ACCIDENTS ETC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8501, 27 February 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

ACCIDENTS ETC.

JTHE KAKANUI: BELIEVED TO HAVE FOUNDERED. Butff, February 4. JThe Government steamer Hinemoa arrived from the Macquarie Islands at half-past Bit p.m. to-day. Captain Fairehild reports that this steamer Kakanui arrived there on the 2nd of January, and left again on the 3rd, taking away eight men from the island, and leaving Mr. Mellish (the manager), and his wife. Two days after she left the Macquaries a fearful westerly gale was experienced there, and it is most probable that the Kakanui foundered in that gale. DcjfEDiN, February 4. So far as can be ascertained, the names of Ijhose on board the Kakanui are :— Captain William Best, married, with four children. Captain Jacob Eckoff, mate, married, with six or seven children. Morris Erickson, mate, married. Robert Steward, engineer, married, one Child. ■ f William Morgan, fireman, married, four Children. , William Raister, cook aDd steward, married. . George Ludwig, seaman, married, two children. Charles Silvester and another seaman whose name is unknown, and a. fireman also unknown. James Stewart, Customs officer, son of Captain J. Stewart of the Big Dredge. The eight men taken off the island were : _C Gaamble, H. Conzens, A. Watson, G. Godfrey, W. Dow, H. Lewis; and two lads, W. Cowan, W, Ralph. The vessel was insured for £1500 in home offices, and £300 in the National. She was valued at between £2500 and: £3000. February 14. The Hinemoa arrived this morning. Captain Fairehild reports haying made the circuit of the Campbell, Auckland, and Snares Islands, and searched every nook and corner in them, but without finding the slightest trace of wreckage on them. There can therefore now be little doubt that the Kakanui has gone down with all hands, the one chance remaining that the people might have been rescued by a homewardbound ship. The party who have been down surveying aJighthouaa site on the Sr.ares discovered undeniable traces of a wreck there, probably an outward-bound ship. The wreckage, Captain Fairehild reports, is in a sort of cave on the westward side of the Snares, and from the quantity of wreckage in this cave it would seem as if the ship had gone ashore there, and all hands had been lost. Among tho wreckage was a topmast topEailyard and halyards attached, a quantity of candles, and a teak gun carriage marked "M. Small, L.B. Cross H." The wreckage may have been on the Snares for some years past, but it is still in good preservation. No evidence was discovered to indicate what ship the wreckage was part of. Wellington, February 24. in order to set at rest all doubt respecting ihe fate of the steamer Kakanni, the Gorernmenfe have decided to send the Hinemoa k> make a further search of all the islands south of Stewart Island, where there is a likelihood of the Kakanui being found. The Hinemoa will leave on Thursday night, and again visit the McQuaries, Auckland, and Campbell lelands, as well as the Antipodes Bnd Bounty Islands on her way back. The Steamer will call at the Chathams to ascertain anything definite aa to the fate of the barque Assaye. The Kakanui was an iron screw steamer, of 83 tons gross register, and 22-horse power. She was built in Dunedin in 1879, and was owned there by Messrs. K. Ramsay, C. F. Sundestrom, and two others. The cause of the Kakanui's trip to the remote little group of the Macquaries is well known. She was sent down to ascertain the condition of a party of sea-elephant hunters, who were supposed to be short of food, and to afford them relief, and if need be, a passage back to Invercargill. She left that port on December 24, under charge of Captain Best, and had about 70 tons of coal on board, a supply sufficient for about 15 days steaming. Her trip of 1100 miles to the Macquaries was e7i route the Snares and Auckland Islands, and it was thought probable that the Kakanui has sought shelter at the latter place, which is only '24 hoars' journey from the Macquariea, but the visit of the Hinemoa disproves this theory , . The Kakanui bore the reputation of being a good sea boat, and her master, Captain Best, is known as one of the most careful and experienced seamen about tihfi Southern coasts. BOATING DISASTER.—LOSS OF FOUR LIVES. The melancholy and distressing news of the drowning of four young men between Chamberlin's Island and Wairoa South was brought to town on February 18. On Sunday, Feb. 15, Gordon John Hale, aged 30 years, son of the late Dr. Hale, of Wairoa; John Burnside, aged 25, nephew of Mr. Nolan, the auctioneer ; and Lionel Whitney, aged 22, son of Captain Whitney, of the Colonial Ammunition Factory, accompanied by a lad Alfred Stevens, 16 yeara of age, eon of Mr. A. Stevens, GreyBtreet, Brighton, left Wairoa in an open boat at eleven o'clock for Cbamberlin's Island. The passage across, a distance of Borne six miles, was accomplished satisfactorily in a couple of hours, notwithstanding the fact that a strong head wind had to be contended with. About seven o'clock in the evening the rwturn voyage was commenced, after two reefs had been taken in the sail and two bags of sand shipped as additional ballast. The boat should have reached Wairoa in about an hour and a half's time. It was not until February 17, however, that the