WEEK-END ACCIDENTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 December 1934, Page 7

WEEK-END ACCIDENTS

AUCKLAND WOMAN KILLED CAR CRASHES INTO POLE [peg press association.] AUCKLAND, December 23. A young woman was killed and three other persons were injured as the result of a car, in which they were travelling, leaving the road and crashing into a telegraph pole at Thames at 12.30 a.m. to-day. The names of the victims are: — Killed.—Miss Mabel Horrox, aged about 25; a daughter of Mr and Mrs Horrox, of Kimihia, Huntly. Injured.—Ralph Shaw, aged 25, broken leg and arm. Mrs Knowles, broken nose. Miss Ivy Cordes, aged 24; a severe gash in the hip. The driver, Mr J. Haynes, a baker’s assistant, aged 22, single, and three other passengers escaped with only minor injuries. Seven people, all residents of Thames, were returning to their homes, . after attending a dance at Kopii, about two miles south of Thames. It is stated a - defect in the steering gear caused the car, an old model, to leave the road. It travelled about 20 feet before striking the pole, and then came to rest about 17 feet further on. The vehicle was completely wrecked, the bodywork being torn off. A man living nearby heard the crash, and rushed to the passengers’ assistance. He helped them from the car.

Miss Horrox, who did not bear any marks of injury, stated that she was alright, and the man went for medical assistance. When he returned Miss Horrox was in a dying state, and she expired shortly afterwards. It is believed that her head struck the windscreen, with considerable force, causing her to suffer concussion, the effects of which were not immediately apparent.

THREE MOTORISTS KILLED GORE, December 22. Three men were killed when a car left the road and plunged down 300 feet into a deep gully between Rae’s Junction and Beaumont. The discovery of the tragedy was made on Saturday about noon. The men were last seen at Rae’s Junction on Thursday. The occupants of the car were: Andrew Aitken, garage manager, of Gore. W. Stiven of the Tapanui district. The third man was not identified to-day. He is believed to be a Dunedin resident, a traveller for an Auckland tobacco firm. Aitken was married with two sons. CRUSHED BY TRACTOR GORE, December 22. As the result of falling from a tractor and of the driving rear wheel passing over his body, James Scott, married, was admitted to Gore Hospital this morning. He died in the afternoon. Deceased was employed by Fleming and Company driving a tractor in Gore railway yards at the time of the accident. Deceased leaves one child. AUCKLAND DEATHS. AUCKLAND, December 23. Shortly after the commencement of the Holy Communion service in Christ’s Church, Ellerslie, at 8 a.m. to-day, one of the congregation, Mrs Sarah Winifred Whitburn, aged 70, collapsed and died of heart failure. At the time of her collapse, Mrs Whitburn was kneeling in prayer with the rest of the congregation, and she suddenly fell forward. Members of the congregation carried her to the vestry, where a doctor, who had been summoned, could only pronounce life extinct. The congregation were deeply shocked by the collapse, and the Vicar, Canon Hobday, decided not to proceed with the service. The death occurred on Saturday of Mrs Eileen Russell, of Parnell, who suffered concussion and other » head injuries through a fall down a flight of steps on Friday night. The deceased lived at Parnell. While riding in a tramcar on Saturday afternoon, Mr Thomas Roberts Macferson, aged 62, of Mount Eden, collapsed. An ambulance was summoned but Mr Macferson died on the way to the hospital. His death recalls his gallant rescue of an entrapped man during the disastrous Strand Arcade fire on August 16, 1909. Mr Macferson climbed up a fire escape adjacent to the building, and thence along perilous ledges to the roof of the burning arcade, and dragged the victim to safety. Mr Macferson was .awarded the Stead Gold Medal by the Royal Humane Society for this brave acj. Mi* Macferson was single, and was engaged as an auctioneer up to the day of his death.

GORED BY BULL. DUNEDIN, December 23. Thos. Perry had a narrow escape from death on Saturday, when he was gored by a bull. Perry, who is single, aged 36, was engaged in haymaking operations at Highcliff, when a bull came into the paddock in which he was working. Perry attempted to drive it away with a fork, and, believing that lie had accomplished his purpose, he turned around, and commenced to walk away. The bull, however, turned back, and, charging Perry, threw him to the ground. Fortunately Perry, who was alone at the Using this as a spear, he drove the time, retained his hold of his fork, point of it into the bull’s nose, and chased it off. In the encounter, he suffered deeply lacerated wounds on the thigh, and was admitted to the hospital. BOY DROWNED. DUNEDIN, December 23. A hoy, named George Frederick Robert Hall, was drowned at Waitahuna. while bathing this morning. In company with a number of others, the deceased had gone to bathe in an old dredge hole. Hall, who could not swim, was peddling about in shallow water, when he stepped into a deeper part of the hole; and was soon beyond his depth. One of the other lads, noticing his plight, seized hold of him, but was forced to let go, as the boy drifted cut into deeper water, and was drowned. His body was recovered. DIVER PARALYSED. NEW PLYMOUTH, December 23. Dislocation of the neck and concussion of the spine, with the possibility of a fracture, were suffered by a

] young man, James Farquhar, when'he ' dived into shallow water in the surf to-day. Farquhar ran down to the water’s edge with a companion and plunged in, striking an edge of sand. His companion missed Farquahar for a few seconds, and found him lying under the water. He was conscious, but was practically paralysed. He was carried to his home on a surf hoard, and later was taken to’the hospital, A preliminary X-ray examination disclosed dislocation of the spine, and severe concussion, but not fracture. The doctor fears, however, that fracture will bo disclosed later. COLLISION WITH TRAIN. s DUNEDIN, December 23. As the result of a motor car, which he was driving, colliding with a train last night, a man named ' George Brown, single, aged 38, is at present lying in the hospital with severe head injuries, and is not expected to recover. Another man, Fred Glover, who was a passenger in the car, suffered a lacerated hand, but his injuries are not serious. MOTOR CYCLIST INJURED. CHRISTCHURCH, December 22. W. Kain, a young man of Peraki Street, Kaiapoi, who was riding a motor cycle across the Peraki Street crossing at Kaiapoi, at 5.15 p.m. to-day, collided with the down train from Culverden. He received a compound fracture of. one leg and facial injuries.

The train was stopped, and Kain was taken to the Christchurch Hospital, after being attended to by Dr. M. Ramsay. A nurse on the train took ■charge of Kain. The motor cycle was badly smashed, and Kain was thrown some distance. RAILWAY OFFICIAL DIES. HAMILTON, December 24. The death occurred at Waikato Hospital last evening, of A. J. Meade, 58, married, Frankton Junction, Inspector of the permanent way, who was injured at South Taupiri station on Tuesday afternoon, when a motor jigger he was riding with another Railways officer, was overtaken by a mixed train. Meade suffered grave head injuries, and was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition. His companion, H. W. Beasley, District Engineer, Auckland, received concussion, and is making good progress.