DOCK ACCIDENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1951, 6 December 1906, Page 2

DOCK ACCIDENT.

THE ENQUIRY. PRESS ASSOCIATION Auckland, yesterday. Tho inquest on the bodies of three men who lost their lives in the accident at tho Calliope Dock last week was resumed today beforo Mr Kettle, S-M. Tho parties interested were represented by six solicitors.

In the course of evidence it was statod the insurance company and contractor refused to admit liability to bury Clark’s body and the Charitablo Aid Board undertook tho task.

j Mr Brigham, Secretary of the Harbor Board, stated in his evidence that tho harbormaster superintended tho docking of all vessels. He was of tho opinion that the inspection of blocks and other appliances was tho duty of the shipowner, because under the Board’s by-laws it took no responsibility for the docking of vessels. Captain Dudcr, harbormaster, in his evidence, said it was his duty to inspect the blocks, which wore raised for the steamer Kaikoura. The dock was not pumped out beforo tho Mamavi was floated iu. The blocks were examined beforo the Kaikoura was floated out, and were in first-class order.

Auckland, last night, John Taylor, fnoman of works ai the docks, said it would have been better if the dock hud boon pumped out beforo the Hainan was put iu. Too vessel lurohed forward, and oausod the aooidont. Frank Maoiarlane, engineer at the dook, said ha would have put tho Mamari on the same blccks as tho Ktikoura without pumping oui the dock to inepeot the blocks, Wnile etaodmg on the side of the deck no noticed one of tho after shores alack, and almost immediately tho vessel lurched,

William Hoyle Brown, contractor for shoring tho vessel, who had been repairing I and shoring veasela over siuoe there had boon a dock in Auckland, recommendod that tho dock ehould be pumped dry bofaro another vessel was put in. This should epeeially have boen dono in the oiso of tho Mamari, because of tho higher Kecks used for tho Kaikoura. Ho attributed tho cause of tho aooidont to tho cups of tho blccks being placed on tho side of other blocks, instead of in tho osntre, thus under she weight a vossol put on those caused ovor them, Sho shores wero sirained ana buckled, and tho vessel lurched forward. Ho coasidorod tho design of tho blocks imperfeot, because they were not braoed, and did not havo stays, The onquiry was adjourned until | O , morrow, 1 I