relatives of the young men became alarmed, and then Captain Whitney and two of his daughters, accompanied by two of Mr. Hale'e brothers, went across to ' Chamberlin'a Island to make enquiry about the boat. They could learn nothing further than that the boat had left Mr. Chamberlin's old residence, at the Waiheke Bide of the island, at seven o'clockon Sunday evening, all well. The boat, which was owned by Mr. Gordon Hale, was a 16-foot open centre-board sailing craftj. and was comparatively new. Recently the owner obtained a new suit of sails which were considerably larger than the old. ones. He was well acquainted with the management of a boat, but had a few days previous to » this partly disabled himself by running a pitchfork into his hand. In connection with tho sad affair a remarkable coincidence is related. Mrs. Burnside, of Wairoa Squth, mother of one of the missing party, who had retired to bed early on Sunday evening, aroused the other members of the family about nine p.m., and declared that she was eure that ♦'Jack, was drowning," for she had just distinctly heard in a dream the voice of her son calling out to her three times " Mother'." On Friday, February 20, the body of Mr. Lionel (Robin) Whitney was recovered. On Sunday, February 22, the search for the bodies of the other unfortunate young men was vigorously prosecuted. Messrs. Burnside, Hale, Turner, Schmitt, and Smith went out at an early hour, and were dragging continuously about the Elace where the capsize was supposed to ave occurred. About 11 a.m., however, a settler residing at Waiheke, just opposite to Chamberlin'a Island, noticed some object floating near the shore of the latter place, which he thought might be one of the bodies of the party lost on the 15th Feb. He immediately procured a boat and proceeded to the place, and within a quarter of a mile of the Ponui Shore picked up a corpse. Aa the searching parties from Wairaa South mentioned above were some distance off he signalled to them, and they came down to his assistance. Messrs. • Hale and Burnside at once recognised the body as that of Mr. John Burnside, and it was taken into their boat. While in the very act of doing this, the party noticed a second corpse rising slowly to the surface through the clear water'. The boab was speedily alongside, and the body lifted out of the water, when ib was found to be that of Mr. Alfred St On W !aturday, Feb. 21, Mr. R. L. Whitney's remains wore committed to the earth, and despite the b.ad weather, the funeral was largely attended, many persons having come miles tq be present. The proceedings were even more than usually impressive, owing to the peculiarly wwi circumstances

under which the young man met his death, and deep sympathy was expressed for Captain Whitney, Messrs. Burnside, Hale, and C. Whitney, who comprised the chief mourners. The obsequies of Messrs. Burnside and Stevens took place on Feb. 23, the funeral of the latter being delayed till a late hour, in order to allow his lelatives and other friends who reside in town to be present. As the Coroner's inquiry on Feb. 21 upon Mr. Whitney's death resulted in a verdict of " Accidental Death," it was felt that complete identification was all that was necessary in regard td the bodies of Messrs. Burnside and Stevens, and therefore no inquest was held upon them. The body of Mr. Gordon Hale was recovered on February 25, and interred the following day. A GIRL DROWNED. A lamentable boating accident occurred at Motutapu on Saturday, February 21, by which a lino young girl, Maud Harhng, aged 13, daughter of Mr. William Hading, carpenter in the Newmarket Railway Workshops, lost her life by drowning. The following are the particulars so far as they can be ascertained at present. The steamer Maori was chartered on the above date by the employees of Messrs, Collins and Co., stationers, for their annual picnic, which it was arranged should be held at Home Bay, Motutapu. The steamer, in charge of Captain G. Ericksen, left the Queen-street Wharf at a quarter to ten a.m., and arrived at half-past eleven at the island. The steamer came to an anchor, and one of the crew, John Anderson, got into the ship's boat to land the passengers. The first boatload was put ashore safely ; but, in landing the second party, which is stated to have consisted of either 15 or 17 persons, it capsized, and the whole party were thrown into the water. Several of the young men could swim, and they assisted the young women near them to tho side of the capsized boat, and got them to hold on till rescued. The yacht Muriel stood towards them, and her crew got a number on board of her. Mr. David Gouk also put off in a dingy, and the Rev. J. M. Silver, of Hawaii (who has been ruralising on the island), paddled off in another dingy, and picked up Mr. Wood and Miss Faulkner, whom Mr. Wood had been endeavouring to rescue. Ultimately all were rescued save the young girl Maud Hading, who jppears to have drowned unnoticed in the confusion and excitement of the accident, xnd was nob missed till the whole party were got into the boat*. Among the rescued ivas Miss Olive Hading, aged 19, a sister of ieceaeed. The body was recovered on the 24th February, and an inquest held, when the jury returned the following verdict, "That the death was from accidental drowning through the upsetting of the boat, and