Liverpool Echo 28th Sept 1937
Severe spinal injuries
Liverpool man dies after dock accident
George DOWIE aged 38, of Flemington Ave, Liverpool, who sustained a severe injury to the spine when he was struck by a sling of grain while working at the Gladstone Dock on Thursday last, has died in Bootle General Hospital.
Liverpool Echo, 30th Sept 1937
Neck broken by sling
Bootle Dock fatality verdict
A verdict of misadventure was returned at the Bootle inquest today on George DOWIE aged 39, of Flemington Ave, Liverpool, who died in Bootle General Hospital on Monday while working at the Gladstone South No 1 Dock, on Thursday last week.
It was stated that DOWIE was one of a gang loading bags of tapioca flour from the steamship Urides into a barge. They had finished loading one sling of bags on the barge when another sling came from the ship’s hatch sooner than was expected. DOWIE was struck and knocked down by the sling and his neck was broken.
Liverpool Echo 24th June 1938
Neck broken in barge, Assizes Claim, by widow on behalf of herself and three children
A fatal accident to a Liverpool dock labourer, whose neck was broken while he was working in the hold of a steam barge in the Gladstone Dock, had a sequel at Liverpool Assizes today
Mrs Gladys Edwards DOWIE, widow, of Beversbrook Rd, West Derby, claimed damages against the Ocean Steamship, Co, Ltd, India Buildings, Water St, Liverpool, for the loss of her husband George DOWIE, aged 39, Dock Labourer.
Mr Wilfred CLOTHIER, K.C, and Mr B. R. Rice JONES, instructed by Mr R. E. WARBURTON, were for the plaintiff. Defendants were represented by Mr G. Justin LYNSKEY. K. C, and Mr H. I. NELSON, instructed by Messers Alsop STEVENS and Collin ROBINSON.
Mr CLOTHIER and Mrs DOWIE sued under the Fatal Accidents Act on behalf of herself and her three children. Two were aged 4 and 2, and the third was a posthumous child born on the 12th of June. Mrs DOWIE claimed under the Law Reformed Act, as the administratrix of her husbands estate, for her loss of expectation of life.
George DOWIE died on September 27th, 1937, as a result of injuries received on September 23rd, when working in the steam barge Allegiance, owned by Coast Lines Ltd. His employers. A cargo of bags of tapioca flour was being discharged from the s.s. Euryades, owned by the Ocean Steamship Co, into the Allegiance in No 1, Gladstone Dock.
The bags were being transferred by a movable crane, over 100 ft high which stood in the quay.
The jib of the crane was not long enough to plumb the centre of the hatch of the barge, and to overcome that difficulty, a dangerous method of working was being employed. The bags were being cast” fished” or shot into the hold of the barge by a process known as “luffing the jib.”
When the sling was filled with nine bags the load was hoisted well up to the top of the jib. Then the jib arm was lowered to throw it across the two vessels.
Like casting a fly.
Then by suddenly lowering the jib and at the same time allowing the fall to run our rapidly there was a forward movement of the load, and it was cast out as a fisherman cast out a fly on his rod. The process required considerable skill, by the craneman and the constant vigilance of the hatchman or railman whose duty it was to signal to the craneman when to raise and deposit the load.
The craneman was entirely dependant on the signals. The aft and amidships sections of the barge had been filled with bags and DOWIE was one of six men stowing bags in the fore section. The men were gathered in a space 13ft by 13ft, and when standing of the bags were just above the hatch coamings.
I was usual to give a warning when each load came down. The men got out of the way of each descending load by ranging themselves round the sides of the square.
At 1,50pm they had just dealt with a load and were ranging themselves around the square when, without warning the next load was shot into the square. DOWIE was struck and crumpled up, his neck was broken and he was paralysed. He remained conscious and in great pain for several days before he died.
Mr CLOTHIER said that the allegation was that no proper lookout was kept by the signaller, hatchman or railman and he gave n warning.
Whole system wrong.
The real complaint however was that the whole system was wrong and dangerous and even with the best of lookouts, and the most carefully given signals, the operation of casting or flicking a load into the hold would be fraught with danger to anyone in the immediate vicinity.
The day after the accident loading was effected by a safe and proper method, derricks being used. The defendants added Mr CLOTHIER, denied negligence.
