LOST OVERBOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15374, 8 August 1913, Page 8

LOST OVERBOARD.

THE HARBOUR FATALITY.

ACTUAL CAUSE UNKNOWN.

EVIDENCE OF TUG CAPTAIN.

An inquest was opened yesterday by Mr. E. C. Ciitten, S.M., ' at the Coroner's Court" into the circumstances connected with the death of Charles Clauson, an able seaman, who lost his life through drowning after falling from the tug Young Bungareo on Wednesday afternoon. Sergeant Murray represented the police, Mr. Hall Skelton appeared for the relatives of the deceased, and for the relatives of William Hindley, who was also drowned. Captain Fleming was present on behalf of the Marine Department.

Thomas Scott, master of the tug Young Bungaree, who resides at Devonport, stated that the deceased, Charles Clauson, was 38 years of age, and was employed as able seaman on the tug. He was a married man, and resided in Beresford Street. On Wednesday afternoon witness was in charge of the tug, which was towing tho coal hulk Alexandra Craig from No. 3 Jetty to her moorings, just off Shoal Bay. The crew consisted of Charles Clauson, William Hindley, W. J. Sutton (the engineer), and witness. About 2.15 p.m. witness was steering tho tug, when he heard a shout from a man on the hulk. He looked round, and leaving the wheel, saw two of his crew in the water, about a ship's length astern. Witness immediately ordered the engines to be reversed, and tried to get his boat out. In the meantime a launch came upon the scene «nd nicked up Clauson, but Hindley had disappeared.

To Sergeant Murray: Both men were very steady, and the best of friends. As far as witness knew both men were in good health. The funnel of the tug would prevent witness from seeing where the two men were working. They were not at any particular work, but were keeping a general look-out to see that the tow lines, etc., wore all right. To Sergeant Murray : He could not say whether deceased might have been lifting any heavy weight or doing anything that would be* likely to cause them to overbalance. . , To Mr. Hall Skelton: From the time he saw the men in the water until the time the launch arrived about five niinutes had i elapsed. If the men had been fighting he | would have heard'it. It was quite possible that both men had been sitting on the taffrail, and that on« had overbalanced, and in trying to save him his companion had fallen into the water as I well. This seemed to' him to be the most i feasible cause of the accident. To Captain Fleming: Both witness and a man on the hulk threw out lifebuoys to ; the struggling "men. He had done his best j for the "under the circumstances. In reply to a question from the coroner, witness said that there was nothing exceptionally unsafe about his;vessel. Dr. Casement G. Aickin said he was called about 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday to the Queen Street Wharf. At the time of his arrival the police were attempting to restore respiration in the case of CI an son. This was persisted in for about an hour and a-half, but without any result. Death was due to drowning. There was a bruise on the forehead and abrasions on the nose. " Both ininries could have been caused by striking some blunt object m falling. __ . . 1 ~ To Mr. Hall Skelton: The injury to the forehead appeared to have been caused by scraping obliciaely against some object. At this stage Serceant Murray intimated that the bodv of Hindley had not yet been recovered, and accordingly asked for an adjournment, which was granted. ■: The inmiest will be continued at 10 a.m. on Saturday. . A ■.■•.. , Dragging operations, with the object 01 recovering the missing body, were in progress throughout the whole of yesterday, but without success. ; They will be continued to-day.