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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, ]

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TO CORRESPONDENTS.

"ON DUTY" WITH THE CORONER.

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"ON DUTY" WITH THE CORONER. ANNALS OF THE LAST QUARTER. THE brief paragraphs which appear in our columns, announcing accidental deaths, are passed by with little notice, and it is only when the collec- tive items of a quarter appear that we can have a just idea of the alarming waste of life, and pro- duction of misery, constantly occurring in our midst. Look for instance at the items of a case. No. 62.-May 9.-John Evans, 46, accidental death by fall of roof. Such is the notice that appeared in due course, and to all but the little circle of friends, how barren of interest ? How glibly the tongue would rattle over the name, how swiftly the eye pass to some more striking incident ? Yet here, in brief compass, was a tragedy, and if the world lacked its toadyism, and class, and clique, and rank, had less adorers in the world, here was as tender a subject for thought, and for sorrow, as any which a peer might afford, or even a monarch yield. Yet the John Evans's are stricken down by the hundred, and there is no comment; and but for the con- stant re-iteration in the public press, we much question if there would be any redress or any amendment. The statistics show that in the last quarter no less than sixty-six inquests were held, and 441 miles travelled, in the northern division, under the coronership of G. Overton, Esq. Amongst these there were three cases of suicide, one a very sad one, committed by a young wife, who had been seduced from her husband by a scoundrel at Neath. In the iron and coal works, twenty-three lives, were lost, and out of these there is the large number of eleven caused by falls from the roof. This species of accident we have repeatedly in- stanced as one of the preventable ones, but we shall not see it erased from our list until less value is set on timbering, and more on human life. We do not think for a moment that any colliery manager would hesitate in ordering timber if he thought an accident would be certain to occur if he omitted doing so but we do think that from the little regard paid to life, managers do not investigate so thoroughly as they should and as colliers are notorious for their carelessness, this spfecies of accident is constantly occurring. One death is reported as caused by the breaking of a rope. This is somewhat of rare occurrence now,—thanks to better ropes and more care being taken of them. But the special class of the quarter has yet to be noticed. This is, fifteen deaths caused on rail and tramways. This is unusually large and should lead to rigid investigation. We have long main- tained that workmen should not be allowed to trespass on tramways, for this is a notorious cause of accident, and the only way to enforce the rule will be to fine all men and boys detected in offen- ding. Better fine than kill, and the policerAan who looks after the coal stealers can just as well see to the trespassers. One death is reported as caused by excessive drinking, but out of the fifteen cases of a miscel- laneous character, there is little doubt many are due to the same cause. Four deaths occurred during the quarter from machinery. This again, with the special rule relative to prevention, is a class of accident that ought not to appear so frequently. The sad instances we have had of late at the rolls, both at Ply- mouth and at Dowlais, should lead to stronger and surer means of prevention being adopted. If girls and boys are permitted to go freely by the rolls, and there are not sufficient guards to protect them, the natural sequence is, for a human body either to be pounded in the crank hole, until all semblance of humanity is gone, or be drawn through an aperture a couple of inches wide, the poor victim, we have no doubt, suffering an awful torture in that brief moment of time that life is spared. Such are the striking features of the Coroner's list, full of subjects for reflection, and of motive for prompt action, otherwise the quarterly returns —and even the mere holding of an inquest—be- come of little worth. Let readers scan these statistics, and mentally accompany the Coroner on duty see the host stricken down children by the carelessness of mothers men by their own carelessness, or that of employers or managers note the sixty-six scenes of death, the train of suffering and misery caused, and they will unite with us in demanding the exercise of greater care, and the expenditure of more means in prevention.

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