Matthew Stanley JOUGHLIN dock labourer, said he heard no warning before the fatal load descended. Cross-examined by Mr LYNSKEY he said he did not know that a similar operation had been carried on at the dock for eleven years.
Matthew D’ARCY, dock labourer said he did not hear any warning
Mr LYNSKEY suggested they all got a warning , and they all except DOWIE went under the coamings.
They replied No
Proceeding
Liverpool Echo 27th June 1938
£966 AWARD PLUS £1OOO FOR CHILDREN
DOCK TRAGEDY
JUDGE AND THE GIVING OF SIGNALS
THE HUMAN ELEMENT
S Liverpool dock labourers widow was at the Liverpool Assizes today awarded £966-16s, plus£1000 to be divided amongst her three children, her husband having died as a result of an accident in which his neck was broken.
Mrs Gladys Edwards DOWIE, widow, of Beversbrook Rd, West Derby, claimed damages against the Ocean Steamship, Co, Ltd, India Buildings, Water St, Liverpool, for the loss of her husband George DOWIE, aged 39, Dock Labourer.
Mr Wilfred CLOTHIER, K.C, and Mr B. R. Rice JONES, instructed by Mr R. E. WARBURTON, were for the plaintiff. Defendants were represented by Mr G. Justin LYNSKEY. K. C, and Mr H. I. NELSON, instructed by Messers Alsop STEVENS and Collin ROBINSON.
Mr CLOTHIER and Mrs DOWIE sued under the Fatal Accidents Act on behalf of herself and her three children. Two were aged 4 and 2, and the third was a posthumous child born on the 12th of June. Mrs DOWIE claimed under the Law Reformed Act, as the administratrix of her husbands estate, for her loss of expectation of life.
Mr CLOTHIER said George DOWIE died as a result of injuries received on September 23rd when working in the steam barge Alegiance owned by Coast Lines Ltd, his employers.
A cargo of bags of tapioca flour was being discharged from the s.s. Euryades owned by the Ocean Steamship, Co,, by means of a shore crane into the Allegiance in No 1, Gladstone Dock. DOWIE was in the hold of the barge when he was struck by a load being lowered in a sling
It was alleged that the hatchman on the Euryades did not keep a proper lookout or give the usual “Stand clear” warning to the men in the hold of the barge. It was further complained that the alleged dangerous method of working known as “luffing the jib” was being employed.
Patrick GIBLIN hatchman on board the Euryades said that before giving the signal for the load to be lowered he saw that the hatch square was clear and shouted the usual “Stand clear” warning.
Nathan JOHANNSEN, crane driver, said he received a signal from the hatchman before lowering the load at a medium pace. The hatchman had walked to the side of the ship to see that all was clear on the barge and witness heard him shout “Look out”
“Luffing” did not involve any more than a slight gradual swing on the loads. He had no difficulty in controlling the loads or in landing them exactly where he wanted.
Mr Justice GREAVES-LORD gave judgement for Mrs DOWIE. He awarded her £966-16s in addition £1000 to be divided between the children, with costs.
The judge referring to the system of working when DOWIE was fatally injured said, “I do not think there is enough evidence to condemn the system generally as a system”
“I cannot help thinking that if the work was carefully done, and the proper signals given, that system might be carried out perfectly safely, but in all these matters, unfortunately the human element enters.”
There were two matters for serious criticism with regard to the hatchmans signals, there seemed to be no proper or recognised message of warning. There were at least three different warnings each capable of mispronunciation. “I do not think in the warning itself, there is anything which definitely and clearly warns the men in the square of the hatch. That after all is a secondary matter, the main thing is whatever warning is given shall be given effectively.”
“On that point the evidence for the defendants fails to a very serious extent. I am very far from satisfied that on this occasion the hatchman gave an effective warning. Of one thing I am satisfied that he took no sort of steps to see that, if he had given any warning, it was effective, or that it would have the slightest effect on the men in the square of the hatch.” He governed himself with a very useful phrase as satisfying his own conscience, “we take that for granted” So long as people take for granted things, which they should be very careful to see are realities, this sort of thing will happen. In my opinion the accident was solely due to the negligence of the hatchman.”
His Lordship directed that of the £1000 awarded to the children, £450 should go to the eldest, George aged 4, and £275 to each of the other children, Evelyn aged 2 and Patricia, born June 12th 1938.
The £1000 was to be paid into Liverpool County Court