SHOT BY A STARTER'S CANNON.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1978, 7 February 1914, Page 3

SHOT BY A STARTER'S CANNON.

ON CLYDE QUAY WHARF, ANNIVERSARY DAY FATAUTY. The. inquest concerning the death of Airk'.'iio lirogan, of Itosciioath, who received tho wad of a blank cartridge in his leg at a regatta en. Anniversary Day, and who died at the Hospital on February 3 from blood-poisoning, was continued beforo Mr. W. G. Riddell yesterday morning. Senior-Sergeant Mullany appeared for the police, Mr. Kennedy for the secretary of the Yacht Club, and Mr. Foil for tho relatives of deceased. Henry W. Batten, secretary of the Te Ruru Yacht Clwb, said thnfhc was acting as assistant starter for the yacht races at Clydo Quay Wharf. He was in charge of a small Winchester cannon, which was firccl at the start, and finish of races. This cannon was placed at the end of the'wharf facing towards Oriental Bay.- There was a space between where- the cannon was situated, and the end of the wharf, and people were crossing over this.spaceall tho time. Blank cartridges were used. Similar cannons were in use by most of tho other yacht clubs. A spaco had been cleared before tho race was finished near the eastern end of the wharf, so that the shot would not hit anyone, and witness had warned bystanders to stand back. Deceased, however, was struck by a shot which bad been fired at the finish of. the racs. Witness did not see deceased before firing, and no one was in front of the giinat tho moment of discharge. • He was, therefore, quite surprised .when, about two minutes afterwards, someone asked him what was in the cartridge, as a man had received something in the leg. AVitness then noticed. that deceased had sustained a nasty wound, and ho at once walked with tho injured man to Dr. Tolhurst's. . After the wound had beea exa&iiuod, Dr. Tolhurst took him homo in his motor-car. AVitness had been told that the cartridges were.not dangerous. : To Mr. Kennedy: The cannon was not fired in tho direction of, tho King's Wharf, as was the usual practice, -hecause there was & high wind blowing at the time. Neither was it placed on the coping of the wharf, as that position would have, been- too insecure. No one was specially stationed to warn people, but witness and tho commodore had done so continuouslv'. To Mr. Fell: Witness believed that, deceased bad been absorbed in the race when ho was struck. "I'vo Cot anAwfUl Stlngl" John H., Waterson, blacksmith, of Roseneath, stated that ho was in company, with deceased on tho day in question. _ They had hurried down to see tho finish of a race, and they stopped 'when four or fivo paces from the end of tho wharf. Witness did not see the cannon, but felt a concussion that staggered birh, and remarked, "I neatly got hit." His companion replied, "I have got hit!" and then added: "I've got an awful sting." Witness examined deceased's leg, and saw a round hole in tho trousers. There had been no warning. Witness afterwards accompanied deceased to the doctor's. To Mr. Fell: There was a high wind, and it was possible that he and deceased might not have hoard .whatever warn-ing-had been given. N Cunmakor on the Cartridges. S. J. Tisdall, gunniakoiy. LstmbUm Quay, said that the witness Batten purchased somo cartridges from him some time ago,' ;i sJmilar;to"'the cartridge produced :in court. Witness had remarked to Batten that tho cartridges were blank, but this did net necessarily mean they wero not dangerous, aiid that he (witness) would. not liks to 6taud within twenty yards of tho mouth of tho cannon when ono of them was being discharged. Batten replied: "There is no fear, wo aro firing from lhe end of the-wharf." Tho cartridges contained six drams of powder and four wads, and were so constructed as to make as loud a report as possible. Coroner's Finding, "The evidence in this case,'.' said the Coroner, "points to one of those unfortunate accidents continually happeri.ing to pedplo when they least expect them. The cvideneo of the last witness shows that, in supplying the cartridges to another witness, he remarked that thero_was an amount of danger in discharging them. It is a common practice to start races by tiring off a gun, hut, in' this case, an ordinary gun was not used.* Tho person who discharged the camion had stated that ho used tho precaution of tolling tho people to keep back, and tho commodore also warned them. Deceased and his companion, however, i wore some- distance from the end of the wharf, and for tho purpose of seeing tho end of the race camo along at a pice more than a fast walk, and in their haste must have oomo in front of tho mouth of the cannon. The person who fired tho cannon took some precautious, but theso wore evidently not sufficient. I think it tils duty * that thoso in charge of such events shoiikl tako particular precautions, that every' body is a safe distance, from the''discharge of. a cannon like this one.

A verdict was returned that deceased died at Wellington on February 3 from exhaustion, following on blood poisoning caused through, the penetration of a shot w-ad, accidentally received from a small cannon oil Anniversary Day.