THE FATAL ACCIDENT AT WAKANUI MILL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1955, 27 September 1888, Page 2

THE FATAL ACCIDENT AT WAKANUI MILL

> -.' THE INQUEST. 1 The Inquest on view of the body of [ Samuel Kennedy, partloulari of who&e pali. fol death were publshed In oar l«st t was held at Wakanui at 2 o'olook yesterday afternoon, before Major Steward aoting-Ooroner, and a jary of sfx, of ! whom Mr J. Bonlfant was ohosea foreman The jury having been sworn, the 0 >roner said that they were oalled together to enquire Into the clroumatanoei under which the deoeased, Samuel Kennedy, oama to his death. 80 far as he waa at present aware there was no reason to suppose that these olroumatanoss were otherwise than purely accidental, bnt It would be for the jury to ascertain whether there was any carelessness or dsfeot !n the maohinery, wbloh had contributed to • the painful result. In order to this, after viewing the body, they would prooeed to ; the aoene of the aooldent and Inspeot the 1 machinery. The jury then viewed the body, and , afterwards prooeeded to the mill. On ; returning the following evidence was taken : — 1 Dr Trevor said he had bean oalled on r the previous afternoon to the mill to see 1 the deceased, Witneßs fonnd him lying on thefl)or of the mill ft the point of death. He only lived for about two [ ruinates after witness arrived. He wm , quite unconscious and pulseless. Then r were severe wounds on the icalp and • fraoture of the skull. The right arm 1 bone waa broken aoross at the part near 1 the shoulder, and the entire arm severed from the body, bringing with It a portion of the Bkln covering the chest, Witness went to the spot where he was Informed the aooldent ooourred, and saw a considerable quantity of blood on the I oor, and on two posts close by. Either of the lojorles on the head or shoulder would 1 have been sufficient to cause death. Deceased waa probably unooosoloui from the first, through the injury to the head, consequently did not suffer pain, Jas. Oockburn said that he was In charge of tbe Wakaoul mill. About four o'olook on Tuesday afternoon he . was coming In at tbe door of the mill, when he beard an unusual noise among the gear, the maohinery being then running.' When be came forward he saw the deceased's legs passing betweeu the beams bb he was being carried round by the shaft. Witness at onoe rushed and stopped tbe mill. He went round to tht baok and found tho body of the deceased warped round the shaft. Blood wai gushing out of his right shoulder. Witness started st onoe to free htm from the shaft by cutting away his olothes, which wen entangled round the shaft. Deoeased'i right arm was separated from the body, and the wrlst^was o&ueht'in a fold of the belt. As soon as witness got deceased down he oalled for help, and Miss Hyde, who resided at Mr ThonW house, came and* assisted him. Witness then sent for Dr Trevor, and also sent m boy- for deceased's father. When he got deceased out from among the maohinery, wltneis went himself for Mr Junes, who remained with deceased till the doctor flame. Wit* ness did not send the deceased to sharpen the gorse-grubber, nnd did not know tbat he was In the mill. There was no other person In the mill at the time. Wltnesi inferred from what he saw m the mill that deceased k had been endeavoring to put the belt on the grindstone for the purpose of sharpening a gorae-grubber, which was lying on the stone. Deodaatd was a young man about 18 or 19 years of age: He was very steady and was perfectly sober on the day of the .aooldent. Witneßs was a miller and thoroughly acquainted with the maohinery of flour mills. The machinery In the Wakaual ; mill waa fitted up In the proper manner, and waa protected ns muoh as was usual against aooldents from use of the ua> ohlnery. He had seen mills worse prcteoted. Witness oonoluded that the belt must have been hanging loosely on the shaft, and tbat m attempting to put it on to the grindstone deceased must have got hli arm entangled^ Such an aoatdent might have oaaurred. to anyone. He did not know that It would be possible to devlsa any means whloh would prevent the possibly of such an acoldeit ooourrlng. Ho knew that deceased had pat tho belt on to the grlndatone before.

Hugh Kennedy, farmer at Elgin, itid that deceased waa his ion, and would have been 19 yeara of age had he lived till November 3rd nest. Deoeaaed had been In the employ of Mr Thomas about 16 weekf.

The jury returned a verdlot of death ihrough mbadventare by becoming «n---angled In ihe machinery of a flout mill,