I wonder if Robert's parents were ever sent this information at the time? We will probably never know.
.........................................................
From the Gloucester Citizen, Monday 13th March 1911
DROWNED IN THE CANAL AT GLOUCESTER
Inquest on an Irish sailor
The Coroner and Waterside Chains
The Coroner for the City of Gloucester (Mr Charles Scott) held an inquest at the Lower George Hotel, Gloucester, on Saturday evening, into the circumstances attending the death of Robert Thompson (20), able seaman, of Ballyfrench, Co. Down, Ireland, employed on the steamship, Ashford, who was drowned in the Berkeley and Sharpness Canal near Gloucester Docks on Friday night.
John McCleod, of Glasgow, steward and cook on SS Ashford, stated that on Friday the ship was lying at the Great Western Wharf. Thompson went ashore about 6 o’clock, and witness followed about 8.30. They met in the Ducie Arms (nb, if you click here you'll see that the Ducie Arms in Longsmith Street, Gloucester, was described at the time as "...being frequented by women of bad character... that drunken persons were seen coming out at closing time, that there was filthy language, fighting, general disorderly behaviour and indecency outside..."), where there were also several of the other men employed on the ship. They left the house together at 11 o’clock when Thompson was rather the worse for liquor. (The image above is of a drink token from the Ducie Arms)
When they reached the Great Western Wharf Thompson was a few yards in front of the witness, and the others were a little distance behind. When they were about 60 yards from the ship Thompson crossed the railway line, between the trucks, and walked along the quay wall, witness losing sight of him owing to the trucks being between them.
Shortly afterwards witness heard a splash, and immediately ran to the side of the canal, when he saw Thompson in the water. He shouted to him to catch hold of a chain which was hanging from the wall, and ran along the quay to find a rope or a buoy. He met Harding, the crane man, who procured a rope, and they returned to the place where the man had fallen in, but could not see him. It was nearly an hour and a half before they discovered the body.
William John Harding, crane driver, in the company of GWR Company, living at 10, Carmarthen Street, Gloucester, stated that he was on duty at the Great Western Wharf at 11.30pm on Friday night when he heard shouting, and going in the direction of the sound, he met the last witness, who told him what had happened. He looked into the water, and saw a splash, as though from the man’s arm, and then ran and fetched a rope. When he returned there was no sign of the man. He then ran to Llanthony Bridge, where there were several of the other sailors belonging to the ship. He told them of the occurrence, and they procured a drag, and hastened to the spot. They dragged where they had last seen Thompson, and recovered the body in about an hour and a half.
In reply to the juryman, witness said there were no chains running along the quay wall, but there were ladders going down to the water’s edge at intervals.
The Coroner: “If there were chains running along the wall near the water’s edge a good many lives might be saved, but they have not got them. The question has been raised many times, but they will not put them.”
Replying to other questions, witness said there were lamps in the yard, but they were always turned out as soon as the men had finished work on the ships. The night was dark and rainy.
P.C. Conduit was informed of the accident when on duty at the Cross at 2.35pm on Saturday. He proceeded to the Docks, and saw deceased on a stretcher near the goods sheds. He tried to revive the man without success.
The jury received a verdict of accidental drowning. The foreman, Mr R T Manning, suggested that a rider should be added referring to the necessity for a horizontal chain along the quay wall.
The Coroner said he had tried over and over again to get a chain of this kind fixed, but his efforts had been fruitless.
A juryman: “They have one in the Docks”
The Coroner: “I know, but there was a great objection to that. If you have chains you must have rings to which to fasten them, and when ships go alongside the wall they scrape against them and get damaged. I think they have found out now – though it took them a good many years – that this objection can be overcome by putting pieces of wood round the rings. However, I will write a letter to the railway company and call their attention to it.”
end.
No comments:
Post a Comment