John William Israel Bird, 1878-5/11/1904.

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

SUFFOCATED WITH AMMONIA FUMES. 

Mr. John W. I. Bird, second engineer of the Union Co. steamer Corinna, this morning, at the Hospital, succumbed to the injuries he received on the vessel last Thursday afternoon. He was one of several who were injured by an escape of ammonia in the freezing chamber. Mr. Bird was the only one seriously affected by the fumes, and was removed to the Hospital in an insensible condition. It was generally expected that be would pull through, and his sudden demise came as a shock in shipping circles this morning. Deceased was a single man, 26 years of age, and the only son of Constable Bird, of Blenheim. He was a popular and efficient officer. As soon as the news of the death reached the wharf flags were flown at half-mast. This morning deceased's relatives arrived in Wellington by the Nambucca, but were too late to see him alive. As we went to press an enquiry concerning the death was being held by Mr. A. Simpson, Acting Coroner. It is the intention of deceased's parents to take the body to Nelson for interment.  -Evening Post, 5/11/1904.

An enquiry was begun at the Hospital on Saturday regarding the bursting on Thursday afternoon of an ammonia cylinder connected with the freezing apparatus on the s.s. Corinna, which resulted in the death of John William Bird, second engineer. Deceased, who was a son of Constable Bird, of Blenheim, was only 26 years of age, and had been in the engineroom of the Union liner for about 2 1/2 years. The enquiry was before Mr. A. Simpson, Acting-Coroner. Only the evidence of the father of the deceased and of the medical men concerned was taken. Dr. Henry, who saw Bird shortly after the mishap, said he did not then appear to be in a serious state. He had evidently swallowed some of the ammonia fumes, and as it was possible that serious consequences might ensue, witness sent him to the Hospital. His eyes were inflamed, and the larynx and lungs were apparently in a state of irritation from, the fumes, but he walked out of the stokehole, and also got into a cab without assistance. Dr. Ewart, Medical Superintendent at the Hospital, said that after Bird's admission to the Hospital, scalds disclosed themselves on his face, neck, and arm, and he had difficulty in breathing, and vomited after taking food. On Friday he was worse, and death occurred about 4.30 on Saturday morning. It was due to suffocation and injury to the breathing organs, assisted by want of nourishment, as he could not retain anything »in his stomach. The whole of his mouth and throat were raw, due to the action of the ammonia fumes and the injury probably extended to the lungs and stomach. The enquiry was adjourned until 2.30 o'clock on Tuesday for the evidence of the men who saw the accident and of experts as to the probable cause of the bursting of the cylinder.   -Evening Post, 7/11/1904.

AMMONIA FUMES.

THE FATALITY ON THE CORINNA. 

The adjourned inquest regarding the death of Mr J. W. I. Bird, second engineer of the Union Company's steamer Corinna, which occurred in the Wellington Hospital on Saturday morning as a result of the escape of ammonia fumes in the refrigerator of the steamer as she lay at the Wellington wharf, was resumed yesterday afternoon before the Deputy Coroner (Mr A. Simpson) and a jury of six. 

Sub-Inspector O’Donovan conducted the inquiry on behalf of the police, Mr T. Young appeared for the chief engineer of the Corinna, and Mr A. L. Herdman represented the next of kin of the deceased. Mr W. A. Kennedy, manager of the Union Company, was present. 

John Gilroy, chief engineer of the Corinna, gave evidence that the deceased had been second engineer of that vessel for about two years. Witness and the deceased were taking the refuse oil out of the oil-trap of the freezing machine, and the deceased was holding the hose, one end of which was attached to the machine, and the waste end was out through a porthole. Witness was lying down attending to the valve. Deceased fastened the hose on to the machine. Witness opened the valve, but as the oil did not come, deceased told him to open it a little more. “None yet,” he said, and witness said he would shut it. He had it shut a big half of what he had opened it, and he was taking the other turn on the valve, when he heard deceased’s voice saying, “Hold,” or some similar word, and heard the flop of the hose on the floor. Witness felt deceased walking over him in the position in which he was lying, and his own hands fell away from the valve, delaying him a second or two longer in closing it. When he got up, the end of the hose was five or six feet from his head, and it was discharging in the room, instead of out of the porthole. Bird had gone out of the door. Witness could only attribute the position of the hose to its having doubled back before deceased let go his hold of it. Witness could not see the accident from the position he was in with regard to the machine. He could not have prevented the accident, nor was there any reason to apprehend an accident. The method pursued was the usual way of getting rid of the refuse-oil. Nobody else but deceased had ever assisted witness to do the work. Witness discovered afterwards that there was a third man present in the freezing compartment, but he did not know that at the time. Witness felt the effects of the fumes in the room. After the accident the hose was found to be quite connected to the machine. The hose has about three feet through the porthole before witness started to turn the valve.

Arthur Charles Carmen, third engineer of the Corinna, deposed that he was working in another part of the engineroom when the accident occurred. He heard the deceased call out, the ammonia came down to the engine-room, and all of them cleared out. Witness saw deceased lying at the bottom of the engine-room ladder. He had come down from the refrigerating chamber, which was on the second platform. Deceased practically fell down the ladder and lay there. Witness picked him up and took him into the stokehole. Deceased was groaning and gasping for breath. He remained about half an hour there before he was taken to the hospital. It was impossible to take him to the deck sooner, as the ladder was too narrow, but he was under a ventilator, and had plenty of fresh air. Deceased was about twenty minutes there before the doctor arrived. He was able to walk up before he went to the hospital. Witness accompanied him there. He told witness that the hose flew up and he got the ammonia down his throat. Witness had never seen the operation performed at which the deceased was engaged with the chief engineer. Deceased would be about five feet from the chief engineer when the accident occurred. 

Finlay Malcolm, fireman on the Corinna, testified that he was standing right alongside the deceased in the refrigerating chamber when the accident took place. The hose flew back and hit witness in the face. Deceased was holding it through the porthole at the time. Deceased sang out “Shut it” to the chief engineer. Witness got out as quickly as possible, and was the first man out of the room. Witness got on deck, and did not see anything more of what happened. Witness did not assist in the operation — he was merely present for the purpose of taking away tools. 

B. J. Gardner, the engineer who had erected the refrigerating machine, described its mechanism and the process of taking off the oil. He had instructed the men how to do the work. There was not necessarily any danger attached to it if everything was handled properly. The only way witness could account for the accident was that deceased was either frightened of the fumes and let go the hose, or else he had not a proper hold of the hose. From the medical evidence witness thought deceased must have had his mouth open and got the fumes down his throat. The ammonia would be in the state of a high-pressure gas, and would come out of the hose after the oil. There could not have been enough ammonia in the room to hurt anybody, as the chief engineer got out without assistance, and was none the worse. The pressure in the hose would not be sufficient to make it recoil. The jury found that deceased came by his death from suffocation by ammonia fumes, accidentally caused.  -NZ Times, 9/11/1904.

FUNERAL NOTICE. 

THE Friends of MR and MRS J. BIRD are respectfully informed that the Funeral of their late SON, John William, will leave the residence of Mr J. Wells, Russell street, on WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, at 2.30 p m., for the New Cemetery.

ALFRED SHONE, Undertaker.  -Nelson evening Mail, 7/11/1904.

Wakapuaka Cemetery, Nelson.