FATALITY AT BOYS INSTITUTE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 220, 11 June 1919, Page 3

FATALITY AT BOYS INSTITUTE

A DANGEROUS PRACTICE

SLIDING ON BANISTERS

Tho extreme danger of tho practice, much beloved by small boys, of sliding down stair banisters, was illustrated at an inquest held yesterday by Mr. F. V. Frazer, S.M., touching the death of a ten-year-old boy named Leslie Clifford Lang, who died at the hospital on Monday morning from injuries sustained by a fall at the Boys' Institute on tho night of May 15. Sergeant Cmickshauk represented the police. Dr. Buckley, house surgeon at tho Wellington Hospital, said that the deceased was admitted to the institution at 5.30 p.m. on May 15. At the time, deceased was conscious, but was iu a state of collapse. The patient progressed remarkably well, until June 6,/ when ho developed a severe headache; and his temperature increased. An operation was performed,' but the deceased died early on the morning of June 9. A post-mor-tem . examination of tho skull of the deceased was made, while showed that the cause of death was acute meningitis due to a fracture of the skull. After admission "to the hospital, deceased said he was sliding down a banister at the Boys' Institute, when he fell and struck his head oil the concrete. 'Mabel Eliza Phipps, employed at the Boys' Institute, and an eye-witness of the accident, said she saw deceased falling between the first and ground floors. She did not see him on- the banister, but it was a custom for boys at tho. institute to slide down tho stair ban-, ister. John Colvillo Cqok, Director of the Boys' Institute, said that immediately the. accident whs reported, first aid was rendered to the boy, who had fallen a distance of 20 feet. Witness had caught boys sliding down the lower portion of the bannister and they wore oiwnya checked for doing so. Speaking as a qualified architect, witness said it was a difficult matter to place a suitable projection oil banisters to prevent boys, sliding. Charles Ernest Lang, waterside worker, father of the deceased,- said that the latter enioyed good health, and,', as far as he knew, never suffered from giddiness. Witness suggested that to avoid future accidents of the kind a net should, bo placed under each floor, so that if boys did fall over the banister they would not be hurt. . ° '■ • Mr. Frazer felt sure that the authorities at tho institute would consider any scheme for safety that might- be proposed. To nlace nets in position might only entice boys to slide on the bannisters, and if several of them fell together into anv one of the nets the strain might be so great that a serious accident might occur. . A verdict was returned that the deceased (lied from meningitis following a fracture of the skull, sustained through deceased having accidentally fallen a distance of 20 feet. "' His Worship referred to the dangerous practice of boys sliding down banisters. He knew it was very hard to check boys from doinir that sort of ■ thing. Banisters seemed to be a natural challenge to bovs to slide down. The authorities at. the Boys' Institute, appeared to have been aware of the practice and .had done their best to stop it. Of course, it was impossible to check ihe practice absolutely. Tho only thing to do was to keep impressing the boys of the danger they ran in .■sliding. down banisters. Some means might also be devised, cither to prevent the boys sliding by making it imnractieable for: them to do so. or by fixing some device which would minimise the effect of a fall should one occur. There were objections to both courses. If obstructions were placed on the banisters,, boys might try to "hur,die" them, and that would only make sliding exceedingly dangerous, for a boy might loso his balance. The suggestion regarding nets was open to another objection., The boys would probably, rely too much on the existence of a eafe[jiiard, and make use of, it to such an extent that, sooner .or later, a serious accident might occur in whicli a number of boys might lose their lives. He was sure,'however, that thc.ant)i<intics at the institute would take whatever steps arc necessary to render the stairs secure against boys, sliding down them. "Biu, just at the present time," added Mr. Frazer, "I must confess that I cannot think of liny means that would be absolutely effective.- T imagine, that the only reallv safe wav.is to watch the boys as closely as possible, and to impress upon, them at frequent; internals the extreme danger of -the practice.' _