FATAL FIRE ON KETCH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15728, 1 October 1914, Page 5

FATAL FIRE ON KETCH

THE ENDEAVOUR ACCIDENT. CAUSED BY AN EXPLOSION. The adjourned inquest into the death of i'hilip James Kunst, the engineer who was fatally burned on the ketch Endeavour on September 11, was concluded at the Magistrate's Court before the coroner, Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., yesterday, Captain Fleming, Marine Superintendent, Auckland, appeared for the Marine Department, and ( Mr. W. Vailance watched the proceedings on behalf of the relatives of the deceased. Previously medical evidence had been given to the effect that Kunst had been admitted to the hospital at 5.30 p.m. on Friday, Sept-ember 11, and had died four nours later, death being caused by sh&ck, uie res lut of severe ourns.

Yesterday tne first witness called was .Dr. V. F. Usher, who said he had flammed deceased on September 11 and jt.d found him to be sunering from' extensive ourob aoout the head, fa* 3 ( and uppor portions oi the body. Re di cssed the oui'us and seat the deceased to the hospital. William Sutcliffe, a cook, said he waa I employed on the auxiliary ketch EnI aeavour. He was aboard the ship on September 11, when she left the Queen's Wiiaxi and proceeded down the harbour. He waa in the cabin at work and heard la': explosion. Turning round he saw the ooat was on fire. He cried out, " jay goodness, Fred, what is the matter'/" i With that he rushed to deceased's assistance and tried to rescue him from the I dames, but they were too strong for dim and he staggered up on deck. Deceased was engaged in filling the benzine tank when the explosion occurred. The tank was tnree yards away from witness at the time. Kunst was a non-smoker. Witness was not smoking at the time. He could not account lor the explosion. vVhen tilling the benzine tank deceased d:d not, as a rule, us« the funnel provided. By Captain Fleming: There was a patent chemical fire extinguisher on board, but it was not used at the time of the outbreak. By Mr. Vallance: ho one waa «mok ing down below while Kunst was fiiiwii/ tae benzine tank. ° Albert Edward Ragg, captain of u>e Endeavour, stated that the ketch left the Queen g Wharf at 2.30 p.m. on Septe-n--»r -j.. When she reached North Hjad ttanies burst up from the companionHe signalled for a tow-boat, and the 'fe Aivhina came to his assistance. Kuast, aid not smoke whilst at work down Delow.

By Mr. Yallance: Deceased had been on the vessel for about twelve months, and had been on different ships with witness on and off for the past seven years. Witness had no theory to advance as f. tie cause of the fire. A verdict was returned to the effort that death was due to shock, the remit of extensive burns. The injuries weri re ctived from an accidental explosion ol fire which took place whilst the deceased was engaged in tilling the benzine tank, t here was no evidence to show the causi of the explosion, but there was evid-i'i.e to show that it was not unusual for *,he deceased to fill the tank without a filler, a procedure which greatly increased tha' danger of fire.