Miss Shewry's Death.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 34, 1 June 1914, Page 5

Miss Shewry's Death.

THE HURIMOANA FATALITYJj

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. S$

Miss Dorothy Shewry, who was bad-fc, | ly burned at her home at Huriraoana *| on Thursday afternoon last by an ex- ]H plosion of benzine, died in the Stratford hospital at about half past four SI on Saturday afternoon. %\ An inquest was held at the Courthouse this morning, Mr C. D. Sole acting as Coroner. The following jury was empannelled: Messrs J. Black -.J (foreman), W. H. Robinson, F. W. *WI Mullen, T. W. Smith. D. J. Malone,ff ind J. TI. Hopkins. §#j

Dr. Steven gave evidence that on II Thursday afternoon he received a tele- i J phone message that deceased was be-'jj|j ing brought to town by a special train ."•'] from Whangamomona, being expected 'm to arrive after nine o'clock. All pos-!sy sible arrangements were made at the hospital for her reception. She was ad- : J\. nutted about 9.30 p.m. She was fering from extensive burns, involving ; J about the whole of the body with the ■']':'} exception of the face. She died at | | 4.40 p.m. on Saturday. Deceased wasli perfectly conscious while in the hos-fp pital. She told witness she was raov-'K ing a tin of benzine close to the fire-jp:; place in the washouse. The tin seemed \$ to explode and everything seemed to ''s be in flames, but after that she knew'£l* nothing of what happened. f||

To the Coroner: So far as witness oould see everything possible had been done for deceased before she left Whangamomona. Practically the case was hopeless from the beginning. The cause of death was collapse following burns.

To the foreman: Deceased was attended to and had her wounds dressed by Dr. Hitchcock at Whangamomona. In witness's opinion everything possible had been done to save her life.

Robert Edward Shewry, father of deceased, Hurimoaua, stated that deceased was aged about seventeen. On Thursday he was in the. house for lunch at noon and left about 1 o'clock. He was working about three-quarters of a mile from the house. When he left home deceased was finishing up the weekly washing. While at work after lunch a neighbour's little boy came along and said he was wanted at ■ borne, and he proceeded there at once. Entering the pate he saw a heap of burnt clothing belonging to his daugh-, -- 3 ter. Inside deceased was lying on the bed. She was suffering from terrible burns. Witness asked: "How did this dreadful thing happen ?" Deceased re- " : ' plied that it had been caused by ben- :: * zine. Her sufferings were such that for some time he did not ask her anything further, but later she said she had not used the benzine. Witness "P examined the washhouse. The''ben-* zine tin was lying about two feet from the door and six feet from the fireplace. The tin was hurst at both ends and 'was Wh : ened-'by the heaff W #o*r HA some time the tin had been kept in a big packing case at the southern end of the Imilding, and about six feet from the fireplace. He had lifted the tin some time before and it appeared to he about half full. Everything in the washhouse was burning. The building . was of galvanised iron on a hardwood frame, and it was not burnt down. A table, however, was still burning,, and clothes, both wet and dry, had been burnt. When the explosion occurred deceased would be at least five feet from the fire. Deceased was entirely by herself on Thursday.

In answer to the Coroner, witness said no part of deceased's clothing was made of flannelette. Some years be-

fore he had noted the dangerous'nature of flannelette and had discontinued its use in the children's clothes.

Continuing, witness said oil and cotton wool were procured from the Public Works men, and word was sent through- to Dr. Hitchcock, Whangamomona, who arrived about half past four. The doctor put on wrappings and generally attended to deceased. The doctor said it would be necessary to have deceased removed as soon as possible and the Public Works officers arranged for a special train to run to Stratford. They rendered every possible help and the train was got ready in as short a time as possible. The benzine had been left by a man who was felling bush for witness and who had a motor cycle. Deceased at the time of the explosion was tidying up and no doubt she intended to sweep out the packing case in which the benzine stood.

Summing up, the Coroner said the fatality was a particularly sad one. h\ his opinion something should be done to spread the knowledge of the danger attaching to benzine. It appeared that the Public Works Department had acted very eommendably in the circumstances.

The jury returned a verdict that death was caused by misadventure as the result of an explosion of benzine.no blame being attachable to anvbodv.