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Facts and Events
immigrated about 1862
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 .
- ↑ Pauleen Cass. Mary Rosalie Zöller and her families.
- Pauleen Cass. Mary Rosalie Zöller and her families.
- ↑ Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Brisbane City Council - Grave Location Search.
- ↑ Toowong Cemetery
- ↑ Killed in an accident while firing a cannon
along with Patrick Walsh. As members of the
Queensland Volunteer Artillary were firing
the vice regal salute for the opening of the
Queensland Parliament
- ↑ Fatal Accident. (1879, January 16). The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), p. 3. Retrieved March 12, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article901401
Fatal Accident.
An accident of a very melancholy nature took place in the Queen's Park yesterday morning. It is customary to fire a vice-regal salute of seventeen guns on the Governor's arrival at the Parliament House for the formal opening cere- mony, and the people in the building yesterday wondered that the usual number had been cur- tailed to five. No idea of the true and shocking cause of the irregularity was at all likely to suggest itself to anyone. The fourth discharge had brought swift death to two of the men serving the gun. It appears that three guns were being used, and No. 1 gun was being loaded for the first discharge of the second round when the fatal occurrence took place that has rendered two families fatherless. It must be explained to those entirely unacquainted with gunnery, that the charge of powder is enclosed in a flannel bag, some fragments of which in a state of ignition are frequently left behind in the gun. To guard against the danger of the succeeding charge being exploded by these smouldering fragments, a treble precau- tion is adopted. A rammer with sponge fitting tight to the barrel is rammed home, turned twice round in the breech, the vent being meanwhile closed by the thumb of one of the men serving the gun. This, by the exclusion of the air is tolerably sure to extinguish any fire that might lurk behind, but it is, nevertheless, enjoined as a matter of vital importance that the thumb is kept strictly on the vent till the next charge has been rammed home. In the present case, for further safety, the sponges had been dipped in a bucket of water ; so supposing the vent to have been properly served, and the sponges to have fitted, this lamentable accident is most difficult of explanation. We are informed the sponges do not fit well, which defect would, of course, rob the operation of its effective safety. In all cases, with a muzzle-loading gun, two men, Nos. 2 and 3, are exposed to a certain risk, but in proper position the risk should be confined to mu- tilation, as no part of the body of either man should be in front of the gun except the arms from the elbow, and a not uncommon artillery catastrophe is the blowing off of the arms of those using the rammer through negligent serving of the vent. In this case the slope of the ground in front of the gun rendered it impossible to serve it in orthodox position, and the two unfortunate men were standing in front of the gun to ram the charge when the explosion took place that lost them their lives. It was at first supposed that the gun had been fired legitimately, and the next gun (No. 2) was also fired before notice was taken of the disappearance of the two men from No. 1. When the smoke had lifted sufficiently, it was found that the poor fellows had been blown down the bank, where they wore seen lying on the grass some yards in advance of the gun in a horribly mutilated condition, One of them, Patrick Walsh, was quite dead, having been fearfully injured about the face and chest ; and the other, Henry Wilkie, although still breathing, was shattered in a most awful manner, one arm having been blown off at the shoulder into the bushes by the river, and the other shattered up to the elbow, besides fearful injuries about the body. Sergeant Craft, who served the vent, had his thumb severely injured. He is an old soldier, having seen active service in various parts of the world, has been sergeant of No. 1 Battery for years, and is most unlikely to have acted with any negligence in discharging the important duties devolving on No. 1 man at a gun. Indeed, half the firing party were old service men, and were told off for the positions they were each most accustomed to. The doc- tors, who quickly arrived on the scene, recognised at once the powerlessness of their craft in Wilkie's case, and he was conveyed to the hospi-
tal to die in a few hours. The unfortunate man was never conscious after the accident. The body of Walsh was placed in a shell and removed. Pending the enquiry, we offer no conjecture as to the cause of this grievous affair, but any faults that may be charged to the guns will not surprise us, considering they were cast in 1798, and have been seventeen years in the colony.
The most distressing part of this sad affair is that both the deceased men are married, and have families, Patrick Walsh, who was in the employ of Anderson and Ryan, leaving a wife and two young children. He was twenty-seven years of age, and has not been able to make any sort of provision for his family. Henry Wilkie was keeper of the European Boarding-house, Elizabeth street, was about forty years of age, and leaves a wife and seven children. He was a native of Germany.
The awful suddenness of the blow that de- prives two households of the breadwinner very solemnly impressed the public mind, and we hope an active sympathy of a substantial kind may be shown the bereaved families. The Volunteer Act makes a certain provision for the families of men dying on duty. Clause 37 says :-
"Any person, being a member of the Volunteer force, disabled or wounded on actual military service, or in the ordinary discharge of his duty in the force, shall be entitled to such half-pay or compensation, and the widow and family of any such person killed or dying from the effects of actual military service, or from any cause arising from the ordinary discharge of his duty, shall be entitled to such compensation or pension as shall respectively be provided by the regulations; and all such half-pay, compensations, and pensions shall be charged on, and payable out of, the con-
solidated revenue."
