SCALDED IN BREWERY VAT.
YOUNG MAN’S DEATH.
(Per Press Association.) GORE, July 25. George Whittingham, Junior, single, 20, fell into a vat of scalding water at his father’s brewery at Gore on Tuesday morning. The unfortunate man was immersed to the hips but was speedily rescued by his father. His injuries were not at first regarded as serious, but he succumbed as a result of severe burns to-day. -Horowhenua Chronicle, 25/7/1924.
FATALITY AT GORE
INQUEST PROCEEDING.
DEATH OF G. W. WHITTINGHAM, JUNIOR.
An inquest concerning the death of George W. Whittingham, junior, and the circumstances leading thereto was held at the Gore Courthouse on Saturday morning before the coroner (Mr A. Martin).
George W. Whittingham, father of the deceased, said that work was commenced at the brewery at four o’clock on Tuesday morning. At about 6.15 a.m. they were preparing to run in the underlet. His son was on the top floor watching the heat of the water, witness was on the second floor stoking, and Mr Bain was also on the second floor attending to the underlet. The first indication witness had of any occurrence was a splash of cold water from the top floor, and at the same time his son called out. Witness immediately ran upstairs and put his hand into the vat. His son grasped his hand and was lifted clear of the water. There was no delay whatsoever in getting deceased out of the vat. He took his coat and vest off himself, and witness immediately stripped off his trousers and cut off his boots. Witness then procured a couple of blankets from his house, and carried his son home. Deceased, although asked on several occasions, did not say how he fell into the vat, which was heated to about 190 degrees. He had complained on the Monday about a pain across the stomach. Witness could not account for the accident. There was, he said, a barrel of cold water standing alongside the vat. Three parts of the vat was covered over with a wooden board. The only solution witness could offer was that his son must have attempted to manipulate the tap which filled the barrel, and, overbalancing, pulled over the barrel and fell into the vat. Witness explained that candles had to be used when working before daylight. Electric lights were useless in the dense steam that rose from the vats.
Dr. A. J. McIlroy said he was called in to see deceeased on Tuesday morning between 6.30 and 7 a.m. He found him to be suffering from extensive burns on both legs which extended above the hips. These burns were of the second degree, namely, blistering. The patient was suffering from marked shock from this cause. Witness attended to the burns and injected morphia and strychnine to counteract the shock. Witness called on the patient again the same evening and redressed the burns, and also administered further morphia and strychnine. The following day deceased was recovering from the shock, but commenced to vomit, which ultimately became continuous, being stained with blood. Witness ascertained then that deceased had met with a motor accident on the previous Sunday night, and as a consequence he was suffering from an internal injury. On the Wednesday night he was in a condition of collapse,d ue more to excessive vomiting than to the shock from the burns. The following day (Thursday) he appeared to improve, and on visiting him on the Friday morning the collapse had reoccurred and deceased died in witness’ presence. He considered death was due to shock from excessive burning complicated by internal injury caused by the motor accident on the previous Sunday night. He thought the patient would have recovered from the effects of the burns had not the internal complications set in, which prevented one from stimulating the patient.
To the Sergeant, Dr. Mcllroy said that deceased did not show any signs of shock from abdominal injury when first visited by witness, and when morphia was administered to allay the shock of the burns the pain due to abdominal injury would be disguised. The internal bleeding prevented the patient taking any nourishment, and he really collapsed from want of food.
James T. Bain, who was working at the brewery on the morning of the accident, gave corroborative evidence. In rushing to get the candle off the window ledge his left foot slipped into the vat, and it was scalded. He was at present under medical care. The only conclusion he could come to was that deceased had over-reached himself and caught hold of the hogshead instead of the water tap, and pulled it over on the cover of the vat, falling in with it. The hogshead was kept full of water on the stand to pour into the vat when the temperature was right. The water from the town water pipes ran too slowly. That was the reason the hogshead was kept full. This was all the evidence, and the Coroner returned a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony. -Southland Times, 28/7/1924.
No comments:
Post a Comment