ACCIDENTS, &c.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXV, Issue 7863, 19 May 1886, Page 3 (Supplement)

ACCIDENTS, &c.

A son of Mr O. G. Bradley, of Hilton, was, on Sunday, April 18, kicked in the face by a horse. The wounds inflicted, were severe, the nose being split and the cheek cut. His injuries were attended to by Dr Pish, and the lad is now doing fairly well. A sad accident occurred on Tuesday, April 20, at Tai Tapu, to a little child, son of Mr Lewis, aged two years. It appears that the little fellow, while at play in the yard, thrust his arm through the railing of the pig-stye. The pig must have made a determined snap at the hand, for it was found on coming to the spot that the arm had beeh severed above the wrist. The child was at once taken to Dr Preston, who did all in his power to alleviate the pain of the sufferer, Mr Hayward, who was so badly injured in the accident on the Sumner road, is doing remarkably well. He is, of course, much missed on the road, but his sons and others in Mr Hayward’s employ appear to be doing their utmost for the convenience of the public. About half-past four on Friday, April 23 a boy 13 years of age, named George Hobbs, who lives at Park road, was playing under Montreal street Bridge when he fell into the river. The water is pretty deep at this part, and he was carried down the stream. He would doubtless have been drowned, but fortunately a rescuer was at hand in the person of Mr George Dickson, of Sandyford street, Sydenham, who was driving over the bridge, and saw the boy sink below the water. 11 Mr Dickson at once threw off his coat and vest, plunged into the river, and swam to the drowning boy’s assistance. He was successful in rescuing the boy, who was taken home, somewhat exhausted from his unpleasant experience. A rather serious bicycle accident occurred on Good Friday, to Mr Alfred Thompson, son of Mr Walter Thompson, of Saltwater Creek, Kaiapoi. Ho was riding up the hill, when his foot slipped off the pedal of the machine, and he was thrown off with much force, falling on his right shoulder and breaking his arm midway between the shoulder and elbow. He was brought down to Kaiapoi, where Dr Ovenden attended him, but was unable, owing to excessive inflammation, to set the bone at once.' On Tuesday, April 20, as Mr David Manson, of Coalgate, was riding in that locality, his horse became restive and threw its rider. Mr Manson sustained concussion of the brain by the violence of the fall, and was taken home in an unconscious state. It was considered advisable to remove him to the Hospital, where be died. An inquest was held on Saturday, at the Hospital, before E. Beetham, Esq., Coroner, and a jury of six (who chose Mr W. Gimblett as their foreman). The jury found a verdict of “ Accidental death while in a state of intoxication”

The child who recently lost its hand at Tai Tapu is progressing favourably. On returning from the Chertsey sports the other evening Mr W. Street accidentally got off the centre off the road and upset hia trap, containing his family, over the end of a culvert. Unfortunately Mrs Street broke her arm near the elbow in the fall. The others all escaped with a good shaking. On Friday, April 30, Inspector Pender received a telegram from Abaroa, from Sergeant Brookes, stating that there was a heavy gale from the south-east and floods there on Thursday, and that two girls, aged respectively eleven and seven years, the children of John May, Little Akaloa, were washed away in the creek. The youngest was found drowned at 3.30 p.m., but the other was found about five o’clock, jammed by a log, but alive. She is now apparently all right. The Sergeant states much damage has been done to bridges and culverts in the district.

On Tuesday, April 27, a serious accident occurred to one of Mr G. P. Milsom’s sons. The poor little fellow (not quite two years old), in playing with a little sister, climbed up on a chair and managed to reach a bottle of liquor ammonia, of which he drank some small quantity, which rendered him immediately insensible. The screams of his sister brought assistance. Dra Ovenden and Murray were quickly on the spot, and such active measures were taken to relieve the poor little sufferer, that before night he was supposed to be out of danger. An inquest was held at the Albion Hotel at 4 p.m. on April 28, before R. Beetbam, Esq., Coroner, and a jury of which Mr W. J. Neate was chosen foreman, to enquire into the cause of death of Mary Ryan, who was found dead in the house of Mr James Clark, Peterborough street east, on Tuesday last. Dr Irving, who had made a post mortem examination, deposed that death had resulted from serous apoplexy, brought on by excessive drinking. The liver was very much diseased, such disease as would be caused by a long course of excessive drinking, and the lungs bore traces of old inflammation. There were no external marks of violence, and the body was well nourished. Sergeant Wilson gave evidence to the effect that deceased’s father and mother were in Christchurch. Had no fixed place of residence. Deceased was much addicted to drink. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased had died from serous apoplexy, brought on by excessive drinking. An accident, which might have been attended with very serious consequences, happened on Thursday, April 29, to Mr James Macdonald, late Sheep Inspector for South Canterbury, and brother of Mr Angus Macdonald, of Waitui. Mr Macdonald, driving a dog-cart, and attended by a servant with a cart, went to meet hia