that no blame was attachable to the captain or any of his officers; and also that Robert H. Moon did all in his power to save the deceased." A most heartrending occurrence, resulting in the death, under painful and distressing circumstances, of a little girl named Lucy May Woodroffe, aged seven years, the eldest daughter of Mr. F. Woodroffe, took place at Mount Albert on the 31sb January. The deceased, a bright and winsome child, had picked up a small bone stud, such as are usually found in new shirte, and, whilst washing herself in her parents' bedroom, into which she had entered to ask her father a question, had placed ic in her mouth. It appears to have slipped down into the windpipe, for she suddenly threw up her hands, and gasping, "I can't, I can't," showed unmistakable symptoms of suffocation. Her parents at once did everything in their power to remove the obstruction, while a mounted messenger rode with all possible speed for medical aid. Dr. Roberton was quickly on the spot, and as a last hope performed tracheotomy, but it was then too late, life being extinct. The fatal stud was found Smily fixed in the windpipe in such a position as to render respiration impossible. Dr. Roberton gave a certificate of death. Early on Thursday, January 29, Frank Vatle, son of Mr. J. R. Vaile, Valley Road, Mount Eden, was drowned in the dam at the Sugar Works. The deceased, a lad about 16 years of age, was employed by Mr. Jeremiah McCarthy, who keeps a store at the ChelseaSugar Works. Young Vailc had gone to bathe in the dam with a brother of Mr. McCarthy, and not being able to swim, got into deep water, and was drowned before Mr. McCarthy could rescue him. His body was recovered by some of the hands employed at the Sugar Works. An inquest was held on Jan. 30, when the jury returned a verdict of "Accidentally drowned." When the cargo of the s.e. Little Agnes was beiDg discharged t>n February 17, at the Railway Wharf, a nasty accident occurred to the Customs' officer in charge, Mr. Clarke. He and Captain Harries, of the Little Agneß, were standing close together, when a slingful of goods swung across, and jammed them'up against the aide of the vessel. Both received a nasty squeeze, and as soon as they were extricated Mr. Clarke fainted and fell backwards, striking hia head heavily on the deck. A nasty wound was inflicted on the scalp and several severe bruises. . Mr. Clarke was conveyed to the Hospital, where his wounds were attended to. On February 12 the fine ship Persian Empire, 1532 tons, Captain C. W. Hay arrived in port with a cargo of merchandise valued at £44,400, after a passage of 10i days, marked by a great deal of boieterou; and heavy weather. During the trip on< seaman was lost by falling from aloft, another died from paralysis, and on Tues day afternoon last, off Cape Brett, tin steward had his leg broken during a south east gale. An inquest was held at the Prince ol Wale 3 Hotel on Feb. 5 before Dr. Philson, coroner, and a jury of six on the body of an infant, Arthur Ashby, who, died about foui a.m. on February 4. From the evidence it appeared that the mother, Sarah Ashby, a domestic servant employed at. Drury, gave birth to the child at Mount Eden nin< weeks ago. The child was left in the charge of Mrs. Stigley at Mount Eden, uj till a fortnight ago, when it was put undei the charge of Mrs. Vivian, in Hobson-street, Th£,child was found dead in bed about foui a.m. on Wednesday, February 4. The jurj returned a verdict in accordance with th< medical testimony of "Death from natura causes." The well-known Queen-street restauran keeper, Mr. W. D. Dallen, met with a seri OU3 accident on the sth February while oul riding with a friend from his residence Mount Albert. Near the head of the Kings land Road Mr. Dallen's horse got restive am unmanageable, and threw him heavily seriously bruising him about the head while one of his ears was very badly lacer ated. Mr. Dallen'e son, who was out rid ing on his pony, galloped back to the houst and got assistance, and Mr. Dallen wa; removed in a vehicle to his residence. . Dr Lewis was called in, and after examining the injuries, recommended Mr. Dallen , removal to the Hospital. An accident, which might have resultec in dire consequences, took place at Birken head on February 20. Mr. Flewellyn wa coming down the hill with his cart, in whic were two ladies, when the breeching broke and the horse bolting came down th wharf at great speed, the cart collidinj with Mr. Thompson's vehicle about th middle of the wharf, the shaft striking th chest of the latter'e horse, entering tw feet, and causing its immediate deatl There is no doubtbub that for the collisio the runaway cart and its occupants woul have been precipitated over th.e end of th wharf, and the results •vyould probabl have been all the more digaetroue as tb steamer was just then coining alongside. ta, Another fatal boat accident took place c February 22 at noon atCoromandel. Thr< young men, Alfred Chapman, William Me sop, and Henry JYJeleop set out in an opt boat from Bay, intending to go i Sandy Bay, near Port Charles. Whe close to Port Cha.rles the boat was struc by a heavy sea and capsized. Ohapins being able to ewitn, succeeded in reachjr the snore, though severely injured on tl rocks. The brothers Meleop clung to tl boat, the younger, Henry, a lad pf 16, g washed off by the sea and drowned. Oi of the settlers, named Browland, observit the accident, went off in a boat and secure the elder Melsop, who was hanging on the boat. Hugh, Hughes, a carter in the employ Mr. William Crimmins, of Waihi, w; found dead on February 25 near Owharo having evidently fallen over a steep d< I clivity with his wagon and team. Two the horses were deadj and a third bad { injured,

