372
381
of No. 56, First Street, where one man was killed. The property
was an old one, and the names of the Architects and Contractors
were unknown. Rebuilding, however, had been in progress in
comection with the adjoining houses, and the jury found the
Contractor for this work guilty of manslaughter, he having
neglected to take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of the persons residing in 56, Third Street. A rider was added to the effect that in the opinion of the jury the Government
had also neglected its duty, but the jury explained afterwards
to the Acting Crown Solicitor, before whom the enquiry was made,
that in delivering this opinion they meant that the Staff employed by the Government for the inspection of buildings was
insufficient. The Contractor was tried at the Criminal Sessions,
but acquitted. The special jury added that the supervision
at present exercised by the Public Works Department over the
demolition, erection and alteration of buildings is insuffici-
ent".
4.
On the 2nd. August occurred the collapses
of 10 and 12 Second Street. They were no doubt immediately
due to the violence of a typhoon which took place on that
and the preceding day. Four persons were killed and six
injured. Both houses were comparatively old, but an additional
storey had been added to No. 10 in the beginning of 1901, by
Messrs. Denison and Ram, and the fall of this appears to have
caused the collapse. The jury found a verdict that the
Chinese Contractors were guilty of criminal negligence in the
rebuilding of No. 10. At the Criminal Sessions, however, both
prisoners were acquitted, as it was not conclusively proved
that