ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 71, 17 December 1907, Page 7

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

: . BACKED OVER A BRIDGE. ■ ■ SCHOOLMASTER AND TWO BOYS }. • • KILLED. , / ' (BY TELBORArn—PBES3 ASSOCIATION.) Chrlstchurcl), December 16. • •"■A.sad fatal-accident occurred at Araborley on: Saturday afternoon. William Berry, aged 35, ; schoolmaster, at Balcairn; took a party o£ ,scrioo|boys-for nature study, to a picnic/ resort, known as is'attiral Bridge, ten miles froin Amberley. ■ -On tlio return journey tho liorse in the trap; -driven by Berry, s became restive. * -Plunging .back' iifter crossing tlio bridge, it backed,.into.'! the . side of the bridge, .-land breaking tho protection rail fell into the fifty-foot chasm below. ' _ -Horry's .s&ill was fractured, and he died, in a -few- minutes; His son William; aged fqurvyearsj and another, boy named George Ifeal were killed." instantaneously. • !• BOY'S FATAL FALL. Auckland, December 16. >. .'. A' hoy , named Robert Scott, aged seven, 6on' of- Mr. Robert' Walter Scott, of Huntly, climbed the'fence enclosing the shaft of an old'tnine, and fell sixty feet oil a shelving 'brink; thon • another' twenty feet into water. The body; was :recovered Jialf an. hour .later, out Jife .was.extincfc. .'-vsHamilton, p'ecenibor 1G: ■ The' lad Scott fell into twonty feet of water. -.. Constable Rock, : who recovered the bodyiafter:'half an hour's search,, was much exhausted by the effect of tho footid air. j : NARROW ESCAPE FROM DROWNING. | . (BY -TELEGRAPH—-SPECIAL ' CORRESPONDENT.) ' r .'Auckland,, December 16. At Northcote on Saturday afternoon two young fellows;went,out in a sailing-boat which happened to havo no centre-board. About 300 yards from shore a puff of wind heeled'the craft over, and; failing to rccovor herself, sh'o capsized. Neither of .the' occupantscould swim. They climbed on to the side.'of the .boat, which sank with them be<icath the water,'and then settled on a sandbank, leaving them immersed up to . the waist. • They called lustily for help, and thrco gentlemen who, happqned to be-on; tho beach afrtbe- timo: put out in a rowing boat, after 'some- delay in procuring oars, and rescued the youths from ; their unpleasant position. They |.had r 'a harrow escape from drowning, 1 the capsized boat haying settled upon the extremo edge of a ' sandbank, as was evidenced by the fact that the bow was sunk much;deeper than the stern, to Which they Vero clinging when taken ( off. • " ;:'vv : FOUND DEAD IN BED. Walpawa, December 16. Thomas Hughes Painter, an elderly man, "dead'itr Ixifl "at the "Commercial Hotel. Ho was apparently in tho best of .health last night. .. . • " . 'ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF A CHINAMAN. ■-. ■ Blenheim, Decembor' 16. The Bteamer Aymeric, bound from Buenos Ayres to Sydnoy, put into Port Underwood on:.Saturday morning for tho piirposo of burying a Chinese momber of tho crew who had met' his death by falling down a hold on to a .sharp .piece, of iron.. The steamer immediately resumed her voj<ago. .... REPORTED SUICIDE. . : iDargaville, December 16. It is , stated hero that a gmndigger named Martin! committed suicido on Saturday at Shelly i Beach by.; blowing out his brains. Thero are no further details. Mr, Davidson, of 67 Webb ' Street, was jiving. in' tho Te Aro Baths at about 8.30 a.m.; on Sunday, when he struck .his head .against'; tho bottom. Ho : wiy noticcd by onlookers'to., bo affected in some way. and they went to 1 his assistance, and carried him to', the' landing. Dr. Elliott was summoned, and,- after medical attention, the man was taken home. . There were only four feet of water under the spring-board at the time of, tho. accident..