ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS
Marjory Ethel Gill, aged six, daughter of Mr Robert Gill, farmer, of Chertsey, mot with a fatal accident this morning. A horse attached to a dray bolted, and the little girl was crushed between the wheel of the dray and a post. Death was instantaneous.
John Curror, a boilermaker. was crushed in the crankpit of a steamer at Port Chalmers on Friday afternoon, and died at the Cottage Hospital shortly after noon yesterday. An inquest was held this afternoon. -Evening Star, 28/1/1918.
DEATHS
CURROR. — At Port Chalmers, on January 27 (the result of an accident), John, dearly beloved husband of Elizabeth Curror, and third son of Mr and Mrs John Curror, of Whiteinch, Glasgow. Sadly missed. -Otago Daily Times, 28/1/1918.
CRUSHED IN CRANK PIT
JOHN CURROR’S DEATH.
INQUEST AT PORT CHALMERS.
Mr Bartholomew, S.M., held an inquest yesterday afternoon at Port Chalmers touching the death of John Curror, boilermaker, who was crushed in the crank-pit of a steamer at Port Chalmers on Friday afternoon, and died as a result of the injuries at noon on Sunday, in the Cottage Hospital.
Mr Scurr was present on behalf of the Boilermakers’ Union, and Mr C. E. Cole (for Mr A. S. Adams) on behalf of Messrs Stevenson and Cook, the employers of the deceased.
James Alwyn Stevenson, blacksmith, was the first witness. He gave evidence of identification, also deposing that Mrs Curror stated to him that her husband, prior to his decease, in referring to his being crushed by the crank shaft, said that someone must have turned the steam on and caused the machinery to revolve.
William Henry Kemp, metal workers’ assistant, in his evidence, stated he was working with the deceased, and was present when the accident occurred. Immediately before the accident deceased and witness were working in the stokehole, putting down stokehole plates. Deceased told witness that the engineer wanted a small job done in the engine-room, and they both went to the engine-room to do it. The job in question was to straighten a bent guard-plate at the crank-pit, and witness went into the crank-pit, removed the set pins, and they proceeded to straighten the guard-plate on the engineroom floor. When the plate was straightened, deceased went into the crank-pit to put the set pins in again and replace the guard-plate. As soon as deceased went into the pit witness noticed the crank begin to move downwards. Witness, on noting this movement, immediately threw aside the guard-plate which he was then holding in his hand, and grabbed Curror by the shoulders, dragging him out of the crank-pit, and on to the engine-room floor. There was not sufficient clearance in the crank-pit for the crank to pass without striking Curror, and Curror was consequently crushed by the crank before witness caught him. He was crushed between the crank shaft and the column. It was only a matter of a second or so between the time when witness noticed the crank move and the time it crushed the deceased. As the crank went down it pulled Curror with it. There was very little room in the pit when the crank was down, and witness did not know what caused it to move downwards in this case. The crank had been stationary for fully 15 minutes before Curror went into the pit. When witness pulled him out of the pit the crank was still moving. They put the injured man underneath a ventilator, opened his clothing at the neck, and sent for the doctor, who arrived in about 15 or 20 minutes. Curror was then removed to the hospital.
Witness, in reply to questions, said that several of the engine-room staff were at work about the engine-room, at a distance of a few yards, when the accident happened. None of them said anything. Witness did not personally know whether the crank had been working by steam power; all he knew was that the crank was stationary while he was in the engine-room. Witness and deceased were working for Stevenson and Cook, and received their orders from Foremen Osborn and Buchan.
To Mr Scurr: The depth of the crankpit was about 5ft 6in below the level of the engine-room floor. Witness did not know whether the crank kept on moving. When Curror was got out of the pit the crank was leaning rather away from him. A little later he noticed that the crank, in its revolution, had stopped just before it got to the top. This was after the accident. Witness could not say what was the position of the crank when Curror went into the pit. In witness’s opinion the crank could not have risen from the pit without pressure to the position in which he noticed it after the accident. Steam was up on the donkey boiler beforehand, and that was customary when the main boilers were not under steam.
To the Coroner: Witness could not say who directed the work to be done at which the accident occurred. Witness was deceased’s assistant.
To Mr Cole: Mr Osborn and Mr Buchan were in charge of the gang of men, which included witness and Curror. It was one of the ship’s engineers who directed the work to be done at the crank-pit. He could not say whether a crank moved of itself. Deceased would have been in a worse position if, instead of going into the pit, he had leaned over it. Witness himself was in the crank-pit previously, but he did not know about any pin to prevent the crank moving, for he was not an engineer, and did not understand the machinery.
