Donald Crossan was a labourer working at Owaka when he joined the army in 1915. His military career was unremarkable - slight head wound in 1917, two months in an Egyptian hospital with VD. He returned home, married, fathered two children and drove a taxi for a while. Then he got a job at Dunedin's Hillside Railway Workshops.
WORKSHOP FATALITY
CLOTHING CAUGHT BY SHAFTING.
(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)
DUNEDIN, This Day. Donald Septimus Crossan, a boiler maker, was killed at the railway workshops this morning. He had climbed up to turn off an air-cock, and was descending when his clothes were caught by some shafting, and he was whirled round till he was dead. He was a married man with two children. -Evening Post, 17/6/1926.
OTAGO BOILERMAKERS’ SOCIETY.
THE Officers and Members of the above Society are requested to attend the Funeral of the late Bro. Donald Septimus Crossan, which will leave his late residence, 11 Loom street, Kaikorai, on SATURDAY, the 19th inst., at 2 p.m., for the Andersons Bay Cemetery (via Andersons Bay).
T. KELLAN, Secretary.
THE Members of the KAIKORAI RUGBY LEAGUE FOOTBALL CLUB are requested to attend the Funeral of their late Captain D. Crossan, which will leave 11 Loom street, Kaikorai, SATURDAY, 2 p.m., for Anderson’s Bay Cemetery. Members’ car from Exchange to Bay.
N. MACKEY, Secretary. -Evening Star, 18/6/1926.
Obituary
MR. DONALD CROSSAN.
(By Telegraph. — Own Correspondent.) DUNEDIN, this day. Mr. Donald Crossan, who was killed at Hillside Workshops, went to the war with the Third Reinforcements, and remained there till the conclusion of hostilities. He was prominent in League football and was largely responsible for the formation of the Kaikorai League Club. In addition to being an active player and captain of his club's team, he represented Otago twice against Canterbury in 1924. He also played the Rugby code as a member of the Kaikorai first fifteen. -Auckland Star, 19/6/1926.
A DANGEROUS CLIMB
MATTER MUST BE RIGHTED
THE HILLSIDE ACCIDENT
DEATH OF DONALD CROSSAN.
Giving his verdict at the inquest yesterday as to the death of Donald Septimus Crossan, who was killed through being caught by a revolving shaft while working at Hillside, the Coroner (Mr J. R. Dartholomow, S.M.) said;
It seems to have been the common practice in reaching the air cock which deceased was adjusting to got up to it by the use of what one witness termed, a natural ladder — that is, by standing first on the hydraulic press and getting up on a pillar. A ladder was available and could have been used; but the evidence shows that it is used very seldom. The evidence also shows that it is a dangerous thing to clamber, as deceased did, up the wall, which gives only a very narrow clearance of the shaft. This does not seem to have impressed itself on the workmen or on the deceased himself. The management does not appear to have been aware that the men were carrying out the work in this way, and on the other hand the men say it has always been done in this manner. A few feet further along the wall is a fixed ladder. It seems to be in a very similar position to the one we have here, and seems, as Mr Callan has said, to amount almost to an invitation to the men to use the natural facilities in climbing. There does not seem to be much less danger in going up the fixed ladder than in the other way. The conditions, then, are such as to lull any suspicion of danger that one might have. It is certainly a matter which, now that attention has been drawn to it, will be righted, either by issuing definite instructions or by devising some other means.
The inquest, which had been proceeding in the morning, was continued in the afternoon. Mr F. B. Adams appeared for the Railway Department, Mr J. B. Callan for the relatives, and Sergeant Murray for the police.
Oscar Russell Brown, a boilermaker at the Hillside workshops, said that when he looked round he saw the clothes of deceased fluttering, and almost at once the body fell down on to the top of the hydraulic press. He had seen men going up there before, sometimes on a ladder and sometimes up the wall.
