ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 15124, 13 October 1909, Page 7

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

FATAL COLLISION. THREE LIVES LOST. United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, October 11. Owing to a "collision with a tramcar in . Manchester, five persons were thrown from a motor-car and three of them were killed. EXPLOSION IN OTIRA TUNNEL. ONE MAN KILLED AND THREE INJURED. [FROM OUR CoRRESPONDEKr.] OTIRA, October 12. A terrib-Ie accident happened in tho Otira tunnel this alternoon, by which W. Dick, shift boss at the face, lost his life, and three others,.named W. Rushton, J. S. Jones and E. Gambirazzi, were injured. It appears that the- men were engaged in firing out at crib-time, and had lighted some of the fuses and remained too long preparing others. The first shot exploded, killing Dick _ instantaneously, and the flying debris struck the three other men, who were retiring, in the backs. Dick was a isarried mar. And leaves a young wifo and one child. The fatality is the first that has occurred on the tunnel works, although quite a largo, number of accidents nipro or less serious have occurred during their progress. Mr Dick wa.s one of the oldest hands on tho works, having been nearly two years employed at the tunnel. He was one of the most popular shift bosses in the tunnel. The same can be said of the whole- shift, every maoi being highly respected. Tho accident has cast quite a. glocm over the whole district, and much symipathv is felt for Mr Dick's young wito and sisters, who are also resident here. Tho works were immediately closed .iown as a mark of respect to the deceased. The injuries received by the other men are not serious. They, however, had a miraculous escape.

[Per Press Association-.] GISBORNE, October 12. A labourer named Ai'Uuigan, employed on the Gisborne-Motu railway, was accidentally killed this afternoon. Tho party he was with shot a dynamite iuse' to cut an iron rail. A piece of the. rail unfortunately travelled in tho direction of M'Guigan, who was forty yards away, and killed him instantly. yai«s i , FSILMNG October 12. At an inquest, to-day before Mr E. Goodbehero, Coroner, on the deatn of •■• fireman named \\ ilhamson, wliieii took place at the Hastie's Hetel firo last Tuesday morning, a verdict- that death was caused by a. falling chimney was returned. 'A rider was added that hotels and public boardiughouses snon.d be provided with nre-figbtiaor nnrv.i. .•races. Before tho same Coinquiry into the cause of the ..-■. held. The jury returned a- verdiotfthat the fire started in the telepnono room on the, ground floor, but that there- was nothing to show how it originated. rFitov Our Coiuu-siwpes-t.] GRBYMCTTH. October 12. By a fall of stone in No. 1 section, at the 'State-mine this afternoon a nimer mitred Frederick Fletcher was killed. and two men, named T. Rogers and J Birch. wei& seriously injured, it ■ir.xseara that a hvrge quantity ot stone -•-■iV-iiiv camo away Irom the face. ' : uig Fletcher and partly embedding eh. Another gang went to extricate hum, when a second fall oocurrea, B ; rch being flie severest sufferer. Both Rogers and Bireh were sent to the local hospital, whilst two other men, who were severely bruised, were attended bv a doctor at Runanga.

Mr W. R. Haselden, £y.*vict coroner, yesterday morning held an inquiry into tl-iA circumstances surrounding tltf death of William Teague, an old man who was found dead in bis hut on the hanks of the Waimahariri en Monday. After hearing . tho evidence of Dr Croolte, who had attended to the man recently when ho was an out-patient at the Hospital, the coroner returnee a verdict that death was true. -;o firaobg* and hemorrhage. . • , Mr H. I. Mohrtcns. of Waiora, Woodend, recently met with a severe injury to one. of his knees. He was assisting to saw some logs cut from trees felled on tho plantation on the estate, and was lifting a log on to the saw bench, when it slipped and fell on Ins legs, crushing his knee. Ho is now ia a fair way to recovery, but it will be a considerable time before ho will be- able to use his loir..

'As a result- of tripping and falling from a dray at Mount Hutt Station on Friday. Mr H. Cranfield, of Methven, sustained a compound fracture of ona wt the small bones of his left hand.