OCEAN TRAGEDY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7016, 3 January 1910, Page 5

OCEAN TRAGEDY

NEAR RALLISF.R BAY. CHIEF ENGINEER ALMOST BLOWN TO PIECES. DIES FROM HT3 INJURIES. In <tho dying hours of tho old year a tragedy occurred on tlio high ®cas noar Wellington. The steamer Anglo Saxon, which had been in port hero for about 'a week, left for London at 5 p.m. on Friday. When four hours out an explosion occurred in tho engino-room. The .evaporator exploded with 'a report like «. cannon ijfcot. The chief engineer, Francis Shawrenoe, who was Fending over it, received such fearful injuries that ho expired almost 'immediately. Tho vessel returned to port, the matter was reported to the police, tho body taken to the 'morgue and an inquest Ihoild there yesterday by Air W. G. Riddell, Coroner. Lawrence was about 38 years of age and married, his wife and one child residing tit Sunderland. Deceased sustained injuries to his head, ono leg was mangled, another broken below tho knee, while theiro were scalds and burns all over tho body. THE' INQUEST. William Tillison, donkeyman, paid LVJ left port at 5 p.m. on Friday Inst. At 9 p.m. 'witness was standing against tho door of tho engine-room, and saw tho deceased bending over the evaporator for about a second, when tho explosion occurred. It was like tho sound of a oannniL shot. WTtness was about 40 feet distant away and cried unit “My God, tilio chief engineer is killed!” Steam was shut off, and on running round ho saw tho deceased lying in tho .engine-room. There was ■a .piece of mctlal lying across tho body, und the.’ legs were shattered. Witness carried tho body to the front platform of tho engine-room. Witness had no experience of the machinery and could not say hew the accident occurred. THIRD ENGINEER’S STATEMENT. John Rlowntroe, third engineer, was on duty at 9 p.m. on December 31st.. Deceased was standing in front of tbo platform in the engine-room. Witness 'and deceased then went On top of tho holler to examlno tho pipe connection land from there the latter went to the 'evaporator. Witness remained on the front platform. Deceased did not say what he was going to do. About two minutee after an explosion occurred—apparently at the evaporator. It had not been in use when tho vessel left port, but sbmo time after the chief engineer had started it working himself. Witness could give no reason for the explosion taking place. The baffle-plates might have been choked and in that case the escape valve would not have worked. The evaporator bad been in use on the journey from Napier, but not after the steamer’s arrival in Wellington. It was not necessary to use the evaporator except ■when extra fresh water was needed in the boilers. There Was a sufficient supply of water on the steamer leaving port—lienee the reason for tho ■evaporator not being iii use at that time. The last time the evaporator Was inspected was between October 23rd and November 10th last, when the steamer was on the west coast of South America. It had not been inBnected while in Now Zealand ports. Though the evaporator wn.s good order on the way down from Napier the mere .starting of it might have choked the baffle-plates owing to the Scale in the evaporator being drawn lip. He could not tell Where the defect was owing to film evaporator being completely destroyed. The explosion could have occurred by the escape valve not working. Of tbo two he favoured the former theory as tho cause of tho accident. The- engines of the steamer Were always in first-class order. THE SECOND ENGINEER.

Scott Halliburton, second engineer ■on the Anglo Saxon, said bo was on duty when tbe steamer left port. He was attending to the engines when, the explosion -occurred, ‘being on the front platform. Ho endeavoured to get to deceased, but could not do so owing to the steam and hot water. Steam was shut off, iho engines stopped, and tvitness went and found deceased lying Under the coils of the evaporator. His bead wa*s partially blown away, one Isido of his neck was gushed and one side of the body scalded. Witness usually started the boiler himself, but did not know why he had not diono so on this occasion. The engines had previously been stopped owing to a broken steam pipe.' .witness had re-started the engines, the first engineer being on top with the third, where the pipe had gone. The explosion could only .bo due tio one of two causes—the 'choking of the baffle-plates or the safety valve being stuck. When on the American west coast the evaporator bad been thoroughly overhauled, the safety valve inspected and the bafflepbvHq cleaned. Tt had only been in i edurhteen days actual use since t ~ \ Witness started the evaporator Napier on December ? c and it did good work on the way dt ; the oevast. It didn’t in his cleaning. A vapour coo -itributed Jl ' which should been . . Waratc Vent would probably \ Xitche as 2t would have fc/T unlay, ' H’ 1 getting too high. *3 tL'S’’’?? ' - '"’ore chocked the riot get through to the jc- There was no indication ort -v n;-. gauge or escape valve os to' the . .go’- ‘ of pressure in the •evaporator. Eoth witness and deceased 7. d bof-7. '”c the steamer for the E’st fire ; pp?. .

• ; C " Cbptain W. Isaacs, master of tho Vessel, s; iV was a very reliable cfeixeful, tin J>: 6 and 7 o'clock •the engine* ' x>pped through a fault .in a «oe leading to the steering gear. ’ie hand steering feear wns connected and the engines restarted, the vessel going at full speed. Tho accident occurred five miles to the eastward of uape Palliser, and the vessel returned to \*on New Year’s morning, when the _ ">r was reported to the authorities, h :4 had been no trouble with the while ho had been in the , Ooroner found that death was 'TUuries received, caused hy the iu tal explosion of the evaporator. toti> being attachable to anvbodv. th. w , fc • O had been on the vessel v Sinoo she was launched eight years [ Captain Isaacs (who feels the ■ ity severely, as the deceased had . with him in tho steamer for seven

years past) remarked to a “Times’’ reporter that bo hail been conversing with tin* chief engineer five minutes before tho accident happened. Tho explosion was terrific. The vessel shook from stem to stern. Cushions were thrown oil' the messroui seats, and the skylights forty feet away from the vapouriser—at an angle impossible for fragments to hit them—wore blown out on to the deck around.