To Mr Callan; Witness knew of no instruction whatever, the hoist had been under repair the previous day. Before repairing the hoist it would be necessary to turn off the air. He saw Crossan go up twice the previous day, once to turn the cock off and again to turn it on. When a ladder was used it was left clear of the shaft and would rest against the pipes. There was no ladder in the shop long enough to do what he had described. The ladder previously referred to was an extension one. He did not know where it was kept. There was nothing between the revolving shaft and the body of a man going up the fixed ladder to oil the countershaft. Witness had been about seven years in the boiler room. Going up to the cock was a thing that was not frequently necessary — it might be necessary usually to go up about twice in twelve months. It did not strike him when he saw Crossan going up that it was an unusual or dangerous thing for him to do. It excited no comment or interest among the men. Ten or twelve men were generally to be found in the boiler shop. The bosses who had something to do with the boiler shop were Hudson (leading hand), Perry (foreman of the boiler shop), and Yeoman (assistant foreman). If either of these men saw something wrong being done he would have the right and the duty to stop it. One or other of these men was usually in the boiler shop.
To Mr Adams: Everyone in the boiler shop was kept fairly busy. It did not strike him now that to go up the wall was a dangerous thing to do. Witness knew it was necessary to exercise care with an apron close to inachinery.
Alexander Duncan Hendry, also employed at the workshops, described what he saw of the accident. Witness was cross-examined by Mr Callan and Mr Adams, his evidence coinciding largely with that of the previous witnesses.
Richard Pearson Wallace, a fitter employed at Hillside, said it was he who was told to take down the hoist, it was necessary that the air cock should be turned off, and Crossan turned it off. Witness did not actually observe the accident. It was usual to go up the wall in the way that Crossan had done. Witness had been eleven years at Hillside.
To Mr Callan: The nearest suitable ladder was in the machine shop. On this occasion Crossan and witness had brought the ladder in earlier in the day to put up a block and tackle for lowering the hoist.
To Mr Adams: He did not now regard going up the wall as a dangerous practice. He had known no boilermaker other than Crossan to go up the wall.
Henry George Lawrence Noy, inspector of machinery, said he had inspected the machinery since the accident. He did not consider the way followed to be a safe method of closing the cock. A ladder would be much safer. Had he been in charge he would not have allowed the men to go up to the cock otherwise than by a ladder.
To Mr Callan: All Government works of this sort were excluded from the statute providing for machinery inspection. He would not agree to a ladder being fixed on the wall between the shaft and the wall.
To Mr Adams: It was dangerous to get near a shaft when there was anything loose like an apron about one.
Mr Adams called Frederick Albert Perry, acting workshop foreman, who said that at the time of Crossan's death he was in charge of the boiler shop in which Crossan was working. He know of no practice on the part of the men of 'going up the wall.
To Mr Callan: Neither Hudson nor Yeoman nor witness was in the shop at the time of the accident. In the years he had been in the place ho had seen no one mount the wall to the cock. He had seen no one at all mount to the cock. It was anything but safe to go up the wall. Witness had himself gone up to satisfy himself as to the position, and had done it fairly easily. The cock had been in its present position for years. It would be quite easy to turn the cock on or off if there were a long handle down to the ground.
Charles James Graham, general foreman of the locos., and n charge of the general machinery plant, said this boiler shop was within his jurisdiction. Witness was aware of no practice among the men to climb up the wall as Crossan did. There was an element of risk about that act. The better way would be to put the ladder in position. The ladder would take a man clear of the shaft.
To Mr Callan: He had seen a ladder in position only since the occurrence. No instructions had been given as to the manner of access to the cock. He did not agree that a 20ft lever to the cock was a necessary thing. A better way would he to bring the compressed air down and have the cock worked by hand. Witness had been about twenty nine years in the service. He said he would use the 16ft ladder in the shop, placing it against the pillar. Confronted with a photograph, he admitted that, placed against the pillar, a 16ft ladder could not clear the shaft.
Mr Callan: That means we can scrap the evidence about the suitability of a 16ft ladder.
The Coroner: It is a pity it was not scrapped as soon as he got into the box instead of taking all this time. That is hardly the answer we should have from a responsible officer. Pressed further, the witness admitted that he did not know there was a cock there at all.
