[ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 143, 18 June 1891, Page 6

[ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

At Wadesfcown, Wellington, on May 27th, John Witton, an old settler, dropped dead. James Fraser, railway station clerk.at Totara, Oatnaru, was found dead in bea on May 26th. A man named Sutherland was found dead at Waikari, Christchurch, on June /tn, with an empty capsized dray lying across his neclr.

Mr Duthie, confectioner, of George-street, Dunedin, died suddenly on Juno 7th in an apoplectic fit.

Edward McKane, an old miner, 62 years of age and unmarried, died suddenly afc VVaibenao, Otago, on May 26fch.

Captain Veale, of Dunedin, a coastal pilot, died in the Wellington Hospital on May 27th from the effects of a broken leg.

William Wheeler, printer of the Lyttelton " Times," died on May 27th at Lyttelton of heart disease. He had been 44 years in the employ of the " Times. The well-known Chief Pererika Ngahu. hum accidentally fell into a boiling spring at Waikete, Rotorua, on June Ist, getting severely scalded from the abdomen downwards, also the riehtanu below the elbow. He died on 9une 9th. Nguharuru was a great friend of Sir George Grey's.

Richard Marrack, a well-known butcher, died suddenly at the Zealand Hotel, Christchurch, on June 3ra. He went into the dining-room, sat down and was eating Irish stew, when he suddenly stopped speaking and was discovered to be senseless. When he was examined he was found to be dead.

A Maori girl fell into the cooking spring at Whakarewarowa on Thursday. May 2lßb, and narrowly escaped a horrible death. She caught hold of some kits ol potatoes that were cooked in the spring, and with great presence of mind gob out. Though she saved her life, she was severely scalded.

TwodaysafterfcheTongariroleft Plymouth seaman George Bartlebb fell frera tho top gallant yard,' SOfb, to the deck, and died a few days after. On June 14 the steamer s carpenter, Lecrass, fell from thedeckto tho wharf and was seriously injured. He is m a precarious state.

Two sudden deaths occurred at the Thames on Juno 14th, viz., Alfred Clarke, aged about 30 years, and Mrs Hugh Davies. Both were due to apoplectic iits.

An elderly man named William Depter died suddenly at the social in the Congregational School at Christchurch on June 10. He had addressed the meeting a quarter of an hour before, and seemed in good health.

An old settler at Pahatanu, William Jones, aged 72, was drowned in a creek on the farm on June 10th. His wife was drowned in the creek four years ago.

Archibald McKinnon, employed on the Greenvale Station, was thrown from his horse while crossing the Pomahaka River, Otago, on June 12th, and drowned.

A sudden death took place on June Bth at Marks's boarding-house, Queen-sfcreet, near the wharf. About 11 o'clock a man named Jeremiah Hickey asked Mr Marks for a bed, and was shown to a room. When the servant went to the room to make the bed next morning she saw deceased lying naked on the floor quite dead, having apparently fallen out of bed in a fit.

A sudden death is reported from Aratapu, where a man named Holmes, a painter, died suddenly on June Bbh. The immediate cause of death was the bursting of a blood vessel, but at the inquest held on the body ib appeared that the lungs were diseased. Deceased was a comparative stranger, and is supposed to have been a native of Sweden.

B. White, shunter on the railway, was killed at Westport on June 10. He slipped, and the train went over him. He leaves a wife and family at Wiuton.

Mr Clai-k, engineer in charge at the Prospectors' gold battery, Puhipuhi, had a very narrow escape from being completely " pulverised " at the battery on June 13. Mr Clark was busy at the battery, whet) his shirt-aJeeve suddenly caught in the band of the pulveriser, and was carried round the shaft, his collar-bone being broken, besides other minor Injuries being inflicted. Had it not been for his presence of mind in jumping with the motion of the wheel, he would almost certainly have been killed.

