ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 117, 10 February 1908, Page 6

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

BOY'S FATAL MISTAKE. BURNT BY A LUMP OF PHOSPHORUS. (Br TELEGBAI'II—PIIESS ASSOCIATION,) Pahiatua, February^. A shocking accident occurred at Mangatainoka yesterday afternoon, resulting in the . death of Frederick Greaves, tho ton-yoar-old son of Mr. Grcavos, of Mangatainoka. It appears ; the boy . rodo his , horso into tho river near the Mangatainoka bridge for tho purposo of giving it a drink. Observing a .shiny substance in the water, he picked it up, placed it in his blouse, and galloped : off. 'Ho had proceeded only some fifty yards when ho discovered that his clothes were on fire. The substance, which ho had believed to be a rai o piece of metal, proved to be a lump of phosphorus, which, o|i being exposed to tho air, instantly ignited. Tho lid, who by ■ this timo was a mass of flames, jumped off the horso and ran in tho direction of the brewery. Constable May,* who happened to be in the vicinity,■' immediately Jxjro off his coat, and placed it round tho unfortunate sufferer, and after strenuous efforts, in which he was assisted by willing, hands, he managed to extinguish the flames/ Tho little- follow, who' behaved most heroically, was in a dreadful condition, bejng burnt from neck to knees, and in iintense agony. . Everything possible was done to relieve him, but faint nope of his recovery was entertained, and ho died at two o'clock this morning. An inquest will be hold, \

PLAYING IN THE RAILWAY YARDS. , . .(bt telegraph.—press association.) , ' .Dunedln, February.B. A i sad' accident occurred . inithe railway shunting yards here last evening.. Wm. ; Wilson, a boy 8J years of ago,, was playing on some shunting, trucks [and fell between two of them.' ' Several trucks 1 and carriages passed over him, one leg being completely cut 'off and the qtlier was.so badly.crushed that it had to be amputated at tho hospital, whither the, boy was quickly removed. It is . not expected . that tne. lad will' recover.,. i j SAD BURNING FATALITY. , fBI TSI.EGPAPH—SPECIAL;, CORRESPONDENT.! : ' Hastings, February 8. ' A distressing accident occurred this morning, whereby a little girl named Jemima Mitchell was very severely burnt. It appears that a small kerosene*; stove was in uso on a sholf in the scullery, when by some means or another "it got ablaze, threatening the destruction-of the house. Tho screams of tho occupants : of tho house attracted a neighbour, who rushed in, and took hold of. tho stove, and threw it out of the back door in order to savo the building. Unfortunately the little girl came running round the corner of tho house soon after, and sho fell iuto tho blazing stove, her clothes catching fire. Miss Mitchell, tho ;child's eldest sister, attracted by,her cries, laid hold of the girl and rolled her in tho grass, and ultimately, succeeded in extinguishing the.- fire, . but ; not before the poor child was badly burnt about tho face, legs, < and body. • She was subsequently taken to the Napier' Hospital. ■ DEATH OF AN INFANT. (BY TELT3GBAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATIOS.)- '"-• Duncdin, February. 8. . A' child named. Albert , John Ryan,. aged eleven months, whoso parents reside in Har? :bour Terrace, died; somewhatsuddenly this." morning. -' Death is. supposed to' bo' duo to bronchitis.; The child was- unwell; yesterday, ' but' its_ parents 'did not consider the •illness sufficiently serious to necessitate medical, aid. ' , ' SAILING MISHAPS Shortly after noon yesterday a capsize occurred in the harbour in the vicinity of ■the Taranaki Street ■wharf. Mr. E.'Hi.FreeOman's catboat Rata, which, was being sailed jby Mr. W. Hyde;; accompanied by Messi's,'.' Freeman and Thompson, was struck by a sudden, squall, .and,, swamped. The accident' was observed'from the boat harbour, and the Flora wont out to'tho assistance of the party. The Flora's arrival on the scenowas ,almost ; simultaneous with that of a, cutter from H.M.S. .Challenger, and a boat from the rowing club's shed. 1 . The former' made af very smart passage, and'both boats stood by while the Flora effected a speedy rescuo, also_ towing-the disabled boat back to her moorings. Those who, were sailing in the Rata suffered, nothing worse than, a wetting. .'' ■; . Within .an hour, of tho above; occurrence the yacht Petrel, while making out of the hoat ; harbour, > hung • in, about, and in trying to make way again on tho same tack" drove her bowsprit on to : the concerto wall. The piece of timber snapped in two places with a report like that of a gun, and the Petrel's crew finished" the day's cruise.- -.-.i'..', .