There passed away at his mothers' residence, North Otautau, quite a young man — Allan Corkhill. He was ill just four weeks, but people did not think anything serious was the matter. Dr Baird attended the sufferer. His parents and friends will have the sympathy of all in their very sad bereavement. -Western Star, 23/12/1904.
ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS.
A decomposed body was found wedged between a stone wall and an outbuilding at Mount Eden (Auckland) yesterday. It is believed to be that of a man named Hendrey, aged twenty-nine years, a clerk in occupation. Hendrey had been missing since May 7. Frederick Corkhill, employed at McCallam's saw-mill, near Otautau, while engaged in operations connected with hauling logs out of the bush, received injuries from which, he died three hours after receiving them. -Evening Star, 25/8/1908.
At Messrs McCallum's Glenburn sawmill at Otautau on Saturday afternoon an accident occurred which had a fatal termination. The victim, a young man named Frederick Corkhill, was (the Southland Times reports) engaged as the shoe-man in following the logs drawn by the hauling engine from places felled in the bush to the loading bank, where they are placed on the trollies and conveyed into the mill yard to go through the usual timber process. Corkhill's duty was to keep the logs clear of obstacles that might be in the hauling track, and in following out this work he must have been several paces in advance of the log, when the dog connecting the wire rope slipped out of its position, and in the rebound is supposed to have struck the unfortunate man, inflicting injuries as the result of which he succumbed within three hours. Corkhill was 39 years of age. -Otago Daily Times, 25/8/1908.
INQUEST.
An inquest was held yesterday at the residence of deceased's mother, before W. Saunders, Esq., (acting coroner), and the following jury: — Messrs Hartley (foreman), O'Brien, Stevens, Cooper, Parmenter, and Liddell.
Mr. M. O'Byrne, secretary Sawmill Workers' Union, appeared to watch proceedings on behalf of the Union, of which deceased was a member. Mr A. McCullum, employer, was also present.
Mrs Corkhill, mother of deceased, stated that deceased was her sole means of support. He was 39 years old, single, and a native of New Zealand. He was in good health when he left home the Sunday previous to death.
Thomas Ward, manager Glenburn sawmill, said there was a certain amount of risk at the work of shoeman, owing chiefly to lack of caution. The shoeman had an assistant to attend to the signal wire and do any other work asked by the shoeman. J. Richards came down to the mill about 2 o'clock on Saturday and told me that Fred Corkhill was severely hurt, and had been hit with shoe or dog. Sent a man and a trolley up and came down for the doctor, who went up and met Corkhill being brought down, and spoke to him. He (witness) believed that the log had fouled some obstacle while being hauled, and the dog had sprung out and hit deceased. It might be possible for the whistle string to foul by getting caught in a branch. He considered that deceased, who was a thoroughly competent man, must have been a little careless on the present occasion from the fact that he had got in front of the shoe, where he should not be. He never had had occasion to caution deceased for carelessness.
In reply to questions by Mr O'Byrne, witness stated that T. Collings was driving the engine. He did not employ or believe in boy drivers. There were some knots on the original string. Splices would be better, but these took time, and the usual custom was to knot. The stoppage of a signal string at a critical moment might result in a shoeman getting killed if caught by the rope or shoe. He knew of 2 or 3 deaths from being struck by the shoe, but he considered bush felling more dangerous than shoeing. He did not consider deceased had excessive work to perform. Witness exhibited a side dog as now used, and of the most approved type. It was not even under extraordinary circumstances, necessary for a shoeman to go in front of the log while in motion.
Dr. Baird stated that on making a post mortem examination he found the stomach and spleen had been ruptured, and death had resulted from shock and internal bleeding. Two ribs on the left side were broken. He was satisfied the accident was occasioned by a very heavy blow., and that there was no possible chance of recovery from injuries such as deceased had received. It was quite possible that the shoe or the rope might have caused the accident as well as the 'dog.' The external injury was very slight, but the internal injuries proved that the blow must have been a very violent one.
T. Colling, certificated driver, gave evidence of the procedure followed by him in hauling in the logs, his actions being guided by signals given by the whistle boy, all of which be understood. He knew the 'dog' drew in this instance and he stopped the engine, and immediately the whistle blew. He waited for a while without receiving further signal, when the head bushman came in and said Fred Corkhill was hurt. The log was about 20 chains away. Deceased was a firstclass man at his work, and he had arranged with witness to haul three or four drags, and then pull out the slack to repair a break in a casting on the drum.
In reply to Mr O'Byrne: Deceased had never complained about defects in the signal siring, which deceased had attended to himself. The whistle boy was about 7 chains away from the shoeman.
Frank Allen, bushman, said that about 1.30 p.m on Saturday Alex. Denniston, H. Ward and himself heard deceased singing out and rushed over, the distance was about 2 chains — and found Fred on his knees, with blood flowing from his head. Deceased said he was hurt on the side, not the head, and on placing his hand on deceased's side could feel his ribs were broken. Deceased did not appear to know what hit him as he asked repeatedly "what hit me," and apparently was in great pain. The bushmen carried him out on a stretcher to the trolly. He found deceased about three quarters of a chain from the log and about 6ft from the shoe and 'dog.' The shoe and 'dog' had sprung about threequarters of a chain after drawing. He never knew of Corkhill taking risks. He had been years at the work.
Archibald McAuliffe, whistle boy, stated his duties as assistant to the shoeman, and to signal to driver when to start and when to stop. He got the signal from Corkhill to start, and about one or one and a half minutes after got the signal to stop. I blew the whistle, and, at the same instant, heard the shoe and the dogs strike something, and hurried over to the track. Deceased called out but I did not catch what he said, and when I got to him Allen, Denniston and H. Ward got there at the same time. I went for sacks for a stretcher, and to get more men to carry deceased out, and to send a man for the doctor. I found deceased's pipe afterwards halfway between the log and block.
Mr O'Byrne, in questioning witness, said he was satisfied from evidence given, that the fatality had occurred from an accident pure and simple. A shoeman's work sometimes occasioned taking risks in ordrr to get through his duties.
The jury, without retiring, brought in the following verdict: — That the accident was caused by the slipping of the dogs and shoe attached to a log being hauled by winding engine to the loading bank in McCallum's bush, and striking deceased on the body, breaking some of his ribs and rupturing the stomach and spleen, and that the doctor's evidence certifies that death was due to shock and internal haemorrhage.
The funeral took place at 2.30 to-day, the remains being followed to the Otautau cemetery by a large cortege, among them being the deceased's work mates. -Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, 25/8/1908.
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