News from the Kaipara states that the barque Alice Muir, which arrived theie on June 15 from Sydney, after a boisterous passage, reports one of the crew was lost at sea. On Tuesday, the 9th inst., John Humphreys, an able seaman, fell from the fore-top-gallant yard into the sea. Two men were aloft, and a boat in the water ready, but there was no appearance of Humphreys. After looking in vain the captain put the ship on her course. Humphreys was a native of Kent, aged 24 years. He was very popular on board, and was a very good seaman.

An old resident named Mark Hassan died under rather distressing circumstances on June 16. Constable Howell was proceeding along Albert-street about 4 a.m. when he discovered a man in an unconscious condition lying on the pavement, Howell took the man into the Fire Brigade Station and at once went for Dr. Hooper, but death supervened before that gentleman ai-rived. Mr Hassan was a Jew about fifty years of age, unmarried, and has no relatives in the colon v.

Pierre Marie, a seaman of the French cruiser Le Champlain who was injured by a fall when the vessel was in dock, died in the Auckland Hospital at midnight on June 2nd from concussion of the brain. The deceased was accorded a military funeral by the Ponsonby and Auckland Naval Volunteer Companies, under Captain Millar and Lieutenant Parker, which escorted the remains of the late French sailor from town across to the Devonporfe Cemetery, North Shore, where the interment took place, the customary three volleys being fired over the grave. Hunfcer'e Artillery Band was also present and played the "Dead March."

A railway brakesman, James Robb, was killed on May 26 at Lumsden (Southland) during a shunting operation. He was on a brake lever of a truck, and it is supposed he slipped, and staggering back his foot caught in the frog of the points, so that he was thrown longitudinally on the rails, and the waggon passed over him, causing instant death.

A sad accident occurred on May 26fch at North Albertland, which resulted fatally to a young man named Prank Wharfe. He and his brother Albert were cross-cutting a kauri log about 3 feet in diameter on hillside country in the bush. On the log being cut through, one half of it, twenty feet long, shot forward and rolled on to Wharfe, who tripped and fell in his haste to get clear. The log rested on his body, and it was ten minutes before the unfortunate fellow could be got clear. He was dead, however, and had evidently been killed instantly. The coroner's jury returned a verdict of " Accidentally killed by the rolling of a log." The deceased was only twenty-four years of age.

Mr Harry/W. Farnall died suddenly on June 6th at Okoroire. The deceased had been to Rotorua for the benefit of his health, and had determined to return to town by Crosby's coach from Rotorua to Okoroire. This place was reached at 5 o'clock, and after taking refreshment Mr Farnall retired about 7 p.m. Later on he was discovered quite dead, lying on the side of the bed. Ab the inquest on the deceased at Okoroire, Dr Cushney made a postmortem examination, and

certified that deceased was suffering from heart and lung disease, and also dropsy, and it would have been impossible for deceased to have lived but a short time with such a complication of diseases. A verdict in accordance with the medical evidence was returned. The funeral took place on Tuesday, the 9th. The numerous friends and relatives of the deceased met at the Auckland Railway Station a few minutes before the arrival of the Waikato train. There were also present representatives of the Liberal Association, the Anti-Poverty Society, the Trades and Labour Council, the Knights of Labour and other bodies with whom Mr Farnall was connected, who accompanied the deceased to the Devonport Cemetery, where the funeral procession was met by the Rev. J. Bates, who conducted the funeral ceremony. The deceased gentleman firso came to this colony about 50 years ago, and was at that time possessed of considerable means. He took an active interest in politics, and represented Rodney in the General Assembly for tome years, having settled on a farm at the Wade. Subsequently he was appointed emigration agent by Sir Julius Vogel, but upon arriving in London he found that Dr. Featheratone, the then Agent-General for this colony,re!used to recognise him, claiming that the appointment should not be made in the colony, but rested with himself. Mr Farnall, however, entered upon his duties all the same, and proceeded to the North ot Ireland, and io was through his exertions that Mr Vesey Stewart broucht out the Katikati settlers. After remaining some time in the old country, Mr Farnall returned to New Zealand about 1375, and identified himself with the labouring classes, having been always a consistent Liberal.