Inquest.

Manawatu Herald, 30 May 1899, Page 2

Inquest.

THE ACCIDENT AT HENNESSY'S MILL.

On Saturday the Coroner* inquiry into the death of Joseph Hatton Morgan was held at the Court House, Foxton.

The following gentlemen served as a jury : F. E. Jenka (Foreman), A. H^asman, W. Robinson; W. H. S'.ephenson, W. B. Rhode*, and A. G. Stan sell. ;

The verdict was that the deceased met hi 3 death by accident, no blame being attached to anyone.

Following is tha evidence :~ Archibald Lewis Devenish Meju»§ deposed - 1 am a legally qualified medical practitioner residing at Fox'on ; I have seen the deceased Joseph Hatton Morgan ; on Than* day .morning last I, was summoned to HennessyV mill and found that the deceased was suffering from internal injuries the result of an accident ; afterwards I attended him it his house and I found he was suffering from a 'ruptured kidney and ruptured intestines ; Tnase set up peritonit : s which caused bis death yesterday morning. Frederick Dunn deposed — I am a feeder at Hennessy'd mill; I was working there last. Thursday morning and at about n quarter past ten the belt came <ff the roller pulley; I palltid th'r blade that was in the feeder aqd then (ha belt was put on by ih^-idHoeased and I went on working . again ; the p&gine wai stopped at that lime for the belt to bo put on ; after about fonc hanks had been put through the belt again came off r I pulled "the .blades wit again and the belt did grt-Eome off the intertn°di«te shaft pulley then, but c«me off the roller pulley ; the beltth^n worked on to ths roller pulley after the blades JVBfe tak.-n out of the . stripper ; the belt then enrne off foe the third time from the roller pullpy and . j he intermediate shaft pii'l-y; I whistled to the engine driver to fetop; Ha steadied off steam ; I saw the dee ased coma into the shed and go up on the platform behind the bfllt; "the ns-xfc thing I saw waß the belt war caught on th« Icfly or the bolt on : i;be shaft ; then I'saw'the deceased going round the shaft; littokM : th*,J*te fho «haft wai travelling; t<he deceased must gone tS to m *^«£ Wftnd ; when I Raw deceased agoing round the shaft! called oa^lo^ engite driver to stop-,* and he stopped the engine immediately; I then found ■ that the deceased was lying on his right arm pit on the shaft with the -belting ~coiled *otH)d - him; the belting was tight and w^fyad to cut It to get it off ; jthe 'deceased was bruised on the rigfc't chert; he was consciona > he stetdane this would be a lesson ib*ra*r,"3t is ray duty to put the belt*;*>n the machinery, but if anyone Is handy they put them on ; I, have been in a eood many mills and. this has been the custom. ,* w By the Constable— The scantling was knocked down by the deceased going round the shaft ; deceased came from the wash into the left side of the shed ; saw him go up to the belt ; Did not say anything to him ; the mills always put the belts on while the engine if going ; the engine could not have been stopped any sooner ; I did not caution the deceased about interfering with the belts when I saw him come into (he mill ; when the belt came off the last time it caught round the chair it threw it off the intermediate pulley ; Ido not know what deceased went there to do ; there are no belt shifters or loose pullies in this mill ; if i here had been a loop© pulley on tha roller shaft it would have made a difference, as the belt would have gone on to the loose pulley instead coming off. ' By the Foreman— The origin of the belt coming off was from forcing too much flax in, but the roller was towed up in this case as well. By Mr Hennessy It is not proper to put belts on while the machinery is in motion ; the deceased never warned me not to interfere with the M - belts when in motion but he has^* warned me not to vun along eoino some boards whioh ware b§ tweeu

the mflchine and the intermediate

«haft ; the boards were u.-:ed for fencing the belts from the workers ; have never been warned by otbei people ; it is running a great risk to interfere wiih belts in mrdon ; a loo3e pulley wou'd not hnve made any difference when the belt bn ke.

Charles Augustus Spring de posed— l am Ihe engine driver ai Het nessy'B mill and was in charge of the engine on the day of the acoi dent. lam not a partner in the mill. About a quarter past ten on Thursday morning D inn whiftlerl to tn& as a warning that a belt had come off and eased the engine, it being my in'ention to take the lel no, as I was cutting: the lace at the time. I eased down so as to ease the steam down until I was ready to take up the belt. Am st direct!) after I heard a thumpiDg on (he wall and I thought it was the roller bt It flapping round the ?haf*, and I ran and stopped the engine. 1 wnt to the shaft and found the deceased bound on the shaft with the roller belt. He appeared badly hurt bui 'no bones broken. I held him up whilst Charles Morgan cut the belt. He was conscious, he said "it was hard luck."