Dr W. H. Borrie said he found deceased lying on the engine-room floor in great pain. A number of his ribs were broken on both sides, and there was air, which had escaped from the lungs internally, under the tissue beneath the skin. Morphia was administered to ease the pain, and the injured man removed to the Cottage Hospital. There was no trace of injury to the abdominal organs. In addition to the fractured ribs, the lungs must have been severely bruised. Deceased told witness that an engineer instructed him to straighten the plate, and, in doing so, the accident took place, but witness did not explain how it occurred. He seemed to rally from the shock on Saturday afternoon, but on Saturday night inflammation of the lungs ensued — a usual thing in such cases— and he died on Sunday, at a quarter past 12 o’clock. The cause of death was inflammation of the lungs and collapse, following severe bruising of the chest and lungs.
Alexander Buchan, foreman boilermaker for the Union Company, deposed that he was in charge of the men from Stevenson and Cook’s. He did not know that deceased was in the engine room until he heard of it after the accident. Deceased was taken from where he was working in the stokehole without witness’s knowledge by the second engineer of the steamer. The work was done in the crank pit by deceased in the usual manner. When the pins were far down one had to go down into the pit. From what witness had since heard from engineers, he believed it was usual for the crank to move as it had done in this case. Witness was not himself an engineer. The engines had previously been working. Precautions should have been taken in respect to a gear wheel to keep the crank stationary. The second engineer of this vessel seemed to think that the guard plate in this case could have been fixed by a man leaning over the pit. In that case the man’s mate would have to keep a lookout. In any case, either leaning over or going into the pit, it would have been a dangerous job if the crank had moved. If witness had been present he would not have allowed the deceased to put the plate back again. The engineers should have put it back. Usually the engineers did the whole job themselves, but in this case the pins were bent.
To Mr Scurr; It was usual to send boilermakers. on board a vessel to work under tho engineers,
To Mr Cole: In this case the boilermaker did the work by order of the engineer. Sometimes, to help a job along, the boilermakers did what the engineer's wanted done.
Thomas Chalmers Cordock, works manager of the Port Chalmers marine repair works of the Union Company, said that work to be done on vessels such as the one on which the accident took place was put in for by requisition. He had no instructions in respect to the guard plate. He knew that the gang of workmen which included the deceased were on board the vessel. The company’s foreman (Mr Buchan) was in charge of the work they were engaged at. If the second engineer told deceased to straighten the guard plate it was right that deceased should do so, but an engineer would not tell a man to go into the crank pit. Witness did not think it was necessary for a man even to put his head and shoulders over the crank pit to do the job, which could have been done without danger from the crank. Then fitters fixed the plate afterwards. If the deceased was sent into the pit the gear should have been put in to ensure safety, by preventing the crank shaft from turning. In all his experiencs witness had not known of a similar accident. It was a foolish thing, after the engine had been running, for anyone to go into the crank pit without the preventive gear first being put in.
To Mr Scurr: Witness did not know how far the pins of the guard plate were below the floor level. An engineer after the accident fixed the plate without going into the pit. The guard plate extended from the floor plate to the handrail. The second engineer was not in charge of the work which witness’s company were requisitioned to do on the vessel.
In reply to further questions, witness said the whole crank would weigh about six tons, and it would not go a complete round without pressure. The accident could have been avoided if the turning gear had been put in beforehand. Anyone sending a man into the pit should see that the turning gear was in.
The Coroner said it was unfortunate that the steamer had sailed, and that the second engineer could not therefore be present at the inquest, as it would certainly have been more satisfactory had he been present. It was quite evident now that the turning gear should have been put in when such work was done. Evidently men were depended on to see to the gear for themselves, and the second engineer would not appreciate the lack of knowledge possessed by the man he sent to do the work. It was an unfortunate accident.
The formal verdict was in accordance with the medical evidence — that death was due to inflammation and collapse following severe bruising of the chest and lungs. -Evening Star, 29/1/1918.
BOILERMAKERS AND SHIP BUILDERS
The monthly meeting of the United Boilermakers' and Iron Shipbuilders of Otago was held in Port Chalmers on Saturday evening, the president (Bro. D. Mercer) in the chair, a fair number of members being present. Before entering into the business for the evening the President said that since they last assembled one of the members (Bro J. Curror) had met with an accident while engaged at the trade, and had died of injuries received. Mention was made of the manner in which the late member had always worked to further the interests of the trade, and also his worth as a fellow-worker. Deep regret was expressed at his untimely end in such a shocking manner. The meeting was then adjourned for a short period out of respect to the late brother's memory. -Evening Star, 4/2/1918.
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