SHOCKING ACCIDENT.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 697, 13 September 1876, Page 3

SHOCKING ACCIDENT.

A SAILOR KILLED. The New Zealand Herald, of the 6th, says : A melancholy accident occurred early yesterday morning, on board the ship England’s Glory, which was at that time lying alongside the eastern T of the main wharf. It appears that an ordinary seaman named W. J. Davies, who came out in the ship from England, had been doing duty as night watchman on the vessel while she was in port. Orders having been given on Monday evening by Captain Knight for the ship to be hauled into the stream at an early hour yesterday morning, the crew were astir at 5 a.m, and the noise of the windlass in the forecastle would preclude Davies from having his usual rest when he turned in. He therefore spoke about going into the ’tween decks to take a snooze upon the sails that were lying there. At 5.30 a.m, when the men turned to, he proceeded to carry out these intentions, and made toward the fore hatch, when he was noticed by the second officer, Mr Stokar, taking off the tarpaulin, and pushing back the slide. The officer called out to him, but received no reply, and the last seen of Davies was in dropping down, as if to get into the ’tween decks. Mr Stokar at once ran on deck to see where he had got to, knowing full well he had no right to go that way. No reply to his call below being heard, he procured a light and went down, and found poor Davies at the bottom of the hold, insensible. Au alarm was at once raised, and the police acquainted with the accident. His injuries were, however, found to be of a serious nature, and he was at once conveyed to the Provincial Hospital, where he received every care at the hands of Dr Philson. It was at once seen that nothing could be done for him, and he expired at half-past eleven. There is no doubt that the poor fellow was aware that no ladder was fixed in the fore-hatch, and it was therefore his duty to have proceeded aft, and descended below by the usual mode. Like many more foolhardy tars, he thought of swinging himself into ’tween-decks in the dark, and missed his swing, and consequently fell nineteen feet, with the above result. This is, no doubt, the correct reason, as one witness stated he might do the same thing during the day, but assuredly not in the dark. The question of having a hatch over the hold in midship was also brought up before the Coroner, but it was stated that after discharging they are usually kept off, for the purpose of ventilation The deceased hails from London, and was very sober and steady in his habits. He was just rising into manhood, having reached the age of twenty, and had won the respect of his captain by his exemplary conduct on the passage to this port.