By the Constable— l do not leave the engine unless I l°ave someone alongside to stop it. I was about 4 or 5 feet from the levrr when I beard the noise. I cnu'd not ?ee deceased from whore I wa3 standing at the engine. It is not the rule to pnt on belts in this mill, not while there is steam on. It may have been done, but it is net ihe rule. The engine was not going more than half speed when the Occident bap pened, there was not enough power to work the scutcher. I do not think the engine would be travelling between 50 and 60 revolutions. At faH speed the speed would be from 150 to 160 revolutions. There . figures refer to Iherengine alone. By Mr Hennessy — It is supposed to be the rule in all milling not to interfere with belts in tn tion.

By the foreman — The deceased appeared to b lying a'ong the phafr. bis legs hanging down. One end of the broken belt had wrapper round him. I-did not notice if one end of the belt was fastened anywhere. Always stop the engine- while belts are repaired.

By Mr Hennessy — In my opinion a loose pulley on the roller would have made no difference in thi? accident.

Alfred Benjamin Morgan dj?poatd - I am a fl»x miller working the plant at Henneasy's mill. I am in partnership with my three brothers deceased being one of them. We emp'oy a'l hands and take all liabilities', Me Hennery taking th" whole output at an agreed price The deceased was my brother, wa<aged 27 years and is unmarried. He met with an accident at the mill on Thursday morning last and died at half past nine yesterday morning. I think no one is to blame for the accident. About five spconds before the accident happened dfCf a~fd wae standing on the platform behind the belt, and T asked him if " they were going to take up the belt." He said " Ye?, I think so." I walked away

and F heard a noise and a cry, and I

looked round and paw deceased run Otog round with th(i fbafr, attached to iN I rushed to the engine to stop it. hut the steam had jnat been shut off. The deceased appeared to he lying on the phaft on his right side, the belting being wound round his body. My brother out the belt

clear. He was conscious when h« j

was out off. Ha ?aid "it was hard *luck." He has been conscious up t'> » he time of hig death. He has told me he was waiting to lie the belt, something on the pulley oaught th? belt, and it broke it, and the bel going round caught hU band. I do not think the end of the belt wa« caught anywhpvp. , It wan part of the deceased's duty to attend to thp belts. Anything going wrong with the belt can be told by the sound of the 9tripp;r. He told me " whatever you do be sure to fix those bolt«." He referred to the bolts that were in the pulley on the shaft. The bolts need countersinking.

By the Constable -r It is my plac

to spe lhat all the machinpry is in r good working Qrdor.;. Mr Hmnessy Svas to have fupplied the machinery and mill in good working order, but everything was not finished when wp took it over ; It is in good working order now ; There are no belt shifers or loose pullies in this mill ; I havr never. worked wi»h these macbaniea,i contrivances ; I have peen them in some mills ; From what I havr> seen on Borne large pulleys the belt shifters would be of no uso ; If thenhad been a loose pulley on the feed roller, I do not think the nccid nt would have happened ; It wnnld be Mr Hennespy'B plaoe to put loo»e pulleys on, being new plant. I have not suggested to Mr Hennessy that this ehoald be done.

By Mr Hennessy — Any machinery required bas been found by you.

By a Juror— l think the bolts projecting out of the pulley on the intermediate shaft were the cause of the accident.

By Mr Hennessy -If the enginp had been stoped before touching thp beltf, the bolts on the pulley would not have interfered with it.

John Forster depo^l-— I am the constable stationed at Foxton ; About SO miftuUi past ten on thi 85th

instant from information received, I proceeded to R>>nnessy's mill ; I examined the fcne of the arcid nt, and found the intermediate sh ft about ,6 feet 6 inchps fr m the ground, about 3 feet 6 inchi b from the wall; To get up to the belt where d. ceased was he would have to get on a platform which was two feet from the pro- nd ; There were marks en the. wall us tb< ugh com • one's fet t had been striking if-, tin- c were also two p'ejes of scantling stays to the roof, knrck°d down wi.h boot marks an them ; I found tinboot produced underneath the intermediate shaft. By the Fjrem n —The timber mentioned wa? net dangerous to anyone woikin? in ihe n ill. By Mr Hennessy The mill is better than any of the mills in Foxton, the beting being Wtter \ rot*cted ; The pulley on the intermediate shufo has the heads of four bolt 3 projecting abnui; thre.e-q<iartere of nn inch outside, the woodwok. Phillip Joseph Henn^sgy depo ed — Tarn a storekeeper residing at Foxton ; I own the flaxmill referred o as " Honn. j ssy'3 ;" I have let the working of tha mill to Morgan Brother?, and they are repponsible fot the good order and keep of the mill ; I h.ive supplied pant to the satisfaction of Morgan Brother.", and told them to remove any source of danger there rrrght be at the mill. By the Constable— There have been suggestions maJe to me by the Inspector of Factories to put loose pullies on and this work is in course of construction, Morgan Brothers undertook fo register th^ mill. The juiy quickly returned a ve*dict of accidental death, no blame being attached to any one,.