["Shocking Accident At Fremantle", The West Australian, Monday 14 December 1896, page 5]

SHOCKING ACCIDENT AT FREMANTLE.

A PASSENGER BY THE MARLOO KILLED.

A shocking accident occurred at Fremantle on Saturday morning, when Francis Blackwell, a passenger by the steamer Marloo, outward bound to Melbourne, was killed by a fall down one of the hatchways. The unfortunate man, who was 48 years of age and leaves a wife and five children in Ballarat, Victoria, had just come down from the goldfields and was going for a trip home to spend the Christmas holidays with his family when he met his untimely death. It seems that at about eight o'clock on Saturday morning Blackwell was on board the Marloo looking after a berth, the vessel being timed to sail for the East that afternoon. He was standing in the corridor opposite his bunk, talking to the fore-cabin steward, when, in order to make room for somebody to pass him, he stepped back. Behind him a tarpaulin was hanging loosely, and, unaware that the open hatchway was at the back of this, he leaned against it, with the result that he toppled over head foremost into the hold. His head struck the wheel of a traction engine, 20ft. below, and when picked up he had a gaping wound on the head and his skull appeared to be cracked in several places. He was immediately conveyed to the hospital, but, after lingering for a couple of hours, he died without having regained consciousness.

Where the tarpaulin was hanging iron stanchions are, it is stated, usually fixed to prevent accidents, but in this case they appear to have been removed, as had they been there the accident could not, it is alleged, have happened. The coroner, Dr. Lovegrove, formally opened an inquest on the body of the deceased yesterday morning and adjourned that inquiry to a day to be fixed.

notes:

Blackwell, 48, has wife and five kids in Ballarat. has just arrived from goldfields, heading home to VIC for Christmas

Blackwell steps back, to let other passengers pass. In doing so, he puts his weight against the canvas curtain.

Lovegrove formally opened the inquest on Sunday 13 December 1896, adjourned it to a date to be fixed.