INQUESTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 28 June 1924, Page 4

INQUESTS.

BRICKWORKS FATALITY. An inquest was held at tho Timaru Courthouse yesterday by the District Coroner, Mr J£. D. Moslej*, S.M., into the circumstances surrounding the death of Robert Ernest Lamond at tiio South Canterbury Brickworks, on .Thursday.' Sergeant Packer conducted the case for tiio police, whilst Mr -\V. Scott watched the proceedings on behalf ot the deceased’s widow, and Mr L. It. Finch appeared for tho employers ot the deceased. Walter Smith, manager of the South Canterbury Brickworks, said that deceased .was employed as an engine driver.' At about 11.55 on Thursday he was in the office when lie heard an unugual sound. He immediately ran across to tho machine room, and on his way over he heard a scream. Ho rushed into tho shaft room, and there saw deceased being whirled round tho shaft. Witness at once shut olf the motor, returned to the shaft room and saw deceased’s mangled body. Witness then communicated with tho police and rang the railway to get in touch with deceased’s brother-in-law. Witness was quite satisfied deceased was dead when he 'found him on the shafting. Witness said his office was approximately 3(1 -yards from where deceased was found, and the distance" from where deceased was found to the engine, would be about 20 yards. There was no means of putting the machinery out of gear, without going to the engine. All the belting at the works was exposed. Deceased’s duty was to remove tho belt after the machinery had stopped, but deceased might have attempted to do ■it. unthinkingly,..before the machinery wh¥" stopped. It would save lum a journey to take the belt off before stop ping the engine. The belting was very short, and the size of the pulley on the main shaft was 10 inches, and on the air-compressor, 13 inches. The pulley revolved at IGB revolutions per minute. It was usual to stop at that time for lunch, from twelve to one. and it was the custom of deceased to take the belt off the compressor. Witness had instructed deceased, and had seen him repeatedly, remove the. belt after the engine had stopped. Witness had also seen deceased remove the belt before the engine had stopped, usually with a short piece of stick, which was the easiest way of getting it off. Oscar Frederick Ilcsselberg, brother-in-law of deceased, said deceased was a married man and had one child, aged 15 months. Deceased was 34 years of age, and was born in Southland. Constable J. Mayne" gave evidence that, accompanied by Constable Johnston, he proceeded to the brickworks where the manager conducted them to the shafting house, and showed them deceased’s body wound round the shaft. Witness got deceased off the shaft and removed the body to the morgue. The Coroner brought m a formal verdict that deceased had died 'through being accidentally caught in a belt and thereby pulled round a shaft driven by an electric motor.

DEATH OF ENGINE CLEANER

RIDER ADDED TO VERDICT

The inquest into...the death of Non man A. Gould, aged 22 years,, who - as seriously injured at the engine she.H on June 20 was proceeded w th Sergeant Packer conducted the rase for the police, and Mr L. E represented the relatives ot the r.eT. L. Parr, .superintendent of the Timaru Hospital, said he bad ex - a mined deceased, at the limaiu Ht.>pital at about 8.30 p.m. on June ..J. Deceased was suffering from concussion of the brain and had several nunoi abrasions about the chest and aims. There was no evidence of other injuries, but a few hours later tlmio was bleeding from tho nose suggesting a fracture at the base ot the skull Consciousness was never recovered, lot. deceased remained comatose until b>-> death at 12.15 p.m. on June 2b On instructions from tho Coroner .witness performed a post mortem examination. There was no fracture of the sku.l, and an absence of any marked damage to the brain. There was oedema or the brain, and on the vertex on tiio left hemisphere an area of chrome meningitis, probably tubercular. llm heart and lungs corresponded to death from asphyxia which occurs m head injuries, and there was a clot on the light side of tho heart. There was no other injury discovered. Deceased used from asphyxia, following oedema of the brain. * The only signs oi externa, injury were the abrasions on the chest'. James Johnston, an engine driver, said that on. the night of June 2(Mic arrived m the loco yard about - *o * p.m., and drove his engine completely over the long pit. Alter coaling witness returned the engine to a position over the pit. As fa- as lie could sow. the whole of the engine was over *lm pit. Before leaving the cabin ho applied rhe air-brake and tho fireman. Harris,-applied the hand-brake. Witness then left, the engine to put. song' tools away. The engine was not in las view all the time. Witness returned to the engine about minutes later, and saw the deceased. dm cowcatcher of the engine. \\ it ness levelled the engine, tiie brakes std! b - ing hard on, when he regained the cabin. Tho fireman, as lar as witness knew, would have no occasion to move the engine. The pH. was about three i'eet deep, being shallower than most. To s'art his engine and move it say a couple of feet would require considerable care, and it tin- care vmv ml exercised i he engine would .move on ftirfher before il Mopped. Ailn.-s-, no: heard any noi-«. i\ lien driving the engine over tho pit. Y\ lien wiine-.--suipped his engine drroasVt was stunning at the side of the engine by tiio u-utplnto. In uno.ver Hr Fiii'-h, witness said he did not know how tar die cowcatcher was from the end id die nil when the engine was .slopped. William John Smith, engine driver, said that at 8. p.m. on dune 20 he arrived at the sheds, driving an A.B. engine. After he had slopped about five minutes drawing fires, witness heard a cry. Wilm -eds fireman caM -d cut that there was a men under dio cowcatcher of the next engine. Witness ton lid deceased with thy right, .rm extended over the ground, holding a. lighted torch, and the point of the cowcatcher between iho shoulders. Wnh the assistance of the loco foreman, driver Johnston and fireman Harris, ho placed deceased on a .-.! retailor . .cat earned Inin lo the hospital. Atones', had no i lea how deceased came to he in tho position in which he was found. George Gilchrist, fireman, said tha-w-hen he started to clean hi- tire on noticed a man lving tinder the eoweaicher of tic- otlv.-r engine. r ! he cab of witness’s engine was opposite the trout cud of ! be' olber engine. \\ licit witness's engine came to a stop vAtm-s; l he do em-ed si uniting at: the side "f .1 ohn- 1 mi'-, engine, am! a Intle later .saw deceased standing at the side ot t he engine. Willie--, went lor I he loci! tun-man. and when he got hack li-"'-' bad Mm injured man mil . f !..• migom having been moved hack'. Witness dal not !•<--■ 1- env m-v m- mUCM’U. Al this since. G. 15 p.m., the Courtmljmiriwd, and al 7.30 the Cormier. ! Vfr 1 •' i ncit. I he !. ii-. i foreman, and < 'mi- ; lc M a vi!" Veiil te Me- m>--im- - bw!-. 4*-, - fii re i lie scene wa - rer-in-1 rm-led ' ■ ,ii i In- iiighr. of i he a'-i-e lent, wit h

