BAY OF ISLANDS : ACCIDENTS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXII, Issue 5800, 1 May 1876, Page 3

BAY OF ISLANDS : ACCIDENTS.

I have two accidents to record this week, one of which I am sorry to say pro^ ed fatal : a poor fellow, in the employ of the Bay Coal Company, named William Dickson, wont to his work as usual on Monday, the 24th instant — he was employed as a pick and shovel man, getting ballast for the tramway : he had been at work but a shoit time when some stone and earth from above fell on the unfortunate man, and almost covered him up — only a small portion ot his Iwdy being visible. When the earth and stones were removed, which was done as quickly as possible, to the horror of those around, it was found that he was quite dead ; and. from the mutilated appearance of the body, it was evident that his death must have been instantaneous. On the following day E. M. Williams, Esq. , Coroner, held an inqueat on the body, before a respectable jury of 13, of whom Mr. D. Middleton was chosen foreman. After the jury had viewed the body of the deceased, several witnesses were examined, and from the evidence adduced it was quite evident that the sad affair was quite accidental. The medical testimony showed that he had received a severe fracture of the skull, the scalp v, as completely torn off from the light-sidu of the head ; that his spine v as dislocated, four or tive libs broken, intestines piotrudmg tbrongh perinenon ; and light thigh bone broken. The jury after consulting for a f"W minutes brought in a \erdict that the death was purely accidental. The deceived was a inamcd man v, ith a family ol .scm.ii children (and his wife ks about to be co'iimed again), the eldebt of whom, a hoy about t-.n years of age, met -with an aui'idi-nt at tlio Kaw.ikawa some few yeai s ago : one ot tintrucks ran over his foot, which was mangled in such i dread ml way th it; ihe pooi little iellow had to ha\ e his leg amputated below the knee. Thi= is one of the mobt pitiful ] oases that has happened in thii district, fie ! was a steady nidastno'is man, much i es-peciod and beloved bj r his iellow workmen. ] am j glad to say that .steps aie bting taken by the inhabitants fo make a collection for tlieir immediate wants. They has o also started a weekly subscription fund to piowde for the ] widow r.ad fatherless in the future. A boy, the son of JNlr. Atkinson, of Waimate, was riding a horse at full speed last Thmsdav with only a flax bridle ; the horse became unmanageable and the little fellow was thrown violently to the ground, fraotuiiiig Ins arm in the upper pait, and also injuring the shoulder joint. An express was sent for Dr. Agassiz who on arrival set the injured limb ; the boy is progressing favourably. — [Correspondent. ]