ACCIDENTS, ETC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9369, 20 May 1889, Page 9

ACCIDENTS, ETC.

THE lONIC DISABLED.

Tiik R.M. s. lonic, which left Lyttelton on May 2, put back on May 13 with a broken crank shaft. Captain Kidley states that on May 4, in longitude 168deg. West, latitude 52deg. 12rain. South, 926 miles from Godley Head, the after crank shaft gave way. The vessel was headed towards Lyttelton, and she returned under sail. On May 7 the wind changed from the S.W. to S.S.W. All sail was crowded on, and next day the screw shaft was connected and one engine got to work. Lyttelton Heads was sighted late on May 13. The passengers presented Captain Kidley with an address, complimenting him on the splendid way in which he handled the vessel.

The Messrs. Shaw, Savill and Albion Company have entrusted to Messrs. Cable and Co., ot the Lion Foundry, Wellington, the work of repairing the steamer lonic, which returned to Lyttelton on May 13 with the crank shaft broken. A gang of men left Wellington on May 15 by the Takapuna, and it is expected that the necessary repairs will be effected in four or five days.

COLLISION IN THE RANGITOTO CHANNEL. At about seven p.m. on the 14th May the Union Steamship Company's steamer Australia, Captain A. L. Kemp, collided with the Auckland Tug Co.'s steamer Awhina, which was bringing into port the American barque Essex, Captain Schaube, * inward bound in ballast from Brisbane.

The accident occurred just outside the B,angitoto Beacon. The Australia had left Queen-street Wharf with a general cargo and half-dozen passengers, shortly after six o'clock, while the Essex and Awhina which were lashed side by side had been in company since about five o'clock. The night ,was very thick and rainy, but not too dark for the vessels to see each other's lights as they approached. The Australia struck both the tug and her convoy on the bow almost at the same time, and the Essex's jibboom was carried away and other damage done to her rigging. The Awhina was struck heavily near the bow and her stem splintered and the planks started, and she was found to be making water. On this being discovered Captain Campbell considered it prudent to seek the nearest shelter, and shouted to those on board the Essex that he would make for the beach near the Rangitoto Reef. The Australia also sustained a severe blow, and had a dent made in the plates on her port quarter, while one of her boats was crushed slightly, and her decking underneath started, while the anchor of the Essex catching in her awning uprights nearly tore them away. The injuries received by the Union steamer are, however, comparatively speaking, but slight, and she resumed her voyage to Wellington at two p.m. next day. At the time of the accident Captain Campbell was steering the tug and Captain Schaube was at the wheel of his vessel, Captain Kemp being also on deck on the Australia. Captain Sainty, the harbour pilot, was also on board the Essex, but, as she had taken the tug to convey her to port, was not acting in his official capacity. When the vessels first sighted one another those in charge thought that the Australia would clear the others' bows by crossing ; but as she approached nearer it was seen that the craft would pass unpleasantly close to each other. Captain Campbell, of the Awhina, then gave the order to stop his vessel; but, as the Australia was very close, lie commanded his engineer to go ''full speed astern." This had hardly been executed when the collision occurred. As the vessels neared one another Captain Sainty shouted to the man at the wheel on the Essex to put the helm " hard-a-starboard," an order which was immediately followed by a similar one on board the Awhina. The force of the impact was so great that the mooring lines between the Essex and the Awhina were parted, with the exception of the stern hawser, which was let go, on Captain Campbell shouting that he was going to beach his vessel. Captain Sainty then took charge of the barque Essex, and getting sail upon her, brought her safely into port, and anchored her in the stream.

As soon as the vessels got clear Captain Kemp considered it prudent to return to port, and accordingly turned his vessel round and steamed back to the Queen-street Wharf, mooring outside the s.s. Manapouri. Here an examination of the steamer's hull was made by the aid of lanterns, and the damage to her quarter (just outside her saloon) and to the deck was seen.

The accident seems to have happened through a miscalculation on the part of those navigating the vessels as to the distance they were apart when they endeavoured to cross one another, and not through any remissness on the part of lookouts, as all saw one another's lights for some time before the collision occurred.

