Auckland Wharf i Labourers' Union, and Mr. Mahoney represented the relatives of. the deceased. The first witness called, was George Graham Robinson, who supervised the unloading of the cargo from the Waihora. He said that he. considered' that the kapok had been exceptionally well stowed. Witness affirmed that he would have gone down into the hold and worked with full confidence that all was safe. The kapok consigned through, the Union Steam Ship Company was always stowed in the same way. Witness ; considered that it would be reasonable to secure the bales of kapok by means of nets. ;? - Dr. Maguire,: medical superintendent at the hospital, - gave evidence as to ; deceased's condition when admitted to the hospital. . The cause of death, he said, was a fracture of the': spine. - _; Charles Mack, a wharf labourer, said in the course of: his evidence that there had) been no other fall- of cargo during his employment oh the wharves. It was true that there had been numerous accidents on the wharves, but. 'these had not been due to falling cargo. ?.:?•* . - • * * To Mr. " Shorter Witness admitted that on the day before the accident he had been, asked to shift some " cargo ?■; which might have been dangerous,,but no ;complaint had been lodged against the storage of the kapok. Witness considered that nothing could be done to prevent such accidents. Witness considered that the fall of kapok had teen occasioned by the vibration of the winches. ' - ■;'■???•-..?: Charles Hale, employed by the Union Steam Ship Company as a hatchman, said that it was? his duty to satisfy himself as to?' the safety of the cargo in the hatch. He considered' that on the day of the accident the cargo was apparently safe. After" the accident some 80 bales of kapok had) been broken down, and it seemed that, the two bales which had fallen had. Been a key to the loading of the whole cargo. ■ •.. The jury, after a short consultation, returned a verdict that deceased had; died from a fractured spinel sustained by accident, no blame, being attachable to .anyone. ; ' ' -