Taking photos in Port Chalmers' Old Cemetery recently, I found this, a confusing sight which I eventually realised was a large chunk of the missing plaque from the adjacent gravestone which had been places with the pieces of this one. The word "Killed" drew my attention, of course, so it was a visit to the local library for me, to seach the 1980s cemetery transcription series.
At Port Chalmers, at two o’clock this afternoon, the carpenter of the steamer Hero, Alexander Wylie, fell from aloft, a distance of 60ft, and broke his neck. Death was instantaneous. He had been sixteen years in the ship; was about fifty-six years of age, and leaves a family in Melbourne. -Evening Star, 13/8/1881.
INQUEST.
An inquest was hold on the body of the late Alexander Wylie, carpenter of the steamer Hero, at the Court-house, Port Chalmers, yesterday afternoon, before Coroner Drysdale and a jury of fifteen.
Alexander McDonald: I am in tho employ of the Union Company. On Saturday, the 13th, I was sent aloft on board the Hero, together with the deceased, to measure the spars. This was about 2pm., and when deceased was on the topsail-yard I gave him my book, while I went aloft. I was halfway up the top-gallantmast when the tapeline got foul. The carpenter jumped up to clear it, and afterwards sang out "All right; go ahead." I got halfway up the topgallant mast again when I heard something give a rattle, and looking down to see what was the matter I saw the deceased strike the deck, and after striking the deok he rolled over up against the windlass. As I was going down on deck again I noticed the topsail lifts hanging over the fore-topmast stay. The strop of the topsail lift was gone.
By the Foreman: The strop slipped down over the stay. I noticed nothing wrong with the rising.
Francis Bernard, a seaman on board the Hero: I was cleaning down tho mainmast shortly before 2 p.m. on the 13th, and saw someone fall from the foretopmast. I went below, and found the carpenter was quite dead.
By the Coroner: I was not aware it was the carpenter on the yard. He had always been told not to go aloft.
Edward Clayton, chief officer of tho s.s. Hero: About 2 pm. on the 18th I was coming out cf my room to go forward, and heard a row and someone sing out "There's someone fallen from aloft." I immediately ran and found the carpenter lying on the forecastle head, apparently dead. I despatched a messenger for the doctor, and looked up aloft to see if anything had carried away, and found that the foretopsail lift-strop had parted. After seeing the deceased properly attended to and carried away, I sent another hand aloft to bring down the broken strop for examination. I found it was a new strop, not in the slightest chafed, but the wire defective.
By the Coroner: The strop has been in use since last September.
By a Juror: The strop is a properly made one. Parcelling was complete when I cut it off on Saturday in the presence of the shipping reporters of the daily papers. The rigging is examined every week.
After deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death," and at the same time exonerated the officers of the Hero from all blame. -Evening Star, 16/8/1881.
 |
| Port Chalmers Old Cemetery. The full inscriptions reads: "In memorium Alexander Wylie, born at Greenock 2 Jan 1835, killed on board ss Hero 13 Aug 1881 aged 46 years. Erected by members of the Seaman's Union and a few friends s a token of respect for the deceased." |
No comments:
Post a Comment