TRACEDY AT SEA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2700, 3 January 1910, Page 5

TRACEDY AT SEA.

CHIEF ENGINEER OF ANGLOSAXON KILLED BY EXPLOSION

TPeu Press Association.! WELLINGTON, Jan. 2

In the dying hours of the old year a tragedy occurred on the high seas near Wellington. The steamer AngloSaxon, which had been in Wellington about a week, left for London at o p.m. on Friday. When four hours out an explosion occurred in the engine room. An evaporator exidoded with a report like a. cannon shot. Tlie chiet engineer, Mr. Francis Lawrence, who w'as bending over the evax>orator, received such fearful injuries that he died almost immediately. The vessel at once returned to Wellington, where an inquest was held to-day. Mr Lawrence was about 38 years old, and leaves a widow and family residing at Sunderland. He suffered injuries’to bis bead; one leg was mangled, and the other broken below the knee, and there were scalds and burns all over his body. At the inquest John Rowntree, the third engineer, who witnessed the accident, said he saw the deceased go to the evax>orator. Deceased did not say what lie was going to do. Two minutes later an explosion occurred. Witness could give no reason for the explosion taking place. The evaixmator had been in use on the journey from Napier to Wellington, but not since. He could not tell where the defect may have been, as the evajwrator was completely destroyed. Scott Hallyburton, second engineer, said that the explosion could only be due to one of two causes, the choking of the baffle plates or the safety-valve being stuck. When on the American coast the evaporator had been thoroughly overhauled. Captain Isaac, master of the AngloSaxon, said that the deceased was a very careful and reliable man. The Coroner found a verdict of acidental death, no blame being attachable to anyone.