brother and family at Orari railway station. Whilst crossing the Waihi river (which was then in flood) on his return journey, his trap was upset, and Mr Macdonald rolled over and over down the river. The man with the cart crossed safely, and went up to the house about half a mile from the river, stabled his horse, and, not seeing Mr Macdonald, went back to the river, but could find no trace of either dog-cart or its occupant. After about a quarter of an hour’s search, Mr Macdonald was found some distance down the river. He was, as might be expected, a good deal knocked about, and was attended by Dr Pish. He was considerably better yesterday morning, but is far from well. The horse and dog-cart were found at a later period. The former was found alone, with its head just above water, and still attached to the trap. The night was very dark, and the rain fell in torrents about the time of the accident. DROWNING AT HEATHCOTE. The body of a man named William Stewart was found in the Heathcote river, near the Steam Wharf, on Sunday afternoon. It was taken to the Wharf Hotel to await the inquest. Prom particulars to hand, it appears that a lad named Peter Coutes, in company with a boy named William Crilley, was pulling a boat up the river from the Ferry Bridge, and, when close to the wharf, they noticed a body in the river. Each hand of deceased was clutching the rushes which grow in the riverbed, and, as it was then low water, the head and shoulders were out of the water. The body was that of William Stewart, a fisherman, who resided at the fishermen’s huts near Sumner. He was a man about 50 years of age, married, but with no family, and had formerly been employed at Mitchell's carpet factory recently burned down. He was a brother-in-law of Mr Mitchell. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict of “ Pound drowned.” TRAGICAL AFFAIR ON BOARD THE • COPTIC. On Saturday evening, before the departure of the s.s. Coptic, it became known in Lyttelton that a tragedy of more than ordinary interest had happened on board the vessel. Prom information obtained from the police, we are able to state that a man named Jacques Pleury, and being apparently a Swiss, in attempting to stow away on board the steamer, lost his life by falling between two of the boilers, and thus suffering a horrible death. It is probable that the man was attempting to find a nook or corner in which to secrete himself until after the departure of the vessel, and must have become insensible through the heat of the boilers, and when found by the first officer of the steamer he was in a dying condition. Dr Humphries, the medical officer of the Coptic, applied such restoratives as were likely to be of service, and the man was immediately taken on to the deck of the vessel, but he only lived a few minutes. A small tin box was found on him, which contained a Swiss passport and a medical exemption from military service on account ot a damaged right hand. It is currently reported of the man that he was a stowaway from the Cape during the last passage of the Rimutaka, and that he has at that port a wife and four children. The officers of the Coptic made a deposition of their evidence in the case before the Collector of Customs at Lyttelton on Saturday evening, and the vessel was then , allowed to leave on her voyage. An inquest was held on Monday, when the evidence showed that the deceased, while seeking a place in which to stow away, had fallen between two of the boilers, and that he was not discovered until it was too late to save his life. A verdict of “ Accidentally burned to death ” was found by the jury. [Per Press Association,] AUCKLAND, April 22. k passenger named Samuel Keys, fell overboard from the Rose Casey on the passage, while en route to Wark worth. April 27. The body of a man named John O’Brien has been found in the harbour. A yacht with two fishermen —Frank Kelly and David Lynch—is missing. April 29. Mr P. T. Gamble, American Consul, died suddenly of apoplexy in his office, this afternoon. THAMES, April 29. A terrible fatality occurred here at about three o’clock yesterday afternoon, by which two miners, named Thomas Casley and Hugh Hill, employed in the Caledonian Company’s mine, lost their lives. It appears that while working at the lowest level of the mine, the gas rose suddenly, and they were overpowered by it before they were able to escape. They were in the gas for two and a-half hours, and expired a few minutes after being brought to the surface. Both are well known and greatly respected, and the sad affair has cast quite a gloom over the whole community, An inquest on the bodies was held, and concluded at 2.30 this afternoon, when a verdict of “ Accidental Death ” was returned, with a rider that managers should exercise more care in allowing men to work in the presence of foul gas. . NAPIER, April 26. ■ A master tailor, named Cottrell, committed suicide this morning by taking carbolic acid. Business troubles are believed to have been the cause of the act. April 29. The inquest on the body of T. A. Cottrill was concluded last night. The verdict was that deceased died from taking, carbolic acid, swallowed of his own will while in a state of temporary insanity. May 3. A telegram received from Te Ante states that a man named W. C. Bain committed suicide. WELLINGTON, April 27. The body of a woman named Jane Aitken, wife of an old settler, was found floating in the harbour this morning. The woman was of weak intellect, and wandered from her home yesterday. She is supposed to have fallen in. April 29, Albert Fletcher, a farm servant, was killed by falling over an embankment at Kawarra. George Buchanan, employed with the regular staff in fitting up a telephone at Kumurau, near Maaterton, on leaving there on Wednesday afternoon, fell off the top of a brake going down the Mungapakeha hill and dislocated his neck. He died this morning. OAMARU, April 29. The body of a man named James Cars- , well was found floating in the Kakanui river this morning. He is supposed to have fallen in. DUNEDIN, April 22. John M'Cormick, a miner working in the Otago claim at Blue Spur, was knocked off a ledge, twenty feet high, by a fall of earth, sustained severe'internal injuries, and died a few days later. Some tourists were going out in a buggy this afternoon when the horse bolted. One lady was injured, but not seriously. The trap was smashed to pieces through coming into collision with a building. April 29. A butcher at Arrow, named Archie Cameron, has died from the effects of a dose of strychnine taken while in drink. May 3, Mrs Heywood, who arrived here on Thursday from Christchurch, died of heart disease whilst attending church service in the Garrison Hall yesterday.