H.—ls.

Return of Accidents to Seamen and Others on board Ship reported to the Marine Department, &c.— continued.

21

Date of Name of Vessel, Port of Registry, Accident. and Official Number. Name of Person injured. Nature of Injury: Fatal or otherwise. Place where Accident occurred. Particulars as to Accident and its Cause, and Verdict of Jury where Coroner's Inquest held. 1902. Dec. 27 Herbert Manning, A.B., was removing the hatches, and standing on a part of the hatch which had already been partly removed; he fell down the hold, sustaining so severe a shaking that it was deemed advisable to remove him to the hospital. washed overboard and drowned. George Francis, A.B., was, in the ordinary course of his duties, engaged in unshackling the lower-topsail sheets. Having finished the work, and when getting up off the foot-rope, he missed his footing and fell to the deck, a distance of 50 ft., and was killed instantaneously. Verdict: Accidental death. Walter Arkins, chief engineer, slipped on the deck, breaking his collarbone, and was removed to hospital on vessel's arrival in Wellington. T. E. Jackson, A.B. while putting a stopper on the tow-rope, lost his thumb, the tug going ahead before the men could make the rope fast to the bitts, in consequence of which his thumb was jammed between the stopper and the tow-rope and taken off. William Cooklin, fireman, went on board under the influence of drink, and, although ordered by the chief engineer to go and lie down for a while, he began to assist four'other men who were standing on a plank cleaning the inside of the engine-room skylight, and while thus engaged he overbalanced and fell a distance of about 30 ft., breaking his thigh-bone. Frederick Field, a labourer, was engaged discharging coal from the hulk " Oceola " into the " Corinthic." He was on a tramway on the steamer attending to the baskets full of coal, when one basket overturned, causing him to fall between the bulk and the steamer into the water. In falling he struck the hulk, and was much cut about the head and face, and six ribs were broken. He was removed to the hospital, where he died soon afterwards. Verdict: We find that Frederick Field's death was caused by a fall while coaling on board the s.s. " Corinthic," such fall being accidental. We wish to add that no precautions were provided for preventing such an accident, and we recommend that special provision be made in future when similar work is being done. On returning to vessel at 11 o'clook at night, Mrs. Coulter fell over wharf and was drowned. Verdict: Accidental death. The jury added a rider calling attention to necessity for wharves being better lighted, and for chains or ropes to be provided to prevent similar accidents in future. After calling watch and returning to his duties, J. Lucas slipped on an iron plate and fell, hurting his left elbow. Oreti, s.s., Wellington, 75219.. Herald Manning, A.B... Severe shaking .. Greymouth 1903. Jan. 5 Letterewe, Liverpool, 76394 .. George Francis, A.B. .. Fatal Queen's Wharf, Wellington Westralia, s.s., Melbourne, 106415 Walter Arkins, chief engineer Broken collar-bone Gisborne 7 9 Kumara, s.s., Southampton, 110258 Thomas Edwin Jackson, A.B. Loss of left thumb Lyttelton Corinthic, s.s.,Liverpool,l]5296 William Cocklin, fireBroken thigh-bone Wellington 9 man 10 Corinthic, s.s., Liverpool, 115296 Frederick Field, labourer Fatal Wellington t Victoria, s.s., Melbourne, 110996 Drowned Alongside wharf, Dunedin .. W 22 Mrs. A. W. Coulter, forecabin stewardess Corinna, s.s., Launceston, 79252 J. Lucas, fireman Injury to left elbow At sea Mar. 9