Fireman George Macdougall was killed on the way to a fire 1st June 1937
Fireman Killed on Way to Outbreak
Fire has destroyed
the greater part of Beaufort Castle, the home of Lord Lovat, at Beauly,
Inverness-shire.
Fireman George MacDougall was killed by falling off the Inverness engine on the
way to the castle.
Great damage was done to the mansion, and a quantity of valuable antiques were
destroyed.
As Inverness fire brigade were going to the castle last night Fireman George
MacDougall (about 45) fell from the engine while it was passing over a bridge.
He received such severe injuries that he died almost immediately.
Leaving one of the brigade with MacDougall, the rest of the firemen went onto
the castle. Later, the body of MacDougall was taken back to Inverness.
(The Yorkshire Evening Post, Wednesday, June 2, 1937. Page 11)
TRIBUTE TO INVERNESS FIREMAN
Contingents from
the Inverness Fire Brigade and the Inverness Burgh Police will attend the
funeral today of Mr George Macdougall, the Inverness auxilliary fireman who was
fatally injured by falling from the fire engine while it was on its way to the
fire at Beaufort Castle on Tuesday evening.
A native of Glenurquhart, he will be buried at Glenurquhart Cemetery.
A short service in the Free North Church, of which Mr Macdougall was an elder,
will be conducted by the Rev. Kenneth Cameron.
The contingents of the Police and Fire Brigade, including the fire engine, will
follow the cortege as far as the burgh boundary, and Firemaster Wm. Treasurer
and Chief Constable Alex. Neville will be present at the burial.
(Aberdeen Press and Journal, Friday, June 4, 1937. Page 9)
DEATH OF INVERNESS FIREMAN
Public Inquiry in Sheriff Court
A verdict of
accidental death was returned in Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday by the jury
when a public inquiry was held in the death of George Macdougall, Burgh Police
Buildings, Inverness, a member of the Inverness Fire Brigade who was killed as a
result of falling from the fire engine on the evening of Tuesday, 1st
June, while proceeding to the outbreak of fire which destroyed Beaufort Castle.
The unfortunate accident occurred as the fire engine was crossing Clachnaharry
railway bridge, where there is an s bend in the road, Sheriff J. P. Grant was
on the bench, and the jury, which consisted of five men and two women, were
unanimous in their finding. Mr Geo. Duguid, procurator fiscal, conducted the
inquiry. Mr John Macbean, solicitor, represented Mrs Macdougall and family, and
Mr James Cameron, Town Clerk, appeared on behalf of Inverness Town Council.
The first witness was Mrs Macdougall, the widow, who, in reply to the Procurator
Fiscal, said as far as she could see the accident which her husband had come by
was purely accidental.
THE FIRST ACCIDENT
William Treasurer,
firemaster, described the fire engine to the Court, and how the men sat on the
tender, The engine, he said, was just an ordinary type of fire engine on which
the firemen could sit on either side. There was a grip rail for them to hang
onto, but in front of them there was nothing to keep them from falling off. It
was the first accident they ever had with the machine, which they purchased a
few years ago.
Asked how the accident happened, The Firemaster replied that his only conclusion
was that Macdougall probably had not had hold of the rail and lost his balance.
He had always instructed his firemen to hang onto the rail, which was there for
the purpose.
Mr James Cameron, Town Clerk, asked witness whether the fire engine was a
perfectly safe one, provided the men held onto the rail.
The Firemaster The engine is perfectly safe.
Donald Macrae, deputy firemaster, said that while the engine was proceeding over
Clachnaharry Bridge it was been driven very carefully. The only thing he felt
was a slight bump.
Procurator Fiscal Was the bump sufficient to make one lose ones grip?
Witness No.
NOT HOLDING ONTO RAIL
Referring to the
accident, witness said the first thing he heard was one of the firemen shout,
stop. The fire engine was pulled up within a very short space, and one of the
firemen (Ernest Sullivan) was left behind in charge of the injured man.
Procurator Fiscal Can you tell us how the accident happened? Do you think
Macdougall was not holding onto the rail? Something like that must have
happened.
With regard to the speed when Macdougall fell of the tender, witness, in reply
to a question put by Mr Macbean, solicitor, said they were travelling about
twenty miles per hour.
Ernest Sullivan, fitter and auxiliary fireman, 1 Exchange Place, Inverness, who
was sitting on the same side of the fire engine as Macdougall, said the first
thing he heard was a shout like ho coming from behind him. He immediately
looked round and saw Macdougall tumble from his seat and fall on the road. He
immediately shouted and the engine was stopped. After a few minutes the engine
proceeded on its way to the fire, while he remained behind to look after the
injured man.
Procurator Fiscal Can you say what was the cause of the accident?
Witness Macdougall must have let go of his hold of the rail for a matter of
seconds.
William Fraser, 11 Castle Wynd, Inverness, the driver of the fire engine, stated
that in Clachnaherry Road they were travelling about 20 to 25 miles per hour,
and that while crossing the bridge they reduced their speed. When he heard the
shout he pulled up within ten to fifteen yards. In his opinion Macdougall must
have released his hold of the rail.
Mr D. A. Reid, surgeon, Royal Northern Infirmary, Inverness, who examined
Macdougall, said death was due to a fracture of the base of the skull. He also
expressed the view that the death was instantaneous.
Neither Mr Duguid, Mr Macbean, nor Mr James Cameron addressed the jury. Mr
Cameron, however, on behalf of the Town Council, said they deeply regretted the
accident, and expressed their sympathy with the widow and family.
The jury, without retiring, announced that it was obvious that Macdougall had
met his death purely accidentally.
(The Inverness Courier, Friday, July 2 1937. Page 4)
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