THE CUSTOMHOUSE FATALITY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1682, 25 May 1904, Page 59

THE CUSTOMHOUSE FATALITY.

A VERDICT OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH.

'An inquest touching the death of Henry Syme, who died at the hospital on Saturday morning from the effects of ' injuries received in the accident at the Customhouse building the previous day, was held on Saturday afternoon before Mr, James Ashcroft, the Coroner. Mr W. A. Worth was foreman of the jury. Mr M. Myers was present on behalf of the • contractor for the erection of the Building, and Sub-Inspector O’Donovan represented the police. The Rev Charles Dallaston, minister of the Baptist Church, Wellington, said he knew deceased. He was a man of excellent character, and had been an abstainer all his life. Deceased was a married man, and had two children. The evidence of Dr Ewart showed that deceased was conscious when admitted to the hospital. He was suffering from severe shock, had two or three wounds on the scalp, and several ribs on the right side were broken. About midnight he collapsed, and strychnine was injected to stimulate the heart’s action, but he gradually became weaker, and died about 12.30 o’clock. The cause of death Was shock arising from severe injuries. David John Given, a mason in the

employ of Mr Bennett, contractor for the erection of the building, said he was working on the top of the building alongside Syme when the accident occurred. Thomas Stewart, another ein ployee, was steadying a big stone which was’ being lifted past a projection about 62ft from the ground. Witness described the manner in which the gear for hauling up was attached to the stone. The gantry was resting on two wheels travelling on parallel beams. Witness suddenly heard something going—he did not know what— and called out to those below to stand clear. Sticks were falling all round. Witness had his hand on the stone when it fell. Subsequently he was informed that Syme and Walden were hurt. Witness made an examination of the scaffolding afterwards, and found that one of the beams on which the gantry rested was. broken, as well as a corner-post below. The gantry weighed about fifteen hun-dred-weight. The broken beam (pro duced) had given way at a point where there was a knot in the wood—a knot scarcely discernible on the outside. The beam was of New Zealand white, pine, 10 x 4. Witness considered the beam was quite strong enough to bear a weight of two tons. The foreman carpenter had inspected the scaffolding. Previous to the accident the stone had been lifted some distance from the ground. It was left suspended in the air for half an hour. To Mr Myers: He had been a mason for tw©nty-five years, and never had an accident until the one under notice happened. Witness had never heard it suggested that the scaffolding was not strong enough. Henry Barrett, Government Public Works Inspector, stated that he had been; entrusted with the inspection of the Customhouse building. Witness had not inspected the scaffolding particularly at the spot where the accident occurred, but he had seen the gantry at work on various-occasions, and two days

before the mishap had caused, some additional braces to be put in the scaffolding. Witness considered that, assuming the weight was distributed as it should be, the beam would have been capable of bearing a breaking strain of nine tons. As near as lie could judge, there would have been a weight of about one ton and three-quarters upon the outer beam when it broke. This weight was distributed between two whee'.s four feet apart (the gantry travels on four wheels, two on, either beam). He considered the occurrence was purely an accident, for which no blame could be attached to anybody. Every precaution had been taken. Witness was not responsible in any way for the safety of, or the materials used in, the scaffolding. He kept a watch on things, and anything he had suggested to tlie contractor had always been carried out. Witness had never known of a piece of white pine, like that produced, breaking so “short.” The knot in the wood was barely visible on the "outside—it looked like a knot that had been “worked out.” (The knot was really lost to view in the centre of the beam, the slightest evidence of it only being noticeable on the outside.) He did not think the beam bad been in use for more than twelve months. It was quite possible for the stone to have received a jerk by tlie chain-sling slipping a little, just after the winch below started to lift again. This was the only theory he could put forward as to the cause of the accident. Witness did not think the knot in the wood would weaken it more than a sixth or a seventh.

William Henry Bennett deposed that he had been a contractor for thirteen or fourteen years. He had specially ordered the gantry for the purposes of the Customhouse job from England. It was capable of lifting a Tveight of two and three-quarter tons. To work the gantry he was obliged to have straight and level scaffolding, and that was the reason why white pine had been used. To his mind, bin by Gin posts were, quite equal to ordinary saplings for scaffolding. The beam, lie asserted, should have been easily capable of lifting tlie stones required for the top of the building. Stones quite as heavy had been lifted into position in lower parts of the building without accident of any kind. He employed the best men available for each branch of the work on the building. To Mr Myers: "Witness stood by the winch and saw the stone lifted until he thought the danger over. He took extra precautions, as there were twelve two-ton stones to be lifted to the top. The theory put forward by Mr Barrett as to the cause of the accident seemed to be the most feasible. Robert Scott, a stone-setter employed at the new building, also gave evidence. He was below near the winch when the stone came down. The winch was being worked by four men-—two at each handle, and lie was confident it had been worked steadily, and without jerking. As a workman he had every confidence in the stability of the scaffolding. The last thing lie said to de ceased was: “Do you think everything is right?” Deceased said “Yes.” S'yme, as well as the . foreman (Given) called out that all was right. If there had been a jerk witness would have felt it. He had a guide-rope in his hand the whole of the time tlie stone was being lifted. The jury unanimously agreed “ that death was accidental and by misadventure and not otherwise.”