William Henry Johnston, manager of the Workshops, said he had never previously known of men climbing the wall. There were fixed ladders where men had frequently to go aloft. The rules provided that men should take reasonable care in going about the machinery. A railway magazine of general interest, which stressed the need for care, had been circulated recently among the employees.
The Coroner pointed out that two of the witnesses already called had stated that they did not get the magazine.
To Mr Callan: The witness did not suggest that the attention of the men had been drawn to this warning in the magazine. No one would think of putting such a handle on a small cock. The air pipe was taken round above because it was more out of the way there than below. There was no inspector of machinery in the Government Workshops.
Summing the whole matter up, the Coroner said it had been thrashed out very thoroughly. It had been made clear enough how the unfortunate man had met his death. His clothing or apron had been caught in a revolving shaft, and he had been whirled round, and, striking the wall, had been almost instantly killed. It had been shown that there were no instructions to the men as to what they were to do when this cock had to be or closed. It was a thing which had to be manipulated very infrequently.
The verdict was one of accidental death through injuries received by being caught in a shafting and dashed against a wall. -Evening Star, 26/6/1926.
ONLY THREE FEET BETWEEN WORKMEN AND SUDDEN DEATH!
Donald Crosscut's Life Sacrificed Through Dangerous Boiler Climb
(From "Truth's" Special Dunedin Representative.)
THE inquest on Donald Septimus Crossan, who was killed through being caught by a revolving shaft while working at the Hillside workshops, revealed features concerning the conditions under which the employees worked that "Truth" feels should be enquired into.
IN fact, the Coroner (Mr. J. R. Bartholomew), remarked: "It certainly seems a matter which, now that attention has been drawn to it, will be righted, either by issuing definite instructions or by devising some other means."
CROSSAN lost his life through crawling up the wall in the boiler shop to turn off an aircock, 20ft. from the ground. To do this he had to keep clear of a shafting, doing about 160 revolutions a minute, which was about 3ft. from the wall.
Crossan's apron was caught in the shafting. He had been whirled round, his head striking the wall, and was killed instantly. The main features of the inquest were:
That six witnesses stated that it was the practice to crawl up the wall to manipulate the aircock. Four declared that they knew of no instructions as to how they were to go up the wall. Two witnesses informed the Coroner that they had never seen a ladder which would pass over the shafting and reach up to the cock, with the result that any man who had to manipulate the air-cock crawled up the wall.
One witness said that to reach the air-cock a ladder 20ft. long would be required. There was no ladder that length in the shop, but an extension ladder could be obtained at the machine shop, which was some distance away.
He also stated that he had once used the ladder, but it was some years ago and he only used it because it happened to be handy.
It is interesting to note the result of the cross-examination of several witnesses, including the senior inspector of machinery, by Mr. J. B. Callan, who appeared for the relatives of Crossan. William Henry Johnstone (manager), Charles James Graham (general foreman) and Albert Perry (acting workshops foreman) gave evidence that they were not aware that the men were in the habit of crawling up the wall.
In fact, they expressed amazement that any man should have gone up that way.
To each witness Mr. Callan showed two photographs, one of the scene of the accident and one of a portion of the wall a few feet further along. The latter picture showed a portion of the wall where a ladder was fixed.
This was used by men in oiling the shafting, which was the continuation of the same shafting upon which Crossan's apron was caught. "NZ Truth, 8/7/1926.
Deaths
CROSSAN. — On July 8, 1945 (suddenly), at her residence, 12 Forfar street, Mosgiel. Emily, dearly beloved wife of the late Donald Crossan and loved mother of Molly and Jack; aged 48 years. "A stout heart at rest "-The Funeral will leave her late residence, 12 Forfar street, Mosgiel, on Wednesday, 11th inst., at 1.30 p.m for the Anderson's Bay Cemetery. — R. Campbell and Sons, funeral directors. -Otago Daily Times, 9/7/1945.
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