BLOWN OVERBOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23332, 26 October 1937, Page 13

BLOWN OVERBOARD

SEAMAN DISAPPEARS COMPANION FATALLY BURNED How one man was blown overboard and lost, and another fatally burned in an explosion in his ship in the English Channel, was graphically described to the Falmouth coroner by Captain W. O. Griffiths, of the London motor vessel Benguela. The explosion, the captain stated, which happened 55 miles west of Ushant, was possibly due to one of the two men lighting a cigarette in the hold. The coroner, Mr J. L. Carylon, was inquiring into the death of Ordinary Seaman John Hearne, aged 21, of County Waterford, who succumbed to his burns in the Royal Cornwall Sailors’ Home, Falmouth. The other man, who was never seen again, was James Alfred Stubbs, married, with two children, of Cardiff. Captain .Griffiths declared his vessel took in a cargo of coal at Cardiff, for Portugal. The two men went into the hold by a'small hatchway. “Flash of Flame” "My next remembrance,” he went on “is of a huge flash of flame and a dense thick volume of smoke. There was a terrific explosion, and two hatches of two tons each were blown over the side and the rest humbled anywhere around. It was impossible to see anything. It was worse than the darkest night. “ The chief officer ran down from the bridge saying the ship was sinking. I ordered the lifeboat out, and then Hearne came past, a mass of flames. I shouted to throw a blanket over him, and a can of oil was poured over him. “ When the explosion occurred the ship stopped and turned right round. As the smoke cleared there was no sign of Stubbs, although all hands scanned the horizon, and I looked with glasses. The conclusion is that he was blown overboard.” Coroner: What in your opinion was the cause of the explosion?— One of the two unfortunate men lit a cigarette, and as a result of the light the accumulated coal-gas in the hold exploded. Often Warned Captain Griffiths added he had never experienced an explosion of any kind with coal. His men were continually warned about smoking. The foreman of the jury questioned Captain Griffiths at some length on the ventilation of the hold. “ I am positive the ship would have gone if there had been more breeze,” the captain declared. Dr H. V. Deakin told how after receiving a wireless message he went out to the Benguela and found Hearne suffering from extensive burns. He was just alive, and the only thing to do was to give him morphia. He died four hours later from shock. Everything possible had been done. The captain had given him laudanum to make him sleep, and he appeared to be fairly comfortable. There was no hope for him from the beginning. Coroner: What parts of Hearne’s body were burnt?—The whole, from head to foot.

The jury returned a verdict on Hearne of “Accidental death, caused by an explosion.” They added the cause of the explosion was unknown, but were of opinion poor ventilation of the hold might have been a contributory causa.