The crew of the. Awhina rowed up to town in the tug's dingy, but as Mr. Compton, the managing director of the Tug Company had got the s.s. Rotoiti under steam with all available speed, they returned in her to the Awhina, taking a quantity of canvas and other material likely to be necessary to stop any leaks in the tug's hull. The AAvhina returned to port on May 15 very much damaged at the bows. A preliminary inquiry was held on the 15th May, and the statements taken have been forwarded to Wellington. LOSS OF THE SHIP ALTMORE. By the arrival of the Fijian steamer Mawhera we are in possession of particulars concerning the wreck of the barque Altmore at Fiji. The Altmore was a splendid four-masted steel vessel of 1716' tons, and was owned in Glasgow, and .tinder charge of Captain W. G. Weeks. She sailed from Sydney on the 11th April, bound for San Francisco with a freight of 2823 tons of coal. Favourable winds and fine weather prevailed till the 22nd ultimo, when very thick weather was experienced. At about half an hour after midnight the vessel struck upon the Viwa reef in the Yasawas, though the captain was under the impression that he was several miles clear of the islet. Immediately on the vessel going ashore the captain used strenuous efforts to get her oft' by shifting cargo, etc., but without avail, and the ship is said to bo now a total wreck. As there were several passengers on board, including a lady and four children, Captain Weeks sent a boat's crew ashore to reconnoitre for a landing on Viwa, but the natives approached the sailors threaten- ' ingly with spears, and the attempt to laud was abandoned. The second mate, with the passengers and six of the crew, then left in the ship's lifeboat and cutter, inj tending to make for Suva, which was over : 100 miles distant. As they had not reached that port up to the time of the Mawheras I sailing it is probable that they have been drowned, though they may have landed on some of the smaller islands of the group. The captain and remainder of the crew were preparing to proceed to Suva by boat when the wreck was sighted by the schooner Midge, Captain Kaad, on her way from Rotumah to Levuka. She bore down upon the ship, and a boat was manned by Mr. P. Foster and others to go to the rescue of the shipwrecked men. The latter got on board the Midge's boat, but as they were coming out of the passage in the reef the craft upset in the surf. All had to swim for their lives, and succeeded in getting safely on board the schooner, with the exception of Mr. R. B. Turnbiill, chief officer of the Altmore. He was steering the boat when site upset and sank immediately upon being thrown in the water, being unable to swim. The steward of the ship had one of his arms severely injured in the struggle to get on the reef, and will probably lose his Hand.

When Captain Oliver, of the Mawhera, left Levuka, Captain Weeks expressed his intention to proceed to Sydnej' with his crew by the s.s. Gunga, on May 23rd.

POISONED BY HONEY.

Three natives (brothers) left Matata on the 29th April to hunt pigs in the bush, above Te Humuhika. One of them returned to Te Humuhika late on the 2nd May. He had no clothes on, and was quite out of his mind. He could give no information of the other two. A search party le'ft early on the 2nd May, and about two o'clock the party found three horses and dogs, also the place where the two brothers must have passed part of the night on April 30 or May 1. The blankets and clothes that were found were covered with vomit, and it was then ascertained that all of them must have been poisoned by eatina; honey that they

had obtained from a tree not far from the spot. After some time they tracked the two brothers down the hill to the creek, at the bottom, where they found the eldest brother, Pere, in the creek, quite dead, and about two chains below they found the clothes of the other brother.

Matata, May 4. News has just come to hand that TeNgarara, the younger brother, was found two hours ago jammed in the rocks about half way clown the waterfall, which is at least eighty feet high. They must have left to go to the creek at the same time after feeling bad with the honey. Both bodies were found within three chains of each other.

A fatal accident occurred on Monday, the Cth of May at the Colonial Sugar Refinery Company's works, Chelsea, to a man named Thomas Hingston. While loading bags of sugar on to a truck part of the stack near which he was working fell on him, knocking him down. The bags were promptly removed by his comrades, and the injured man was brought over to the Hospital, where lie died on May S. At the inquest a verdict of " Accidental death" was returned.

A serious mishap, through the upsetting of a boat, occurred to three young men on April 23, and was very nearly attended with fatal consequences. Messrs. John Heath, David Crozier, and Justin Ronayne made up a fishing party, and proceeded to Rangitoto Channel in a small sailing boat named the Folly, when a squall struck the craft and she upset. Heath clung to the boat and the others swam ashore. They were subsequently picked up by the Harbour Board's dredger. On Saturday, the 11th May, while a match was being played between the Mangapaiand Waikiekie teams, in the paddock of Mr. E. Carter, Mangapai, and only about five minutes after the beginning of the game, Mr. J. Pitman, a strongly built half-caste, and a good player, was killed by a kick just below the heart, or perhaps by falling, and thus meeting the blow. It seems he ran a short distance, dropped into a stooping position with his hand across the pit of his stomach, said "I've been kicked, or something," fell back, and was gone. Soon all signs of life had ceased. Means were tried to resuscitate him, but in vain. One of his brothers and a brother-in-law were in the game. It was heartrending to see the procession of footballers, and to hear the wailing of his mother (a native woman), his brother, and father, as they were carrying home on a litter the dead body of one who so lately was full of life and vigour. A fatal gun accident occurred at Maungakaramea on the 27th April. A party of young men were out shooting, amongst others Mr. William Mead, manager of the cheese factory, and a friend of his from Auckland. By some means, not quite clear, the hitter's gun went off, the shotlodging in Mr. Mead's groin. Mr. Mead lived for some hours, bub although Drs. Clark, Hall, and Mason were in attendance before he died, it was impossible to save him. The deceased was a young man of about twenty-five, not long married, and leaves a wife and one child.

