A Sewell from Sheerness
The following is an extract from a two column report in the 'Guardian & East Kent Advertiser,' of 17 May 1924.
FATAL ACCIDENT TO A WATERMAN IN SHEERNESS HARBOUR
A very sad accident occurred in Sheerness Harbour on Sunday last, resulting in the death of, Arthur Rowe Jarvis, a waterman, aged 30, residing in Bethel Passage, Blue Town, who was unavoidably crushed against the rubbing strake of a naval launch, sustaining such serious internal injuries that he died two hours later. The unfortunate man was attended within a few minutes of the accident by Surgeon/Commander, M. W Haydon, RN the Senior Medical Officer of the yard, and was removed to the sick quarters, when everything possible was done for him but he was past human aid by reason of the nature of the injuries. The circumstances of the accident are inexpressibly sad as the deceased leaves a widow and six children whose ages range from 16 years to four months.
At the inquest, Lieut / Com. C Dalrymple Moore, was Present on behalf of the commanding officer of the Royal Sovereign whose picket boat was concerned in the accident, Mr. E. T. L. Baker, of Baker & Baker, Rochester, Admiralty law agents, was present on behalf of the Admiralty. Inspector J. Bloomfield in charge of the metropolitan Police and Inspector W. Hazelden, Detective constable Waddell and P.C. Copper, of the K.C.C., were also present on duty.
The jury having viewed the body, which was in the town mortuary the following evidence, was adduced;
Elizabeth Jarvis of 16 Bethel Passage, Blue Town, Sheerness deposed; 'The body in the mortuary is that of my husband, Arthur Rowe Jarvis, who was 39 years of age. His occupation was that a Waterman. I saw my husband after the accident, he was then in the sick bay, but he did not make any statement as to the accident'.
The witness, (Midshipman, J. R. Roberts / West, of HMS Royal Sovereign), explained to the Coroner and jury by means of pieces of paper the course he took, and the point at which he gave orders for the engines of the picket boat to be stopped and to go full speed astern shortly afterwards, as he was making for the first pontoon. From the point that he started to go astern to where he was going alongside the pontoon was about 20 yards. The launches acted pretty quickly when going astern and could easily pull up in 20 yards. Owing to a slight hang up of the engines the picket boat did not get astern quickly, but he did not know the cause of the hang up. He gave the order to the engineer by sounding the gong three times. He was at the wheel. As the result of the hang up the picket boat had too much 'way on,' and it took longer to stop the boat. There was a fair amount of tide at the time. The bow of the picket boat went between the launches. He cleared the dinghy altogether by pushing the bow of the picket boat to the launch. He saw the deceased clinging to the outward launch, but could not say whether he was in the dinghy. After hitting the bow of the inboard launch, the picket boat glanced against the stern of the outboard launch. The deceased must have been 'nipped' between the picket boat and the outboard launch. Witness heard him cry out. The picket boat backed out and drew clear, and the deceased was then taken on board the outboard launch.
The jury deliberated in private and returned a verdict of “Accidental death,' adding that no blame attached to anyone. They also expressed their deep sympathy with the widow and family.
The Coroner conveyed the expression of the jury's sympathy to Mrs Jarvis, and the Chaplain of the Royal Sovereign (The Rev W. R.G.M. Matthews) said that he was desired by the Captain and officers of the Royal Sovereign to say that they greatly deplored the accident, and would, like to express their deep sympathy with the widow and family in their great bereavement. He was sure, although he was speaking on his own responsibility that they would see what could be done to grant some assistance to them.
The funeral took place at the Isle of Sheppey cemetery on Thursday afternoon, and Vice Admiral Sir W. E. Goodenough, K.C.B, Commander in Chief at the Nore, and Captain Oliver Backhouse, C.B, Superintendent of the Dockyard, were represented, the former by an officer of the rank of Commander, and the latter by Lieut. W.H. Cleaver, of the Commander's Department. Wreaths were sent by both the Commander in Chief and Capt, Oliver Backhouse. Messer’s. Young King were the undertakers.
Email:
Raymond Sewell
43 Prentice Ave, Old Erowal Bay. NSW. Australia.
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