The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-14 00:00:00

FRIGETFUL ACCIDBN.7.

Yesterday an adjourned inquest was held before
Mr. Humphreys, coroner, and a jury, at the Man-
chester Arms public-house, Millwall, Poplar, on
the body of James Goodwin, a labourer, aged 34
years, late in the employ of Westwood and Bailey,
engineers and boiler-makers, who was killed on
Saturday afternoon last by an iron boiler, upwards
of 10 tons in weight, falling upon him while it was
being removed on a truck from one of their work-
shops to the wharf for shipment.
Mr, Joseph Smith, solicitor, instructed by Mr
Preece, a member of the Mile-end vestry, attended
the inquest for the widow of the deceased ; and Mr.
Charles Young, solicitor, appeared for Messrs.
Westwood and Bailey.
The boiler in question was much wider and longer
than the truck on which it was placed, and drawn
over a tramway by a horse and a number of
labourers. There were three ropes attached to the
truck. The horse was attached to one rope, and a
number of labourers, of whom the deceased was
one, to the other rope. The boiler was not made
fast to the truck by chains or ropes, mid it over-
hung the truck on each side, and also at the
back and front. The truck had just reached
the end of the tramway, and the fore wheels,
which were only 18 inches high, had reached
a turn table, when, owing to the soft nature of the
ground, the metals on which the truck rested sank,
the turn table tipped, the hind wheels of the truck
went up, and the boiler was thrown off the truck
towards the horse and the men who were pulling.
The boiler fell upon the deceased and crushed him.
He was 10 or 15 minutes under the ponderous weight
before he was rescued. He was then conveyed to
the Poplar Hospital, where he lived only.half-an-
hour, and his agonies were so great during that
time that he said ho wished he had been killed
outright. Other men had a very narrow escape.
There had 'been three other accidents on the same
tramway, and other boilers had fallen off the
trucks; but those aecidents had not been attended
with fatal results to any of the workmen.
The coroner and jury, accompanied by Mr:
Smith. Mr. Young, and others, viewed the tram-
way and the truck. Both were of very slight con-
struction, and did not seem to be capable of bearing
the heavy weights placed on them. The tramway
had been frequently repaired. The ground on
which it was placed was soft and " puddley."
The jury examined several witnesses in addition
to those who gave evidence at the Poplar Hospital
on Tuesday night, and their testimony went to
show that the truck was not large enough for the
boiler which had been placed upon it, that the
boiler ought to have been secured and made fast to
the truck by chains and ropes, and that the tram-
way was not in a perfect state,
The jury ultimately returned a verdict of acci-
dental death, and the coroner, at their request,
warned the representatives of Westwood and
Bailey, who were present, to take precautions
against the occurrence of a similar accident.
A. gentleman connected with the firm said that
the same truck and tramway had been used 16
years for the removal of boilers over it, and this
was the first occurrence of a fatal nature which had
taken place.
The Coroner—l hope you will bear in mind the
old adage, " The pitcher that goes often to the well
is broken at last." Recollect I have given a warn-
ing, and should another fatal accident occur the
consequence may be serious.
A Juror—lt is the opinion of the jury that the
truck is too small, and the tramway too slight for
boilers so large and heavy.