ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 9488, 10 August 1891, Page 5

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

[Special to Press Association.] [Received August 7, at 10.15 a.m.] THE ST MANDE DISASTER. PARIS, August 7. The stationmaster at St Mande has been released from custody. TERRIBLE STORMS. VIENNA, August 7. Storms have done terrible damage to the vines and crops both iu Austria and in Hungary. Several deaths also are reported. THE RAILWAY ACCIDENTS. WASHINGTON, August 6. The accident at Port Byron was caused by the coupling of a luggage train breaking. The guard attempted to warn a passenger train which was coming along at the rate of forty-five miles an hour, but the weather was foggy and the signals were not seen. A smoking car, full of Italian workmen, was smashed, and it is feared that several occupants will succumb to the injuries they received. The Lake Champlain accident was due to the blundering of officials. 140 PEOPLE DROWNED. ZANZIBAR, August 6. News has been received from Victoria Nyanza that three dhows capsized on the lake and one hundred and forty people were drowned. [The Victoria Nyanza, which has a greater superficial area than Scotland, is liable to sudden and violent storms.] [Received August 9, at 6 p.m.] NEW YORK, August 8. Owing to an express train from Pittsburg to Chicago being wrongly shunted on to the goods line at Gedem, Ohio, a collision took place, in which two persons were killed and a number seriously injured. [Received August 10, at 12,85 a.m.] MELBOURNE, August 9. The recent floods have caused damage to the railways to the extent of .£25,000. [Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, August 8. William Souter, a middle-aged man, while cutting chaff in a ha'rn at Dairy Flat, fell down and expired. He has no relatives in the Colony. WESTPORT, Augusts. Police inquiries into the stabbing case on the brig Adelaide resulted in no evidence of anything but that the wounds were accidentally inflicted. The wounded man is progressing favourably in the hospital. ACCIDENT TO ME J. T. FORD. Mr J. T. Ford, the well-known auctioneer for Messrs Miles and Co., met with a serious accident on Friday night. He rode from town to his home at Riccarton, and, about half-past eleven o’clock, when close to his gate, his horse, it is supposed, fell with him. Mrs Ford heard*’the horse gallop by, and went, with Miss Ford, to the gate, where she found Mr Ford lying unconscious. He was carried inside, and a messenger sent off for Dr Moorhouse, who found that the unfortunate man had evidently fallen on his face and shoulder; his upper jaw was apparently broken, it is supposed by having struck against a ' stone ■; >hia. mouth and tongue were badly cut and bitten'; his face and shoulder were bruised, and his back seemed to be ricked. After doing what he could the doctor left, but about an hour afterwards the bleeding from the sufferer’s mouth became so bad that he was again sent for, and ho remained with his patient until the morning. After daybreak Mr Ford partially recovered consciousness. The horse which fell with Mr Ford was, it is said, usually fairly quiet, but had thrown its rider on previous occasions. On enquiry yesterday it was ascertained that there was some doubt whether the sufferer’s jaw was broken, though some of the upper teeth had been driven out by the blow. He was partially conscious all day, and late last night showed a slight improvement. Though his condition is somewhat serious, it is anticipated that he will be able to get about again in time. Dr Moorhouse was assiduous in his attention to the patient all yesterday.

A serious accident occurred at the corner of Colombo and Cashel streets, at about three o'clock on Saturday, through a trap, in which were Miss Comerford, eldest daughter of Mr Comerford, schoolmaster at Prebbleton, and Mrs W. F. Knowles, colliding with a cart driven by Mrs Blakeway. So far we cannot ascertain exactly how the accident happened, but it resulted in Miss Comerford and Mrs Knowles being thrown out of the trap, and tho former sustaining a nasty bruise over the left eye and a severe shaking, which rendered her unconscious. She was at once removed to Arenas' Cafe, and Dr Ovenden attended almost immediately. He ordered her removal to the Hospital, which was done with commendable care and promptitude. Mrs Knowles was taken into the A 1 Hotel, and her injuries appeared to be confined toa snaking, and its attendant shock to the system. It is to be hoped that the results of the mishap will nob bo up serious as at first anticipated. Two Yncidentaenoticeable with regard to the accident are that, a very large crowd collected immediately after the accident, and that the _ ambulance stretcher was of valuable aid when most required. On enquiry at the 1 Hospital late last night, it was stated that Miss Comerford was still in a semi-conscious state. Her symptoms, however, did not call up grave apprehensions as to the result of the accident.

About half-past three o’clock yesterday afternoon three young men were driving a trap along the Papanui road, when the horse became restive and took the vehicle into a gorse hedge. Two of the occupants were thrown into the hedge and the other on to the road. None, however, were seriously hurt. The horse, which belongs to Messrs Dclamain and Co., was badly cut about tho legs while plunging and kicking. At Kaiapoi, on Friday afternoon, tho wife of Mr J. Hempleman, carrier, met with an accident through one of tho horses kicking her and breaking two of her ribs. Under the care of Dr Comptoa-Parsons the sufferer is progressing favourably. Au accident happened on Friday on what is known as Bruce’s contract, ou the works of the Waimakariri water-race. A pair of fine horses, the property of Mr Roberts, which were attached to a scoop, lost their footing, and roiled from tho top to the bottom of the terrace, a distance of about sixty feet. Fortunately the animals escaped without serious injury. Mr John Cairns, a milkman residing near Timarn, was rushed by a bull last Friday, and received considerably injury, having a wrist dislocated and an ankle hurt, besides being bruised and shaken. As Mr C&iras is advanced in years, the injuries are somewhat serious. Dr Reid was called in and attended to the sufferer.

Au accident happened to Mr P. Heighway, Sheffield, late on Thursday night. Mr Heighway had been to Waddington taking some friends home, driving a young, fresh mare in a buggy. Soon after starting on the return journey the animal took fright, and, becoming unmanageable, raced through Sheffield and to within a quarter of a mile of Annat railway station before it could be pulled up. The borso kicked out the front of the buggy and slightly injured itself with the ironwork, but no further injury wasdone.