This, however, is but a meagre substitute for the loss of the wage-earner, and we trust to see some fund started that shall materially supple- ment the half-pay allowance.
Both men will be buried to-day with military honors, all the Volunteers attending the funeral parade. Wilkie's funeral leaves the hospital at 2 p.m., and both leave the Artillery Drill-yard at 4 p.m.
- ↑ Classified Advertising. (1879, January 16). The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), p. 1. Retrieved March 12, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article901422
W. WALSH, Undertaker, George-street. 656 THE Friends of the late Mr. HENRY
WILKIE are respectfully invited to follow his remains to the Brisbane General Cemetery ; to move from the Hospital THIS DAY (Thurs- day), January 16, at 2 o'clock ; Elizabeth-street at half-past 3 o'clock ; and from George-street
at 4 o'clock.
W. WALSH, Undertaker, George-street. 657 TIHE Friends of the late Mr. PATRICK
WALSH are respectfully invited to follow his remains to the Brisbane General Cemetery ; to move from George-street THIS DAY (Thurs- day), January 16, at 4 o'clock.
W. WALSH, Undertaker, George-street. 658 LOYAL PRINCE OF WALES LODGE, '
M.U.I.O.O.F.
OFFICERS and BROTHERS of the above
Lodge are requested to MEET at the Trades Hall, Burnett-lane, THIS DAY (Thurs- day), at 3 p m. sharp, to attend the Funeral of
P.V.G. WILKIE.
By order of the N.G. 654
M.U.I.O.O.F.
OFFICERS and BROTHERS of the above
Order are respectfully invited to attend the FUNERAL of P.V.G. WILKIE, of the above-named Lodge.
By order of the N.G. 655
- ↑ The Volunteers' Funeral. (1879, January 17). The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), p. 3. Retrieved March 12, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article882784
The Volunteers' Funeral.
The funeral of gunners Patrick Walsh and Henry Wilkie, accidentally killed on duty while engaged in firing the Vice-regal salute on the formal opening of Parliament on Wednesday, took place yesterday afternoon. It had been officially notified that the funeral would start from the Artillery Drill-shed, George-street, at 4 o'clock, and previous to that hour most of the shops in Queen and George streets had closed, and the flags of the shipping and in the town had been lowered to half-mast. At the appointed hour an immense crowd had collected, and lined both sides of George-street and Queen-street, from George-street to Creek-street. A few minutes after 4 o'clock the hearse, bearing the two coffins, followed by the mourning coaches con- veying the near relatives of the deceased, started from the Artillery-yard, in George street, and proceeded via Queen-street to the corner of Creek-Street, where a gun carriage, drawn by six horses, was in waiting. There the two coffins were transferred from the hearse to the gun carriage, covered with Union Jacks, and the helmets and accoutrements of the deceased placed on the coffins. From the Post Office to Creek-street the Volunteers, artillery, engineers, and infantry, who paraded over 300 strong, were drawn up on each side of Queen-street. At twenty minutes past 4 o'clock the funeral pro- cession started, proceeding up Queen-street, via George-street and North Quay, to the general cemetery at Toowong, in the following order : First, the firing party from No. 3 Garrison Bat- tery, of which the deceased were members, with arms reversed, followed by the bands of the Artillery Brigade and Rifle Battalion, massed and numbering about fifty men. Then came the gun carriage, bearing the two coffins, with the pall-bearers, comrades of the deceased, march- ing three on each side, behind which followed the two mourning coaches, with the widows and families of the deceased. After these came the troops-rifles, cadets, engineers, and artillery ; the officers of the Volunteer force (all of whom in town being present) bringing up the rear. A long line of carriages, cabs, and omnibuses joined in the procession, following in the rear of the military. The Oddfellows' Society, of which the deceased gunner Wilkie had been a member, was also represented in the procession. As the cortège moved away from Creek-street, the band played the " Dead March in Saul ;" and as the procession proceeded up Queen-Street, keeping time to the beautiful funeral march, the solemnity of the occasion was heightened by the tolling of the bells of St. John's. Dense crowds lined the side walks, and every window and balcony was filled with onlookers ; and as the fune- ral passed, the men reverently uncovered, and the tearful eyes of most of the women bore testimony to their emotion. On reaching the cemetery the funeral service was read over gunner Wilkie by the Rev. J. Sutton, and over gunner Walsh by the Rev. Father Capri, at the conclusion of which, the coffins having been lowered and the graves partially filled, the regulation three vol- leys were fired over each. The troops reached town on their return at half past 7 o' clock, Lieutenant Douglas, No. 3 Battery Garrison Artillery, was the orderly officer for the day, and marshalled and had charge of the procession. On the return of the rifles, and before dismissing them, Major Snelling took the opportunity of preferring a request, which was heartily re- sponded to. He stated that the widow and two children of a comrade killed while on duty had been left in indigent circumstances, and he asked the men to devote the first pay they received for attendance at drill to help to form a
fund for their relief.
