DANGERS OF WHARF FISHING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1591, 7 November 1912, Page 4

DANGERS OF WHARF FISHING.

'■ ••' AFFAIR NEAR SK MANTiKA..'' / j Shortly. before i' p.m. yesterday, an acci-. i: dent, which' co.uld easily ■ have; 'resulted' i more: seripusly, hSppeneJ to a lad named Percy Hewart Lathsa, on the i W-h.arf. ■'.■■-." -■' At tho tim«, the Union Company's I .mei?;. M.ahufca, -w.as discharging Sydney I: cargo,,some,.of which eonsisted, of heayy. » -rplis of .roofing leaid. A'Hai:bour. Board; f ;craiie wa3 Hbistinpr sling? :o.f tHe'-ina'terial:. j UP'.from.the.a.fte.rrhatch'-flf th'eTessel and; landing it.'.'o'a the wharf. It'was .while ; one'-' of' -these, slings was in '.transit frohi. ■ the ship's hold, that a Toll of -lead ..slipped. and fell W-i'th a .crash- So .the. fl-hatf ffbnv. .s. distance.'of about 2Q. feet. tatham wa? . .Bitting with his legs over, the .■■end.- of thft frhaff, fishing;'nnderneath-.'the sterii'-of' t tho Mapuka.. Themaft.in.. charge-of the' cran§ noticed the contents of; the': sling;.- ; slipping and almost 'simultaiie.pu.sly... nq; •. tiPed. Eatham', who w£s hidden-.'b'eliiriii'aii-' ' pfher\crane hear by, ccjli.', 1 ,-ed. .Out fo the lad, .'but'.-it yfds: ; : tbo .late;and the roll of lead- fell on:.;a;.spo.t;..within.'. '.;.a'-cnujile of feet o.f'.;Hi.m-.;.. 'TKe.-.enit' tilted *. over and caught. .'Latham;' ; of' ■'■ .the ; ,heap!, kn.ocking. him 'intofthe-,wafer-.; ... -Afi.Goon as the .cry was Ta.ise,'d : a..'Har.3 bauf Board eniploye/;., na'mSdjA'Ttuu'r BoIt:; [■:; ton,, jumped inland brqiight' t-fi'e.'. irii'ured'k lad ashore.' Dr. Faulke ivas. quickly, iri; U 'attendance .and- ordered Lathams. reintetaj"; |tp .the..liQSJpifal. .'■■. ./•'■■; ~..., .:| ' . On inquiry last iyeninf. it was .found" [ that' Latha-in^.^ho...re'sid'es'at '28:..Abbott' .' Eiiad,-'Ngaip', was buffering ' frohi ' t'wjp ! . wounds oil the oriin. and one .on the side pf the: head,. ■ . '• .'. ; : V; ■■.;;, : .-. :^v: spoken .to Tegaj^ing'the. accident- ', Mr.. A.; v; ! Hale^unro,, wharfin|er, said .- .'that -boys/had no; right t<) tie fishing' frpm : : ; J. the .wharves ivheni.a steanie'r.'was,..work-: !;' .'ihg eargjo, ;All in-enibers tif 'his- ■staff-had' ; instriictipn'stp-^prohibit.Kpysauiii'dsfront' ; - being-any.TCliere;:n;oar- working:;<iran,es a'nß i such gear; In the; above uista'n.oe ■the boy -Was sekted behind :an,-un\ised crane, and ! could -not be, seeV. ,Hacl..his. presence beeii, -.' tivou'ld hnve."be6ii told- t.o.ge't away : d.ut' ; of • In- concilusion Jlr" Munro' -.said; that:atiwas alnlost. impossible ■for his -meii'fO,:ke'ep an ej'e on all the boys w&o.frequent: the -wharyes.. '