AN INQUEST.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 September 1927, Page 1

AN INQUEST.

GBETMOUTH, Sept. 13

An inquiry concerning : the death of James Mouat Laughton, who was fatally injured .while working at the Tip-head-on Thursday last, was'held at the Courthouse yesterday < before the District Coroner (Mr W. Meldrum S.M.). Considerable evidence was given, including : Gordon Curtis, fireman employed by tlie -Harbour Board, at the quarry works, stated the morning of the accident, witness was engaged, with others .tipping stone. Five trucks had been taken out to tho North Tiplicad, one of which they had emptied and shunted against the stopper at the end or the Tiplicad. Witness had uncoupled another empty truck from the front of a full truck and had given the signal for the engine driver to pull the empty truck away, which he did for a distance of about 20 feet. The deceased and Harry Skates chained the two bade wliceis of the full truck to the rail's. Witness then undid the two clips at the back of the truck ready to tip it. Witness then picked up a Wallaby jack and stood between tho draw-bar and the southern-most buffer and put the jack in position for tipping. Tlie deceased also had a jack for use on the north side and stood in a similar position, ready for tipping. Skates stood on the outside of the truck with a double purchase jack which lie placed in position. ’Earnie ‘Morgan, engine driver, had given witness a hand tj'itli his jack. After they had jacked the truck up to a certain height, deceased’s jack had run out and they had held the weight while lie liad got a fresh hold. They continued to jack up the stone until it was just about balanced to go off the truck. Deceased had said that he could manage it with his-.jack., Witness then stepped aside and left Morgan to take the jack out, but witness no sooner lmd done so when the stone started to slide off the truck. The truck appeared to lift up at the back and broke the chains and shot backwards. The buffer struck Morgan and threw him clear, while it threw deceased a distance of 20 feet to the empty truck behind. Deceased strucici his back on the south 'buffer of the empty truck. As he landed there, the travelling truck struck him, jamming his arm between the two buffers. Itjalso appeared to crush his chest. ness had rushed forward and assisted, by Morgan pulled the itruek off de-j ceased. They then carried him to the! trailer of the locomotive and brought him to the quarry, whence 'he was. taken to the hospital. !

To Sergeant Sniythe: He identified the chains (produced in Court). To his knowledge they had been in use for three months.

To the Coroner: He had only been on the job for three months. They had examined the chain afterwards and found that both had broken and there was a flaw in the welding of one of them.

To Mr McCarthy: Deceased was employed as a ganger. At- the time of tlie accident lie was doing Iris proper job. He had been doing this work for some time. The method of chaining the trucks was the usual method employed. He did not know if it was done according to the instructions of the Engineer.

To Air Kitcliuigliam: Deceased was in sole charge of operations. Henry Skates employed by tlie Harbour Board at the North Tiphead, stated that lie was engaged with deceased tipping a truck. Witness had chained the wheel on the north side and deceased the one on the south side. Witness gave evidence similar to the witness Curtis concerning tlie methods employed in tipping stone. There was nothing unusual in the procedure adopted. The chain had a had weld and it was the breaking of the chain that caused the accident. If they had had good chains everything would have been alright. Witness had been employed by the Board for 12 months. He believed that those particular chains were examined about 3 months ago. Witness hud not examined the chains. They looked satisfactory enough and had been used hundreds of times-and for stones ol 25 ions.

James Brown, Inspector of Machinery, stated that, lie liad examined tin-t-bains. One chain was very defect ivand one link was fractured at the weld. The other chain had also a fra - tnred link, showing a clean break.' r l!i metal showed a crystalline fracture This chain had also another defective link and had evidently been in use for some time. The defects coin'd have been do tected by careful examination. Tie did not consider the chains fii for the use they were put to. To Mr McCarthy: If the chains were in good condition, they would he sufficiently strong to do the work they were used for, but in their present condition, they were not strong enoug.i to hold the truck.

To Mr Kitchingham: The flaws in the chains looked to he quite three months old. Under such circumstances —with hard usage and salt air, it was passible for flaws to develop in that time.

Richard J. Williams, overseer, employed by the Harbour Board, stated that lie was in charge of operations at the Tip Head. The chains concerned had been in nse for f. to 4 months. The chains were not subjected to any particular test save that ot gcnoiai usage. Witness had been engaged in such work for about forty years. To Mr McCarthy: Witness had not applied any special tests to the chains. The chains were not new chains. The work was severe on them but they always considered that chains of that kind were strong enough. No test was made, hut precautions were taken t" secure the trucks. W hen the chains, had locks put in. they were overhauled: to see if they were ali' right. To the Coroner: The chains had not lieen inspected while used at the Tip Head. To Mr Kitchingham: Witness was employed as general overseer. He had control of the Board’s operations generally, but was not actually in chTirge of tiie work at the Tip Head. The supply of material was not stinted in nnv way. There had never been a serious accident during the forty years he-' had been engaged by the Harbour Board. The Coroner returned a verdict that deceased came to his death at the Greymouth Hospitnl on the Bth September, from angina pectaries. following an injury to the kidneys and shock, resulting from ah accident at - the North Tip Head at Cobden. “The evidence showed that the accident was due to defective chains being used to hold the wheels of the trucks in position while t"he stone was being tipped over.”