- ↑ The Artillery Accident. (1879, January 21). The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), p. 3. Retrieved March 12, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article882405
The Artillery Accident.:
Magisterial Enquiry
The enquiry touching the death of gunners Patrick Walsh and Henry Wilkie, of No. 3 Garrison Battery, Q.V.A., accidentally killed at the saluting battery, Queen's Park; on the 15th January, while firing the vice-regal salute, was resumed yesterday afternoon, and brought to a close. The following is a summary 'of the additional evidence given :-
Charlea W. Adams, sergeant in No. 3
Garrison Battery Q.V.A.,stated that on the day of the accident he was on , duty at, the Queen's Park, and acted as, No. 1 of No. 2 gun in firing the salute. He gave evidence as to his observations of the accident In addition to corroborating evidence previously given, he said the cartridge appeared to be about half-way home when the explosion occurred ; the two men were not standing in their proper positions ; Wilkie was quite com- petent to perform the duties of No. 3; observed that the sponging was done very quickly wit- ness had served in the Royal Navy nearly three years, and went through a regular course of in- struction in gunnery practice.
Dr. Hobbs stated that, on January 15, between ' 2 and 3 o'clock in the afternoon, he visited the morgue and examined the body of gunner Walsh ; on the chest, more particularly over the region of the heart, there was a large discoloration evidently produced by gunpowder ; all the fingers of the right hand had been shot away, and of the left hand two middle fingers had been torn off ; with the exception of a slight discoloration of the face, there were no other marks about the body ; the chest was slightly flattened ; death was evidently occasioned by the concussion produced by the explosion of gunpowder ; saw the dead body of gunner Wilkie at the hospital; both arms bad been shot off ; Dr. Thomson had previously made a post-mortem examination, and witness considered it unnecessary to do anything further.
Robert Henry Scott, trumpeter for No. 3 Garrison Battery, was on duty at the saluting battery, on Wednesday, the 15th instant; was standing about two places to the left of Sergeant Craft just before the accident occurred ; saw the deceased gunners ramming the cartridge ; did not see them sponging out ; the charge appeared to be little more than half-way in when the explosion occurred ; Sergeant Craft called witness' attention to the state of his hand, and asked witness to get a handspike and raise the gun carriage, which was on his foot ; saw Ser- geant Craft place his thumb on the vent as soon as the first round was fired ; saw it there imme- diately before the explosion took place ; there was very little wind ; it was blowing across the gun from right to left ; the smoke was hanging over Wilkie'a side of the gun ; it was quite pos- sible Sergeant Craft might not have been able to see Wilkie.
Seargent-major Sankey (recalled) The sponges produced were those used in firing the salute on the day of the accident ; in telling off the detach until that morning, gunner Walsh being No.
2 of No. 1 gun, objected to be replaced by another gunner whom witness desired to place in his stead ; Walsh said be felt himself to be as good a No. 2 as any man in the detachment ; he was allowed to retain the position ; the main witness intended to put in Walsh's place was one whom he knew ; No. 2 was considered by the men to be a post of honor at the gun ; considered Walsh quite competent.
Dr. Thomson stated that on January 15 he was summoned from the Legislative Council Chambers by Lieutenant Stanley, who told him of the accident ; witness drove down to a yard at the foot of Edward-street, where Wilkie was lying on a stretcher on a back verandah ; found Drs. O'Doberty and Purcell in attendance ; he was removed to the hospital, where he arrived at about 1 o'clock ; he sur- vived, in an unconscious state, until a little after 4 the same day; witness examined the body and found the left arm torn off close to the shoulder joint ; the right arm was almost torn asunder close to the wrist ; the right eye waa destroyed, and the face much burnt ; the whole of the front of the body was blackened and burnt by the gunpowder ; there were four or five lacerated wounds in front of the chest, which were evidently caused by splinters of wood, several of which witness removed ; there was a perforating wound at the abdomen ; externally it was about 1in. or 1.5in. long, but internally much smaller ; the lower extremities were not injured ; after death witness made an examina- tion of the body, and discovered that four of the ribs on the left side were broken ; the liver ruptured in two places ; and a fold of the intestine was much torn opposite the abdominal wound; death was caused by the explosion of gunpowder ; examined Sergeant Craft on the following day ; the fleshy part of the last joint of the thumb was split open to the bone, and the nail torn across in two directions ; one side of the thumb was burnt, evidently with gunpowder ; there was no other portion of the hand injured.
Major Moore (recalled) stated that since his first examination he had timed the sponging of one of the guns, and could now say that from five and a-half to seven seconds was absolutely necessary to do the work properly.
This closed the enquiry.
The police-magistrate said he had looked the evidence over very carefully, and from what he could see there was no blame in connection with
the accident' attributable to anyone now living.
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