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Return of Accidents to Life and Limb which have occurred in connection with Boilers and Machinery in the Canterbury District during the Financial Year ended the 31st March, 1888.

The Inspector of Machinery, Otago District, to the Assistant-Secretary, Marine Department. Sir, — Office of Inspector of Machinery, Dunedin, 23rd April, 1888. I have the honour to forward you the annual report of inspection of boilers and machinery in the Otago District during the financial year ended the 31st March, 1888, contained in the accompanying tables. In forwarding this report, I am still unable to report favourably on any increase of trade throughout the district. Several saw-mills have been discontinued altogether, and a number have been doing very little throughout the year. There have been two cases where the mining industry has acquired steam-power, although, on the other hand, three claims have discontinued at present. The engineering shops, I am sorry to say, have been doing very little, and agricultural machinery has also been very quiet. In the summary of inspections the number of inspections were 464; hydraulic lifts, 54; elevators, 2: total, 520. Of these inspections Mr. Blackwood made—portable boilers, 45; stationary, 83 ; total boilers, 128 : hydraulic lifts, 42 ; elevators, 2 : making a total of 172 inspections altogether. I may state, through the absence of Mr. Blackwood up North, there still remained a considerable portion of this district to be gone over at the end of March. I may also state that there is a great loss of time on many occasions attending to the marine inspections, especially when there is only one Inspector here, as the steamer surveys are in many cases spread throughout the half-year,

Name and Address of Owner. Description of Machinery. Name of Person injured. Nature of Accident. Fatal I or not. Cause of Accident, and Remarks. William Mardon, Rangiora Water-wheel of flax-mill (steam and water) Arthur Sloane, aged 14 years Bruises on bodv, April 27, 1887 Not Owner reports : " Cannot say how the accident occurred, as the wheel was not being used, and is protected 4ft. high." He was away from his work, and, it is supposed, must have got over tho protection and perhaps stepped upon the wheel, thus causing it to revolve, as it is but a small wheel. These three young men were engaged scutching flax, when the drum suddenly flew to pieces, and thus caused the injuries. The drum was a new one, but was not made strong enough to withstand the centrifugal force ; indeed, this force had not been taken into consideration in the construction. Punching machine had just been erected. Owner reports : " Instructions had been given to have the wheel protected, but wo had not had time to do so." The injured lad was working at this machine, and had thrown the driving-belt off and foolishly seized hold of the large wheel by the cogs to stop it quicker, when his hand was caught between pinion and wheel. Being very busy, the mill was being worked dressing flax by day, and scutching as soon as daylight in the morning. In the latter operation the water-wheel alone was used to drive the shafting. Somo short time after starting to scutch, Burt noticed one of the stripper-belts hanging on counter-shaft, and went and turned the water off the water-wheel, to stop for the purpose of hanging up the belt, but, unfortunately, did not wait until the shafting was quite at rest. Coroner's jury returned a verdict of " Accidental death, and no blame attached to any one." While working at the scutching machine, which was his usual employment, his right arm was dragged into the machine and so severely crushed as to render amputation at the shoulder necessary. These machines are very dangerous, as the fibre is so long and strong that if tho operator gets entangled in any way there is no hope for him. This machine was particularly well guarded, the mouth being only about 18in. by 4in. Scutcher in fl.x-mill (stoam and water) Henry Mardon Wound over William Mardon, Rangiora — Fitzell eye Wound over Not Not — O'Neil Ages not given, but all young men Charles Langdon, aged 17 years eye Some bruises October 8,1887 Not 1. Anderson, C a n t e r b ury Foundry Punching machinein blacksmith's shop (steam) Three fingers of right hand crushed, December 10, 1887 Not Hharles Chinnery, Rangiora Flax-mill (steam and water) Alfred Burt, aged 19 years Caught by a belt, December 22, 1887 Fatal iharles Cliinnery, Rangiora F1 a x-m i1 1 (steam and water) George Newbells, aged 25 years Right arm crushed in scutcher, drum, March 15, 1888 Not