An accident (writes our Thames correspondent), which has unfortunately proved fatal, occurred to a half-caste child, about twenty months old, named Wiropo Raupa, on the 9th of May. It appears the little boy was left in the charge of a Maori girl at its grandfather's residence, near the booms, Parawai. Having some duties to attend to outside, the girl left the child in a room with a boy about 15 years old, when the latter by some means got possession of a live-chambered revolver. Not having any cartridges, the lad filled one of the chambers with powder, and then applied a match to it, which caused the powder to explode, and the child being close by at the time received the Hash on its left breast, severely scorching it, and causing a slight wound. The little boy was immediately brought in to the Hospital, where Dr. Williams attended to the wound, and as it did not appear to be very seriously injured, he was afterwards conveyed to Taipara's residence. The shock to its nervous .system, however, appears to have been very great, for the child succumbed to its injuries at an early hour on May 10. An inquest was held, and the jury returned a verdict of " Accidental death," and added a rider to the effect that firearms should not be left within the reach of children.

Our Maungaturoto correspondent writes : —I have to report that a fatal accident occurred on Wednesday, the 17th April, to Mr. Angus McLennan. It appeared the unfortunate man was assisting to jack a log of timber into the river. He stood on a lower one, and when this was slightly moved, the upper one fell and jammed him fast against another, in fact, almost cut him in two. He died the same day, about live hours after receiving the injury, at the house of Mr. H. Cullen.

A disastrous coach accident occurred between Hokitika and Kumara about mid-day on April 25. Cameron's mail coach, when Hearing Kumara and going down Sandy's Hill, the break would not work. The coach gained a great impetus, and the horses galloped. Near the bottom it capsized near a fence. The ring-bolt jumped out, and the horses galloped into Kumara •with the fore wheels. There were 16 passengers, all of whom were more or less injured. A young man, William White, ot Greymouth, had his leg broken in three places. His arm was also broken, and he sustained internal injuries, and died in the afternoon in great pain. Constable Bennett was injured in the legs and body and is believed to have two ribs broken. Miss Benzon had a rib broken. Galbraith, the jockey, had the small bone of the wrist broken. Taylor, the driver, had his chest sprained, and is injured internally. All the others are more or less hurt, though not seriously. The coach was smashed to pieces. At the inquest on White a verdict that no blame was attached to the driver or the proprietor was returned.

Mrs. Taggart, wife of a well-known stable keeper, Dunedin, left her home alone in a dogcart drawn by one horse at about half-past five o'clock on the 23rd April, to drive to a place Taggart has at Musselboro". In Crawford street the horse bolted and turned into Manor Place, and in doing so brought the wheel of the vehicle into contact with the kerbstone. The sudden jerk threw Mrs. Taggart out, and she alighted on her head in front of the wheel, which passed over her. She died shortly after being received into the hospital, never having recovered consciousness. A distressing accident has happened at Raumanga, near Whangarei. A daughter of Mr. Abercrombie, aged five years, got her clothes on fire accidentally, and ran out of the house in her terror, getting terribly burnt before aid reached her. She succumbed to her injuries, notwithstanding all that could be done to alleviate her sufferings. Mr. W. F. Campbell, aged 29, accountant of the Bank of New South Wales, Timaru, for the last two years, met his death by a foolish freak. He was at the Grosvenor Hotel with friends late on the 4th May, and between one and two o'clock he and another bank clerk started to run a race round a block of buildings. Campbell ran foul of a horse trough or horse post at the Ship Hotel, and had to be carried back to the hotel. It was said he was not much hurt. Dr. Lovegrove was sent for on the sth May and found no symptoms of serious injury, the patient taking medicine and food easily, and at night appearing to be quite easy and collected. Next morning he was found dead. At the inquest the medical evidence showed that death resulted from acute peritonitis. A verdict of accidental death was returned.

