The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1870-07-26 00:00:00

FATAL ACCIDENT IN WEYMOUTH
HARBOUR.

An inquest was held on Fliday morning last, at the
Oolden Lion Hotel, on thi• betty of Alex•nder
MeLenniin, an able seaman on boar I the Margaret and
Mary, lying °meld° •nother veeeel on the M.-Icon:Me
Regis side, jut oppowto the Revel oak.
It appears that a• out live o'clock deceased went out
on the 11,1•Iprit toilo nome wi k, and by some unknown
means slipped, ILIA fed into the water, where he
remained atoot four tuinetes, hefore the body was
',covered. It mu then apparently dead. Dr. eempaen,
who bed been palming over the bridge, hart the cry of
'• ra man nem Mari,' and went on hoard just as the
deceased was taken on deck. Artficial tentdration was
tried for an hour and a half, and other means to restore
life but they were of no avail. It was supposed that
ilecieseed had in falling struck against a eh•in, but
there was no wound. The poor man wu 44 years of
age, and has left • wife and seven or eight children.
Ple belonged to Plockton Locheleh, Routhire ; but his
home for some years has been at Consiemouth. On the
body WOO found 4'5 7.., some other things, and his
discharge from the ship. It appealed that, arc 'riling
to custom, he waa diecharged on the previous day, on
urieing in port, and taken on mtsin.
The in luest was held 'ldiom G. Symonds, Fsq..
coroner, and the following jury : Mr. Shier (foremm)
Moser,, Felton, Ciare, J. Gimon, G. Green. T. Sherry.
Aughey, Pride, Jolliffe, Vine, aid 8011.
Kenneth Morrison, the capotin, said that he caw
decamped perfectly holier. when he 1-ft the ship shout
three quarters f an hour befere the etchlent happened,
hut lemma witoess entire back, hia body was on ti,e
deck, and the doctors and others endeevourtog to
reetore life. Deceased was always a quiet, steady [nen.
Henry Charles Weaher said : I wao standing on the
quarter when decieasesl WA. on the bowsprit of the
Mergaret and Mary, which was lying astern of the
Fancy. I saw decesced fall off the bowsprit into the
water. When h. fell, he caught hold of the jib stay,
but let go again directly. I don't know if he came in
a •ntaat with anything ie the fall—he fell down straight.
When I s•w him fall. I jumped into • boat, and shoved
her off, but deceased w•s sunk. and 1 could not see
him. Two or three other hosts came, and tarifa four
or five minutes after he was pulled tip. The depth we.
alt itit 10 feet. He wa• pulled up from about where I
new him go down ; there mai no tile at the time.
When he w•s go. uti he was han oil on boari the
Margaret and Msry, I returned to the Fancy with my
host. •na when I came hack the tiec..oed wan eMieeed.
Dr. Simpson, and Mr. Timm& of the ship, were there,
ant Dr. Simp•on was directing the rest. I could not
sae what deceased was doing on the quarter ,• I wan not
there shore two minutes before he tel. He wan the
only man on the bowsprit, and the nearest man to him
WWI on the gangway, near amitialiion. When deceased
fill off the bowsprit he shouted "Hey !" but he did
not speak when he was taken up. By Mr. Sherry :
There was a mooring chain belonging to the Factor
Immo.' the Margaret and Miry's bow, just underneath
where deceased fell, but I did not see him strike ; he
fell junt out.ide ; it is probable he struck himself there.
Duecan Mathiepon, ehii f mate of the Margaret and
Mary, stirl deceased wan employed all day upon the
bowsprit, for •hich he was qualified. Another man
was employed with him • eh irt time before, but he.
welked down to the stern of the vessel just before
McLean/in fell. I *al near the ganeway. I heard a
.plash, and ran fixwertl, and saw deceased's fingers
just above the aurf•ce of the water. I hove • rope to
his Mani!, but he di t not catch it. and the nv.srer of
the schooner in+hie lowerel • b at. I have known
deceased all Illy life, and 1 don't think he could •wim.
Whan I saw ht. Roter• wat..e,
lan ma. ..truc.iing
very little, hut just going I town. I was there when he
was brought on hoard, which was about four mietves
•fter I hear I the splentiing in the water. Pat that time
I).. Sim men had arrived. The vessel we. r my
c iminand when it hntipetted, sus the cap•ain was not on
board. Deceased was then pelfectly sober; he we. •
very steady man. By • Juror: I saw him taken up
with tne groping iron, but I den't think the iron
caused the iejery to the man's head.
It gin rid Paligreve : I was passing by the
twi fp about ten minutes past five, and hearnig an
alarm of a man overb iart. I went down to the Quay,
Cal reached the Jack of the vessel junk as the man wan
I hauled on board. He cc, not sensible. I had lint

unilreitsed, and began artificial rempirrtion, dir,cting
(Ahem to rub Ids ettrernities and bsitly with fiirmels.
I also had • ualvanic apparatus fetched, and applied. I
kept up artifiei.l reapiration for about an hour an I a
quitrter, wittp.ut any avail. Whsn he was bro i•ht on
hoar!, I felt for any I,uioto' of the heart. I cool
find none, and his eve di in't flinch when I put my
fiiitier towards it. I have not seen the holy Nino-,
Dr. Sit:now-in VIMI thereupon requistod to see the

_
body. Ou hia retmn, he haid there was no wound on
the head. The ma'ted •opearanoe in the hair armie
from the froth that had fl ,we Ifr .nt mou'h. Two

tome,' and a half or three minutes' total immersion
would bn suffiaient to destroy life in any . The
wit°. ~e ftllagreei that deceaned was four minutes
under water, and they aLre always apt to underrate
tb. time.
Verdict, "Accidentally Drowned."