THE DEATH OF ALFRED ROWLES.

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

THE DEATH OF ALFRED ROWLES.

A ; FALLING ; SLING.

The inquiry into. the circumstances surrounding the death of Alfred Bowles, whowas killed on February 4 by }a./ falling sling, on the steamship Matatua, was also" continued yesterday by tho coroner, before a. jury of six* r . ■;■;■; James' Calder, a wharf . labourer who was: working on the Matatua. at the time of the accident, said that it was customary for anyone who was near a hook to insert : the sUng ;if■ it /was "ready fop hoisting.? Witness . was 'standing about ■ 16ft away from the sling which, fell on the/ deceased. Witness saw; that the [ sling was resting on the tip of the hook instead of in it, and he called, out, " Stand clear ■ from; under,"/ or; ■ words to that effect.//.?At; that time no one was under the sling.- • Witness/ lost sight' of the sling as it was, hoisted, but when it, fell he- looked down and saw ./thatdeceased /had been. knocked down by it. In witness's v opinion it : was ; extremely; dangerous to hoiafc a sling in that way. He had' heard; "; no i complaints : about - the hook prior to the accident. /.Witness as-. serted that the hooks used by the Auckland Harbour . ■ Board ■■'•■;■."were'::^ infinittay; superior to the' one produced ■ in /, courts which was the one which had been respond sible for the accident. Had deceased bad the knowledge witness had, he would have:i kept out of the way of : danger. /Witness j considered that all danger ■ of 'an < : accident i such as befel. the deceased would >haye,H been ' precluded had there / been s only one gang working in the hatch. His reason. for that statement', was ;: that- ; there was\ not sufficient room in that particular J hatch for two gangs to work. ';/ * I -■';■ George Masson,/; a/ eraneraan, who was also working ;on the Matatua -at;ithe time of the accident, said that it was absolutely impossible y for a ing to be hoisted on the ■ lip of a /hook./" The sling would either slip off or into the hook when start was. made with the foisting. Witness considered ' that nothing could have beeni done, to prevent the accident, and he als's-con-sidered that /' it was quite//safe for twd gangs to be working at "the same time in the one hatch. Had the / deceased been, in his proper place, the accident. could not have : occurred. " ■;'-". • /':.;[' After v further : evidence had been; heard the coroner adjourned the inquest ?-' until. 10 a.m. on Wednesday next. \' ,