The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-06-16 00:00:00

PORTLAND.
FINDING OF ONE OF THE DROWNED
COASTGLIARDs.
. . . .

On Saturday morning information WU brought to the
police station. Portland, that a body had been found at •
time called King", Pier, :tear the Butts, at the north-cant
of the Island. S,:rgt. Plorance at once proceeded with
three of tlm police and a stretcher, and assisted by the
coasaguard from Balaclava station, brought it round to a
abed near tim Naval ll.pital. fare :inn hands were
gone; but the clothes, those of a comitguardalnan. were
perfect, and the holy xlll3 rerogiiked an that of WilLiam
:.;;.iener, one of the ccevitguitnlamen drowned in the late
fatal heat accident off the Breakwater.

ALtitMIND AND NEF:PLESS ACCIDENT.

Then the body of William Skinner was being taken
into the Breakwater engine house, P.V. howler was one of
the front bmrers, anal had to step backwarla into the
'amigo. No warring had been given him against anY
il.ta4cr, but ,onse feet inside the hong°, there was a trench
17 feet deep. anal into this the policeman fell. Fortunately
the coastguardsman whn wa, the other front bearer lOW
Lawler fall, and just in time AaVeil himself anal the body
from falling into the trench. Had he done no,
it Li thought Loader must have been killed ;
as it wa4, he was very seriously hurt. When
he was got out, his face w:l3 finind to be cut, his head
bruised, anal hid lack trolly sprained. He wan assisted
home ; lest on the way he fainted, anal it required all Dr.
BL-Leatis skill to get him to rally. Loader a short time
ago illet with It fierce st4swilt in the discharge of his duty,
when one or two ribs were broken, WA his side much
hnllied. lie had scarcely recovered from those injuries,
na that he was leas able to hear the present fall, anal he
now lies in rather a precarious state. Great blame is
attached to the parties who knew all about the shall, that
they did not with such an unusual danger inside, take
means to prevent any accident.

THE INQCF.,T
Was opened opened on Saturday afternoon last, at the
Breakwater Hotel. Portland, before Mr. Pelly llooper,
deputy coroner. The nary included: Capt. A. Scriven,
Mr. It. Dryer. Mr. IL Gibbs, Mr. Joseph Mitchell. Mr. W.
Lawrence, Mr. Thomas Gibbs, Mr. T. Hansford, Mr.
Matted. Mr. S. Smith, Mr. M. Moors, Mr. W. Dine, Mr.
T. Comben.
Mr. Hooper first read his authority for acting as deputy
conmer, dated August :Si, 1,71.
Captain Scriven was chosen foreman. The Fury went
down to the Breakwater engine-bones. whet° the body was
lying. It was in a very decomposel state, the face and
hands being partly destroyed by rutting, and partly by
being eaten with fish.
James G. Itannafonl, boatman in the coastguard
service and stationed at White Nose, said he had every
reason to believe the body vvas that of William Skinner,
r tttttttt isdoned boatman, also stationed at White Nose.
Witlll•SK saw Skinner about a week before the accident
lie identified the body by the Icrits, the description of
which he gave before lie saw the body, this morning.
They were a new pair. peculiarly made, and they talked
about them when Skinner had them first. A small purse
found on the body witness also recognised. From
the clothes also, he had no doubt that ties body was
Skinner's. . .

...... .
By l'apt. A. Scriven : Skinner wai a short, stout titan.
like the 'roily found.
Maurice Learey, hostman in the Balaclava ili,tachtiment.
Portlnnil Station, said at a quarter past tire this morning
he iviw the hirly Slating outside the Ride Butts, about :10
yards front the
.. shore. Witnevi acqiiainte.l the chief

,
boatman, awl the lace. Ile alio rendered amistatice,
with the aioliee, to bring the body to the engine house.
Sergt. G. floranee Ktid that from inforinati receaved

f Leary. he t7a.shore near the Rifie rotas, with
three r.instables tutu some cost guanl., and a stretcher.
Ile found the body lying on the beach, and brought the
body to where it lies. Searched the 'Kely anil found in
the trouser pocket a purse containing a halfpenny. The
Icily was in coastguard dress, and :I knife lanyard was
round his neck ; but no knife. On the white collar of the
serge jacket was painted a name in white paint; but it
WM very indistinct. although they put it under a magni-
fying plass.
Mr. Hooper said there must he further communication
with the station at White Sk.C. inquiries must lie made
respecting the beat, the ballast that send in her, to whom
she belonged, and whether there was any timpervision
over her. The inquest would be adjourned till Monday
afternoon at :1 o'clock. _ . .

RA
a

A witnms was present from the White Nme ',Cation, who
Kai'l he knew all about the matter, havinz called the men
in the morning but he was not the superior °dicer, and
the inquest war adjourned, the jury being bound over to
re-appear.
At the adjmtmed intuiry ever.al. witne!,,w, were

examined, and deserilied the nature of the accident.
The jury having consulted, they returned a verdict that
the ile..ease.l WU drowned in the English Channel, and
'pt. Seriren proposed to add that the authorities at lit
Is. ;esputinted that 1,1111 1..at4 are not lit to Cr 0144 the
'hawed under sail, and that it is a great di:err:lee that
such heita should be allowed to COIIII3 , ler sail.

.....
Captain Seriven said that there a 4 been about :la wk tow
ant 50 or tgl fatherless children left, within the
la-lon years, on an bo these small Issits being
allowed to cross under eall. The I :overnment service was
Issmning a farce now•mdays, the men ought to stay
there 14 days, if they are called for days. If he had
. . .

--• ••
will they .hoiililetol, II ay* and never leave it. A
1i,,., long voyage to mita ta ashore in the midst of 14
dap;