The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-07-24 00:00:00

DROWNING IN THE HARBOUR.

John Williams, a sailor, was drowned in the Harbour on
Friday night, from the smack Gazelle, of Shoreham, and
an inquest was held on Saturday at the Guildhall, before
Mr. Giles Symonds, county coroner. The jury included
Mr. James White Board (who was chosen foreman),
Messrs. Robert Felton, George Richard Read, Joseph
Nathan, William Hall, William Hunt, Thomas C.
Brinsley, Jame* Whittle, Henry liatehard, William
Hagley, James Newport. and Richard Shinner.
Horatio Clarke, captain of the Gazelle fishing smack,
said they came in yederday morning about ten o'clock,
and lay on the Melcombe Regis side. His crew numbered
four, all told, and deceased was one. Last night witness
went on board the vessel about half-past eleven, and saw
, deceased sitting on a rail, on the top of the bulwarks, his
trousers undone but he was fast asleep. Passed him and
went down into the cabin. Deceased was in a dangerous
position, and after witness had lit his pipe, he then came
on deck again to call amen to come on sleek and take him
below. had not seen him for three hours before. Witness
waagoing to the wan, when one of the men below called
out 'Jack 5' and deceased started up, and fell backwards
overboard. Witness got into a little row boat to save him,
but when he reels to the surface deceased went past his
reach, and he could not catch him. The vessel was lying
close to the wall, with another vessel outside, and deceased
fell between the two, and floated down vrith the ebb tide
about ten yards, and at the Commodore paddle steamer
witness lost sight of him. Witness, when he failed to
mach him, went ashore and ran along the quay : but when
be got to the Commodore's paddle-box he lost sight of him.
The Coroner asked the witness why he did not loose the
boat; but he answered that he could not loose the painter
without going on the deck of the large vessel. Two or
three men might be drowned before they could let go the

painter.
The Coroner : If you had laid hold of him before you
went down to light your pipe, you would have saved him.
It seems to me that the pipe was the first object with
you.
By the Foreman: When the man fell overboard, the men
who were all below previously, jumped up on deck, and also
loosed the painter. The reason why the man was drowned
was because his trousers were tangled round his feet and
anklet The tide was running down very rapidly when
deceased felL When deceased was found he had his arm
up over his head round a float of the paddle wheel, and
his bead under one of the iron.; the tide probably caught
his feet, and turned him so that his head went under. He
was found shout an hour ants:.

By a juryman : Deceased had sailed with him about
seven or eight month,: he was a sober man generally,
and not subject to fits; he was about 30 years old, was
single, and had an aged mother.
John Pearce, of Shoreham, said he fell in with deceased
in the Royal Oak, about half-past seven, and stayed there
till shutting-up time. Witness was more sober then than
now.. _

The Coroner: Then we need not examine you.
Sergeant Apsey said the captain could not have done
more than be did to save the deceased if he had got
away he could not have gone two 'erste with the boat.
The Coroner: Then you are • better aushority than this
captain; the captain only suggested that the time of un-
tying the painter would be too great for the chance of
saving the man.
Some of the jury said it was a pity that the captain did
net take the deceased by the arm when he was sitting on
the rail.
The Captain said they very often see men sitting on the
raiL
Dr. Tizard said deceased died from drowning. He sac
him about two hours after he had fallen.
In answer to the Coroner, the captain said he ran and
called souse "chaps to assist, and when be was going be
went to the police station. They told him the police
would be in directly, and afterwards they went and
fetched the man. It would take a long time to untie a
painter if they were in • hurry.
The Coroner: I should think in • case like that, you
might have cut the rope. If you saw a man hanging, you
would not wait to untie the rope; you would cut him
down, sod! should advise you in • caee like this to cut the
painter.
The Jury found a verdict of "Accidentally Drowned."

,
Notts ant) Vint.
The Government have begun measures for stopping
dynamite fishing; Db. or 31b. charges are objected to, and
hundreds of fish are not to be killed. So far well; but
Government guncotton torpedoes slay their thousands, and
nothing is done to stop that. The concussion which ex-
tends 10 yards frights the fish away, and must not be
allowed ; the sea-quake that rolls for hundreds of yards is
grand and right. Thus goeis justice in this world; shake
Lord ..tiimnparraoiardenutd eltibewtiVtacz, fiViky.onalilyiay.ll
risk o:ar slaughter ei trousanda, and " British intsaists"
justify the Arai Balers can do no wrong.
But "mem& " have se sandassy if *sr lois& on
British sea. Twe esinths* imprimment for one, and 450
damage, ter another. tea* the idelk tint eaminiaation is
net their privates. abounded by the reielstleas et law.
lbw wasisrhea"revssmk" weld strike tower tate birds
mid king; bed aper they Bra when jpracillis ea we
ether awl en Wiesimadera the androleeel Nag ter a
time prelim the sem ot sans at lime ever we sad
shildren ; but "The Priest in Abolition" is the next
sierk ler a heavy eel, from John Bars ems band. Do
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