FELL 100 FEET.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6625, 15 September 1908, Page 2

FELL 100 FEET.

STEEPLEJACKS TERRIBLE DEATH. Two stcoplj acks mot with, a fearful fate at Wolverhampton on Saturday, July 11, falling a distance of nearly 100 ft, and being killed instantly. Their bodies, which alighted an a largo quantity of broken bricks and other material, were almost beyond recognition when picked up. One of the men was Tom Prendorgast, son of a sub-contractor. The second stecjdejack kvas later identified as John Thomas Shea, a native of Dresden, LongUm, Staffs. Ho had been staying in Wolverhampton for over a week. Tho men were engaged in tho work of demolishing a large stack. Tho laddering was completed on Friday, and on Saturday morning tho two men went up tho stack. At tho top an iron baud enclosed coping stones, but tho removal of ' tho band, it is supposed, caused a crumbling of tho masonry, and tho men, being unable to retain their hold, fell backwards, i- ive men and ooya working in tho room just below the stack had a narrow escape. Several tons of masonry fell on to a store-room, smashing tho furniture and flooring. Tho debris made its way into a room adjoining tho one in whicn the five men and boys were cabinet-mak-ing. After the tragedy the work of removing the ladders from tho stack was accomplished at great risk. x#ii»abeth Harriett Prendergast, gave evidence at the inquest on the Monday that her husband was thirty-two years of age, and was a plasterer. They'had been married eight years. On tho Sunday before tho accident her husband's father was talking with him about the stack, and said, ”1 should advise you to have nothing to do with it, but go back to your own work/' This was previous to her husband inspecting tho two'stacks on tho premises. In answer to a juryman, she said her husband told her ho should ask «£7 for pulling down each of tho two stacks. John Prendergast, tho father, said ho was a bricklayer and a steeplejack. Ho advised his son not to have anything to do with tho demolishing of the stack, because he thought it was unsafe. The Coroner: Against your advice your son took the contract from Mr Speake?— Yes; I was present when my eon agreed to take down two stacks for -CIO. Ho added that eight years ago ho repain* this stack and fixed the bands which had been mentioned, Tho chimney had been unsafe from the time it was erected, owing to the way in which it was built. As far os the dismantling was concerned, he should have gone about it in the same way as his son did, although ho know ho was running a great risk. The coroner remarked on the fact that John Prendergast, according to his evidence, discovered eight years ago that the chimney was improperly constructed and the coning insufficiently supported, and yet did not warn those for whom ho was working at tho time of this state of things. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death," and said they had no suggestions to make and no one to blame.