tho same engines and the same lights. On the Court resuming at 8.15, Frederick V ictor Harris, fireman, said that on Juno- 20, he arrived at the sheds about 7.-15. The engine was turned, then put on the long pit line, run down to coal crane, and returned over the long pit. Witness was not near the front or the engine-, and did not know if the end of the pit was covered by the cow-catcher. Witness did not leave the cab, but noticed deceased standing alongside the cab, when the engine stopped. When ready to drop tho fire witness asked deceased if lie was ready, and deceased answered ‘‘yes.” Witness did not know where deceased then was, and did not see him again after that. Witness had just finished banking the fire when another fireman called out that someone was caught between the end of tfie pit and the cow-catcher. Witness then got down from the engine and saw. deceased under the cow-catcher. 'When' Smith called out to witness to reverse tho engine, witness got into the cab and opened the throttle slightly, but the engine did not move, and lie was told to leave it as it was. Witness had not touched any lever prior to the dis--covery of deceased under the cowcatcher, and did not release the tender brake. Witness was absolutely certain that the engine did not move while lie was in the cab. The Coroner pointed out that tho engine must have moved, lor deceased could not possibly have got into that position' unless it did—-there would not be room for his head to pass under the cow-catcher, so he must ' have been forced by the engine into the position, in which he was found.

In answer to Sergeant Packer, witness still maintained that the engine, never moved, and that he (witness) was never out of the cab until deceased was found.

In reply to Mr Fitch witness said he had screwed the tender . brake down hard.

William John Smith, recalled, said, in reply, to the Coroner, that he did not think it possible for the deceased to be in the position in which lie was found unless the engine had moved. 11 the brakes were off and there was a small pressure of steam in the cylinders the wheels might move.

John Harold Atkinson, loco foreman at Timaru, said there was a regulation that no employee was to place himself in the way of danger. In witness 3 opinion the pit in question was a safe one. and there was no reason why an engine should not be shunted down t<? the half way mark, which would give a cleaner an opportunity to get out at either end. In witness’s opinion de ceased could not have received tho chest injuries by trying to crawl out from under tho cowcatcher. Witness was forced to the conclusion that tho engine had moved. THE VERDICT. The Coroner said that he was fm-ced to the conclusion that the accident could not possibly have happened un less the engine had moved, it appeared quite probable that the engine had moved just as deceased was about to emerge irom the pit in front of the engine. He would bring in £i verdict m accordance with t-lic medical evidence as to the cause of death, and would add a rider, which he would tonvard to the authorities, that lie was forced-to the conclusion that the area in wliiOh llie.se men worked was nh.t sufficiently 1 i<dited as to ensure Hie men being able to work in safety. Hg intended to sec that the working conditions were made .safer. He was not satisfied that the engine was moved through the active instrumentality of the fireman, or of any person, but there could be no possible doubt that the engine had moved. In order to ensure the safety of the men, the- Department might consider the enlarging of rhe pits, which should ■ certainly be done if possible If the .pits were made longer, it would bo an efficient 0.-tle-cuard to the employees, who were entitled to every possible consideration.