On the last voyage of the R.M.S. Alameda from Auckland to San Francisco one of the saloon passengers, Mr. Wilhelm Adolf Durlack fell overboard at sea on April -i. Deceased was a native of Hanover, 32 years of age, and a partner in the Sydney firm of F. Betz and Co. Word reached Greymouth on April 28 that James Mullins had been swept out to sea and drowned at the Ten Mile Greek, between Barrytown and Greymouth, on the 27th April. The body of a man, named Patrick Billiard, between 50 and 60 years of age, was found floating in the Wellington harbour on April 25. The deceased was a labourer, formerly resident at Foxton, but had lately returned from the Mahikipawa goldfield. He was last seen on April 24. It is nob known how he gob into the water. The man Dixon, who was injured by a gunshot at Kawakawa, Hokitika, had his leg amputated on April 25. He died under the operation. Robert Robinson, of Greymouth, was buried on May 16 by a fall of earth in a tunnel where he was working, at Stillwater, A gang of men worked all night, and. f red his body.

In the race for the New Brighton Cup at Christehurch on April 30, a serious accident happened to a jockey, George Jackson, who was riding Count d'Orsay in the Cup. Repose was in front of the Count and fell. The latter stumbled over him, throwing Jackson heavily on his head. He was picked up unconscious,,and died on May 1. George Robinson", second mate of the barque Kinchine, has been drowned at Timaru.

August Olsen, living by himself in a lonely portion of the Toatoa District, near Hokitika, was found dead in his hut. It appears he had sustained severe injuries«afc his claim on the water race, and crawled to his hut and died. The body was very much decomposed when found. A settler, near Wyndham, Invercargill, named JFergusson, was attacked by a bull the other day and knocked down. His<wife called to a man at some distance off, bub without waiting, courageously rushed to her husband's assistance. The bull turned on her and tossed her in the air. The brute was eventually driven off with an axe, and subsequently shot. Fergusson is severely bruised about the head and neck, and his wife had three ribs broken and is also badly bruised.

A fisherman named Nicholas was-drowncd in the Lower Harbour, Dunedin, on the Ist of May. It appears three boats were being towed up by a steamer when the one ■in which Nicholas was, capsized, and the other boats cast off and went to his rescue, but Nicholas was not seen again. The remains of a man were discovered in an unoccupied house at Maitai, near Nelson, on Wednesday, the Ist May, and have been identified as those of a man who came to Nelson from Wellington. His name was Percy King, alias Watson, alias Wilson, alias McCasker. He was a native of Australia, and 47 years of age. Mr. Douglas, stationmaster at Riversdale, Southland, who was run down by a waggon some weeks back, and had his foot shattered, died on May 2 in the Invercargill Hospital. An accident occurred near Waipawa, on the railway line, on May 11, when an engine' and tender of a train from Napier to Woodville were derailed through two horses getting on the line. The engine went over a small embankment, and the driver and stoker were both much shaken and bruised. The wonder is that both were not killed. The train from Woodville to Napier connected with the train from Napier to Waipukurau, and transferred mails and passengers. The delay exceeded four hours.

A sad accident, resulting fatally, happened to a little daughter, eleven years of age, of a respected settler at Fordell, near Wanganui, named N. Harrison. It appears the girl was riding home from, school on a pony, behind her brother, when some children, throwing stones, struck the pony, which reared and threw deceased, who fell on her head, and was killed instantly.

A Maori girl, Maria Munn, eight years of age, was burned to death at Waiapu, near Gisborne, on May 6, through carelessness shown on the part of the parents. A young man named Henri' Cannon, while attempting to ford a flooded creek at Waipiri, near Gisborne, was drowned.

A man named Wra. Media, admitted into the hospital, Wellington, on May 16, suffering from a dose of poison taken by mistake at Otaki, died that day. A man named Michael Bowling died in the Hospital at Blenheim on May 13, while undergoing an operation for cancer. He had the chloroform, and before the operation was over the patient suddenly ceased to breathe.

E. M. W. Russell, a settler of Goat Valley, Wanganui, was thrown out of his cart, and so badly injured that his recovery is doubtful.

James Chadwick, labourer, while feeding a threshing machine at Isla Bank, in the western district, Southland, slipped and had his leg lacerated so severely by the machinery that he died before reaching the hospital. Before the Rimutaka left Wellington for London, one of the steam pipes burst, and three firemen were severely scalded. A serious accident befel Mrs. William Hunter, senior, and Miss Fleming. They were returning from Te Awamutu in a buggy, when the horse fell and both were thrown out. Miss Fleming sustained a fracture of the left wrist. Mrs. Hunter fell, one of her legs being caught between the spokes of the wheel. The horse got up again, and, being a very steady one, stood stock still, or Mrs. Hunter would have been killed or seriously injured. Miss Fleming, with a broken wrist, pluckily came to her assistance, and with difficulty extricated her from her dangerous position. Mrs. Hunter, however was, I regret to say, much bruised and shaken.