FATAL FALL IN HOLD.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1618, 9 December 1912, Page 8

FATAL FALL IN HOLD.

on RiM.s.-ioNic. THE DEATH; CO? MR; J. T. HOPKINS. ■ -At the Courthouse on Saturday morning'the district, ooroner. Dr. A. M'Arthur, S.M.',-held an inquest concerning . the :d-?ath' of John Thomas Hopkins, aged 35 years. who .was an inspector under the.Hospital Board, fell down the hold, of- the s.s. lonic last week, and received injuries.which removal to the i Hospital, .where he died on Friday. - . ■-, •■ .■ ~ . Mr. M. Myers appeared on behalf of the Sliaw.'Savill, and. Albion Co., Mr. Ward foKths'.'Hospital"Board, and Mr, E. P. Hay-forthe Public Trustee. ; : . ■-- ' Drl Henryi.described the injuries sustained. ■'■;rv;:,-, . : '. -.: •/.' ;■■■.' ■ ■■; . William Francis; steward on the lonio, stated'vthat'he'saw deceased descending the ladder to the lower deck. ■ Deceased missed the lost'rung, and,, slipping, fell over into the hold. The opening of 'the hold was about a- foot away from the bottom of'the ladder.. Witness, thought that there were no .lights at.the- foot of. tho ladder, but .'there was a light shining from the upper.deck through the one hatchway. The District Health Officer (Dr. Chesson) stated it was.not'necessary for .the hatchway to be. open for .the purpose of inspection. 'Deceased was an.inspector under the-Hospital Board, and he had re : cently received instruction to fumigate the ionic, by the Health Department. It: was necessary-,for- him to go down -the hatchway ladder, ■■■■'.■>'-• ■'."-. '. __ Benjamin S. Reid, inspector for the Wel-lington-Hospital Board; said, that, at the tinie; deceased slipped' he was carrying a fumigating; pump :in his hand. Deceased stopped half-way down the ladder to balance ..the,.pump .and a "moment later he (witness) saw/Kin. falling down the hold. It was.the. practice for the inspectors to -carry the pump/up and down the ladders •when required.- : , :•..... .. _■■'„"„' Evidence was also given by Dr. R. P. Woodhouse;' ss'nior house-surgeon of tho Wellington Hospital, and Arthur Dale. ■ sThe coroner's verdict was to the effect, that.'deceased 1 died- from ! injuries received ,to the head-by. accidentally ..falling down' the *hold'of the s.sV-. lonic, ..-.-.-. .■..Messages'expressing regret at the. sad .occurre'nce ; and.'of sympathy with/Mrs. Hopkins, im: her .'bereavement have' been received from the Prime Minister on behalf of the Cabinet, the Hon. Mr. Rhodes, Minister for Public Health, Dr. Valintino. Chief Health '.Officer,' and from the local secretary of, the Royal Sanitary Institute. Wreathsjhavebeen sent from the Department of Public. Health and the Royal Sanitary^lnstitute, the Hospital and Charitable'Aid'Board, and others. \