The Fatal Accident at Booth’s Mill, Carterton.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1835, 21 May 1886, Page 2

The Fatal Accident at Booth’s Mill, Carterton.

THE INQUEST. An inquiry was held at Mr M. Hedgin'* Taratabi Hotel on Wednesday afternoon, touching the death of Benjamin Sewell, who was killed while at his woik on Monday last. The Coroner lor the district (Dr Spratt) presided and a jury of six, of whom Mr A. Booth was foreman, wereempannelled to investigate the cauee of the disaster After the jury had viewed the body, the first witness. Collin Goodin, was sworn, and deposed as follows : —On Monday soon after Ipm. I was rolling logs on to the truck that takes them to the travelling bench ; deceased came to help mn as one was an awkward log to handle, and I could not manage it by myself. Deceased wai stooping with his head between the logs when the accident happened ; first I got a cant hook ; he then went and chocked the log up while I got fresh hold. He commenced to put in another chock ; the cant book then slipped, sod the log rolled back into the place again on the skids ; deceased Lad to stoop down to put the chock in, and while stooping bis head was between the two logs. When the cant book slipped I (ell back ; I did not (all on to the ground ; 1 saved myself wills my right band ; I got up again, and saw Mi* Sewell lying along by the track stretched oat. This track leads oat to the main tram ; bis bead was lying on the gronnd ; not betweeit the legs ; be mast have forced himself clear ; he appeared quite insensible, and did nut speak ; I could not say how he got clear of th« logs ; I then called for all the mill hands ; I held his head until the mill hands cam* and carried him tu the truck and afterwards to Mr De'Laeey’s house. Mr Eagle then sent for medical assistance, and the surgeon cams in about half an hour after the occurrence. To the Coroner - There was no carelessness —we are always very careful iu all log rolling work. Deceased was lying on bis back when I first discovered him. The doctor came to the mill before he died.

David Gibb Johnsen sworn, deposed—l am a surgeon and physician residing at Carterton ; was called shortly after 1 o’clock on Monday, the 18th May, to see deceased. 1 went immediately the message came; 1 saw deceased at the mill ; he was lying stretched out on a truck ; 1 found he was unconscious, and breathing heavily ; blood was welling from bis left nostril, mouth and ear ; accompanying the blood from the left nostril were par* tides of brain matter ; 1 examined bis head and found on the right side, on the vault of • the cranium, that a large piece of bone about two inches square was depressed, the eyelid* were very much swoollen, due to the scull being very much lacerated; 1 came to the conclusion at once that the case was hopeless; h* died about an hour and a ball after tha accident ; he would live about an hour after I saw him ; the accident seemed to be one that might occur through deceased’s head being crushed between the logs. I should say at the time it happened he was looking in a direction to the right. The Coroner summed up the evidence, and observed that the deceased appeared to have -met bis death by a pure accident, and snch a* could not have been prevented under the circumstances. It was a very painful and lamentable case. Although he was bound to say very few accidents of a fatal nature bad occurred iu the district at the mills; be remembered one case that of a man being crushed to death between two trucks soma long time ago, bat taking into consideration the very great danger that usually attended saw-mill work, accidents had been very rare in the Wairarapa. The foreman of the jury concurred in tb» coroner’s remarks.

The jury gave a verdict in accordance with the evidence, the substaucc of which was that Benjamin Sewell's death was the result of an accident.