ACCIDENTS AND INQUESTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 115, 23 May 1885, Page 5

ACCIDENTS AND INQUESTS.

A child of three years, named Jessie Stewart, was accidentally drowned on Friday, April 29, at Oamaru. A Maori nomfld Wiremu Qtutonga was killed on Tuesday, May 12, on the Kawakawtt railway. He was drunk and was run over by the train. John Cnrl Weenink was drowned at Greymouth on Friday, May S, by falling from the wharf in the darkness.

A minor mimod John Collins has boon killed at Barrytown, on the Wost Coast, by a tree falling ou hid tent during the night. A young man named Charles Blackett, station-hand, Uppor Taueru, Mastorton, while returning from work, fell ova stump and injured his groin, which resulted in his death,

A heavy flood in the Pelorus River at Blonhoim, on Saturday, May 9, carried away the staging of the ninety-feet span The estimated loss is £200. The opening of tho bridge will be considerably dolayed. In the Pha-nix Mino at Skippers, Otago, Joseph and James Mitchell, fathor and boh, wore killed while stoping out quartz. It is presumod tho accident was tho result of tho ground being loosoncd by v dynamite charge. News has been received of tho drowning of John Norton, contractor, and Leo, a bushman, at Mercury Bay. No particulars are to hand,save that tho occurrence was duo to tho accidental capsizing of a boat. Tho parents of tho boy Briggs, burned to death in Canterbury, havo been consnredjby the Coroner's jury for negligence. Tho youngest child who,was soverely burned,has since died.

An Okarito sottler namod Ernest Bolto was drowned at Rosa on Tuesday, May 5, while returning from (iilliapie's Beach to Okarito. Ho was washed down Stony Creek to tho sen, and his body found all eaten by fishes. Tho body of John Thomas Lyons, who was orownsd at Kiverhead through the capsizing of a boat on May 2nd at Riverhead, was rocovercd on Tuesday, May 12, on tho stritigor of tho Railway Wharf at Riverhend.

The Grey River was in vury high flood on Saturday evonicg, having risen very rapidly. All the lower portion of fireyraouth is under water. About aovon o'clock iv tlio ovening, Stephen .Walsh, storekeeper, Hatters, Nelson Creel:, was drowned while trying tci ford the Nelson Crook on horsebick. The creek wag Hooded at the time. His body was found the following morning 25 chums below the ford ho tried to cross. The horso was found on tho same side of the creek he went in at. Mr Walsh waa drowned almost in sight of his own homo. A sad boating accident occurred at the ontrance to the Thames River on Sunday, May 10. It appears that about noon four men named W. Kca, sen., \V. Una, jun., A. >S. Colquhoun, and John .Tamos started from Tararu for Piako in an opon boat during a eovoro north-westorly gale. Tho boat was not scon to capsizo, but late in tlio day tho mnstorij of rivor steamers reported having observed wrockaco at the mouth of tlio Thamos River. Tho boat waa found next morning in midchannel bottom upwards, but thoro was no sign of tho occupants, and no hopo was ontortainod for their survival, though sails, fowling-pioees, rudder, and provisions wero recovered. Tho whoio of tho bodies, with tho exception of tho younger Rea, havo Binco beon found.

Information roachod town on May 14 of a shocking fatal accident that had occurred at Tamnki on the clay provions, tlio victim boing a boy aged 12 yeara namod Leigh Tussling, a son of Mr Theophilus Kiealing, of Parnoll. The lad had been on a visit to his maternal grandfather, Mr InnesTaylor, of East Tamaki, and on May 13, accompanied by his undo—Master Walter Taylor, aged IS yoarj of age—ho wont out to shoot pheasants and moor fowl. Master Taylor was carrying tho gun, and from somo unexplained cau.-oit exploded,and the charge lodged in the back of young Kissling's head, killing him instantaneously. Young Taylor nt onco ran to his father's house and gavo tho alarm, ;\nd tho pad intolligonco was subsequently communicated to Mr Thoo. Killing, 'tho nows rould not bo broken to Mrs Kisaling, who was hourly expecting c.infiiioinont. Some men omployed by tlio Morcin-y Bay Timber Com pany were floating tirabor down a creek on Tuesday, May 5, when the flood gates burst, and they woro washed away with tho timber. Two of tho mon, whoworo badly injured by the accident were brought to town to-ilay and taken to tho Hospital for trcatmont. Ono of them named David Wftlkor had his right leg broken below the knee; tho other, Tho.f. Bniphy.wiw supposed to havo had his leg broken also, and it was placed iv pplints at Mcrairy Bay. Dr. Bond, howevor, found that it was not broken, but tho knco-ciip was hurt. Brophy also had several abrasions on his face. On Sunday, May 3, a boat necidont, occurred at I'areiDoremo Point, Rivorhead, and resulted in tho drowning of a gumdigger named John Thomas Lyons. Lyons and John Clemonts, anothor gumdigger, left Doacon'B Point, at Kivorhead, in an open boat 10ft. long for Paromoremo Point, about 4 miles distant. Thoy got there safely, and wero returning when the jib halyards got foul. Clements went up tho mast to cloar tho halyards, when the boat cap3i/.ed. throwing both men into the water. Deceased got on to the keel of the boat, and Clements struck out for the shore. A small bpat came oil' from the shore to his assistance. Clements was picked up, and then the boat was pulled towards doceased. When it waa about 300 yards distant, ho jumped into the water and started swim mm" towards the approaching boat, but before reaching it he sank and was drownod A serious accident happened on Monday, May 11, on tho Kaipara railway lino, between the Kybor Pass Road Bridge and tho Captain Cook Brewery, to a little girl aged two years, named Ellen McGrath, whose paronta reside in Carleton-Gore Road. It appears that Mra McGrath, having occasion to come to town, loft the child in charge of its grandmother.Jwho resides in Nowmarketst. Tho child wandered away from its grandmother, and was not missed. The poor little thing etraye 1 on to tho railway line, and was knocked down and thrown oil the rails by tho Kaipara train, which arrives at Newmarket at 4.20. Driver Campbell, on seeing what had happened, stopped tho train, and Gunrd McKeigh conveyod her to Newmarket in the van. From thence she was conveyed to the Hospital by Mr Twidel. An examination did not disclose any extornal marks of violonco, though there wore evidencos of concussion of the brain. A pod occurrence happened at Shirley, a fow miles from Chrietchnroh, on Tuesday, May 12. The information to hand is to the effect that a labourer named Briggs, and hia wife, left the two-roomed cottage thoy occupied about ten o'clock in tho forenoon. Their three children, tho eldest, a boy aged four years and three months, remained behind. The door was latched, but not locked,' and a coal Bro was loft burning in tho grato. Mrs Briggs returned at two pm. On entering the house she found it full of smoke. On the floor lay the eldest child, dead, his body chnrred almost to a cinder ; while beside him lay the youngest child, a boy 11 months old, burnt severely about the lower part of tho body. The third child, two years old, was standing in a corner of the room. Mrs Briggs screamed for assistance, and Mr R. P. Hale, who lives close by, came, and after rendering what help he could, rode off and fetched Dr. Townsend, by whose advice the boy was removed to the hospital, where he lies in a precarious state. A hole a footi n diameter was burnt in the floor whern the body of the dead child was lying, and there was a smaller hole near it. It is supposed that his clothes caught fire at the grate, and he rolled about the room till he died.