INQUEST.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 9020, 6 December 1907, Page 2

INQUEST.

Au inquest was held at Marton - yeaterclav before the District Coroner (Mr J. J. McDonald) touching the death of Andrew Gilbert Morrison, which occurred at Wanganui Hospital ou Wednesday. The jury were:—Messrs T. White (foreman), W. L. Little, A. IC. McGregor, H. l'\ Young, T. H. Bredin and N. Oldham. Dr. Crawford, in giving evidence, said that ho was summoned ou Monday afternoon about 3.80 to Mr Nielson’s shop, Broadway, Marton, where lie found deceased sitting ou a chair in a bedroom, covered with a blanket. Ho was pnt to bed and be (Dr. Crawford) found him much collapsed and suffering from extensive superficial Iranis ou the head, face, nock aud both arms from just above the elbow, completely over the hands aud both logs from the hips to the ankles. Ho dressed the burns aud ordered the patient to be removed to Wanganui Hospital. Ho saw him to the cab at 5 o’clock at which time bis condition was considerably improved. Ho took a very grave view of his condition add in his opinion the injuries were quite sufficient to account for his death. To a juryman : He would not have sent deceased to' Wanganui if ho had thought it would have been prejudicial to his case. . Andrew Morrison, tanner, residing at Porewa, Marton, deposed that deceased was ins eldest son, being years of age. Ho was employed by Mr Nielson, engineer, at Marton. Ho first saw his boy at the hospital, the morning after the accident. Ho talked with him for about 15 minutes and deceased stated that it was purely an accident aud he did not blame anyone. Ho said ho hoped to get better soon and that his arms wore paining him most. The hospital authorities scut him a message the next day that his sou was worse aud death had occurred before he arrived there. N. A. Nielsen, engineer, said deceased had been in bis employ as an indentured apprentice for about 17 mouths. He found him a very reliable boy, much above the average apprentice. They were both engaged in brazing a piece of metal ou Monday afternoon and he (witness) loft deceased for about a minute and he had charge of the hraziug lamp during that time. Ho heard a dull report and saw a small puff of flame rise over deceased’s head. Ho was sitting or stooping behind his work aud the kerosene lamp had blown cut at the bottom and the oil which had leaked out ignited from the red hot iron which they wore hraziug. Part of this caught alight at the bottom of Ids dungaree trousers. Deceased made a couple of hurried stops towards the door aud this fanued the flames which quite enveloped him. He was beatiug them with his hands aud screaming aud was quaking for the open door. Witness caught hold of him aud with the assistance of Messrs Jones and Slight, laid him face downwards, putting sacks round him to stop the fire. As soon as the fire was subdued he became quite cool aud composed. Deceased had gone 10 yards before he got hold of him. Ho felt sure that the whole accident up to the extinction of the flames did not occupy more than a minute. He immediately sent for a doctor aud orocured some soothing materials from the chemist (Mr Williamson), who came to his shop aud assisted in applying a temporary dressing before the arrival of the doctor. The lamp was bought with the business which lie purchased '214 years ago. It was new then and had since been used about 4 or 0 times a week. The bottom of the lamp gave way once before—about six months ago—hut no one was injured then. He believed the present accident was caused simply by the kerosene being splashed ou the bottom of deceased’s cotton trousers aud igniting through them coining in contact with the burning kerosene round the edges of the pool of kerosene that was formed when the bottom of the lamp hurst out. The lamp was mended at the shop ou the previous occasion and he believed it to be stronger than originally. Ho thought tiie boy had pumped more air into the lamp than it could stand, causing the blow out. The lamn was made by Lake aud Elliot of Essex, who are known in the trade to be one of the best makers of this special kind of lamp. To a juryman : The lamp had been used by deceased on many previous occasions and bo felt certain he was quite able to use it safely. The deceased was present when it blew out before when it was being used by Mr R. Edwards. Witness bad used similar lamps for nearly 30 years and bad .never known of any accident from them although they had blown out on several occasions when he was using them himself. He felt so confident of the safety of these lamps that ho would repair the present one aud continue to use it himself as usual. He was also confident that there was no carelessness in the use of the lamp by deceased. By Mr Harris: Ho believed that if deceased had sat down, instead of making for the door ho might have been saved—in fact, lie felt confident ho would. L. O. Jones said lie had used the lamp, which caused the accident, on many occasions, and had never found anything wrong with it. He was of opinion that these blow outs are caused by too much air being pumped iuto them. He believed deceased, although not allowed to braze by himself (being au apprentice) was quite capable of doing tbe work by himself. The lamp was quite safe unless there was too much pressure put ou. Deceased bad been warned to watch the guago as the lamps were liable to be blown out by over pressure. L. H. Cawood, engineer, said he had trsed similar lamps for over 15 years and had known one to blow out before through over pressure. Ho believed all apprentices should be warned how to act in the event of their clothes catching fire, through blows outs, which might occur in similar works. He was warned when an apprentice. N. A. Nielsen, recalled, said that when R. Edwards had a mishap with the same lamp, ho explained everything to deceased and other workmen, pointing out that the danger consisted, not in the bursting of the lamp, but in looking out as to the flames if any issued therefrom, and further drew their attention to the fact tfiat benzine lamps were more dangerous than kerosene as the benzine would vaporise aud all would ignite. Attention was also drawn to how to act when clothing caught fire. In such cases ho advised coolness aud that the person whose clothes were on lire should lie down aud roll over to extinguish the flames. I The verdict of the jury was—‘ ‘ That deceased died from the effects of burns received through the bursting of a brazing lamp he was using, there being no evidence to prove that blame was attachable to anyone.