WHY WERE THE LIGHTS OUT?

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1189, 26 July 1911, Page 6

WHY WERE THE LIGHTS OUT?

, <f EONA BAY DROWNING FATALITY. The City Coroner (Dr. A. M'Arthur. S.M.) held an inquest at the morgue yesterday afternoon into the circumstances surrounding the death of nu old-age pensioner, named Edward Colton, who was drowned oil' the Uona Bay Wharf just after tho ferry steamer Duchess arrived I hero from the city on Monday night. Constable Simpson, of Day's Bny, represented the police.

Herbert Ryder Button, of the Welsbach. Light Company, and ii resident of Uona Bay, was a passenger by the Duchess for Rona Bay on the same trip as deceased, and noticed that the latter staggered near, the edge of (ho wharf as ho walked off the ship at Eona Bay. Witness ran to catch hold of him, but deceased went over tho side, and witness immediately raised tho cry: "Man overboard." Everything was done very speedily to recover the body, especially by l'eter J'o.ttersen and Joseph Belhamine (deck-hands of the Duchess), acting under the instructions of tlio master of the vessel, Captain Watchlin. Tho night was very wet, and very dark, and there were' no lights lit on the end of the. wharf. Tho lights are usually lit, but they were not lit on Monday night. The engineer of the Duchess, or his fireman, brought out a flare light, which enabled the body to be recovered.

Joseph Belhamine, deck-hand of tho Duchess, slated that, when tho cry "Man overboard" was heard, the captain at onco ordered the boat to bo lowered. Witness and Pellersen manned tho boat, and found deceased in about five minutes. Hβ was about thirty-fivo yards from the wharf. Everything was dono to restore breathing until Dr. M'Lean anno nshoro at Day's Kay, and took charge. Tho lights wero not lit at Uona Bay, and thai was the first evening that witness had noticed that they wcro out. l'e.ler Potterson, deck-hand, who gnve corroborative evidence, spoke to deceased on the trip over. Deceased slipped on (he deck, and witness then assisted him up, mid into the cabin. Dr. H. J. M'Lean, who saw deceased when tho Duchess arrived at Day's Bay,, deposed as to making a hasty examination, and using a hypodermic injection, although he thought at tho time that life, was extinct. Aftenvards witness made a more thorough examination, and satisfied himself flint life was extinct. Tho cause of death was shock, caused by falling into (lip water. A verdict was returned in aecord.lr.c9 with tho inodical testimony, 'flic coTSa nor remarked that the iVrrv Company's officials were to be commended for what they did in immediately setting to and recovering tho body, which appeared to have been dono very promptly indeed. At the same time some inquiry should Ik* made into the fact (lint had been shown in evidence—that (hero was no light on Hie end of the wharf—-especially it \vn« such a bleak, cold, dark, and rainy night. In his opinion it was a positive danger to the lifo of anyone landing from the steamer on an unlighted wharf.