Within the last three weeks there has been two drowning accidents in Whangarei. The first was that ot a young man named Richard Roose, the youngest son of Mr. Roose, of Maungatapere, an old and respected settl«r. The young man went bathing in the Doctor's Creek, which runs through the township, and, unfortunately, fot out of hia depth. It seems the only elp available was that of a little boy named Galbraith, who made a plucky attempt to rescue him, but was not strong enough to bring him out. Another boy rau for Constable Gordon. He came running, and, pulling off his clothes as he came, at once dived for Roose, but by this time he had shifted into twelve feet of water, and lay on the bottom. Edwin Courtney shortly afterwards joined the constable, and, after repeated diving, they found the body, but by this time half an hour had elapsed, and means of restoration failed. The second accident was that of Mrs. H. Hoey, who was returning to her home on February 17. To do this sho hud to cross one of the railway bridges, which, being merely trestle work, is difficult for a woman even in daylight. The night was dark, and she had evidently falleu off and got drowned. Josiah C. Jones, J.P.,flourmiller atOphir, was accidentally shot on Feb. 12. In the morning he lefb the house with a double barrelled gun and dogs, to shoot rabbits in a paddock about a mile from hia residence. The dogs returned without him, and a search was then made. Ho was found lying dead alongside the fence with a gunshot wound in the temple, and the gun lying throe feet away.' One barrel was discharged. The circumstances point to his being shot while crossing the fence. A fatal accident happened on January 30 to a little boy about six years old. an adopted son of Mr. R. Heaslip, Cambridge. It appear? the boy was kicked on the head by a horse, the blow fracturing the skull and laying bare the brain. Dr. Cushney was soon at the side of the sufferer, and did all that was possible. He became unconscious, and expired on the 3lst January. An inquest was held on tho 2nd February before Mr. Searancke, and a jury, of whom Mr. Tuck was chosen foreman. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death." The funeral took place on the 2nd February, and was attended By a number of relatives and friends. A little boy about two years of age, the son of John Anderson, gutndigger, residing near Henderson, died on the train just before reaching tho Mount Eden Station on the 24th January. He had been seen picking taupnki berries in tho scrub surrounding his father's house, and soon afterwards became vary sick. His parents were taking him to Auckland for medical attention, but the child grew worse on tho journey and died in his mother's* arms. Dr. Philson held an inquest that night at the Eden Vine Hotel, when a verdict of " Death from swallowing taupnki berries" was returned. By the afternoon train on February 3 n man named Michael O'Connor Mas brought up to Hamilton from- Ngaruawahia to the Waikato Hospital, suffering from severe injuries received on Monday, February 2, through a fall mot with whilst working on Fallon's railway contract at Knponga. O'Connor was engaged on the face of a cutting, when Ho mjssed.his footing and rolled to the bottom, a distance of over 70 feet, dislocating one of his wrists and injuring his back and sidee. Our Opotiki correspondent, writing on the 17th, says :—Owing to the floods and tho narrowness of the track, great difficulty was experienced in bringing in the body of Denis McDevitt from, the Gisborno road, a distance of about 26 mile?. The accident, occurred at ten a.m. on tho 10th, and although every exertion was made by the police and party,'the body was not brought in till the evening of the 12th. An inquest was held the same evening at the Opotiki Hotel, before Mr. Kingr, jTP., coroner. Mr. Wright was foreman of the jury. The evidence showed that the road party were engaged catching horses to proceed to work, when one of the horses struck out and kicked McDevitt on tho chest. He died in ten minutes. A verdict of "Accidental death" was returned. Deceased was a native of Ireland, and was well known and respected here. Inepector McGovern has received a tele gram from Mangonui from Constable Moore reporting the drowning of William Penzer, settler, of Fern Flat, 14 miles from Mangonui. He had a contract at Kaitaia and was returning home owing to the bad weather. He was with ethers crossing a bridge which was under water through the floods. There were no handrails to the bridge. Two of tho men got safely across, but Penzer's horse went over the side of the bridge, and the unfortunate man was drowned. Hβ leaves a wife and four children. A man named David Henderson, jun., narrowly escaped being killed whilst engaged blasting a log of wood on the beach, Thames, on February 18. He had bored two holes in the log, and charged them with powder, but on igniting the fuse only one went off. Henderson then endeavoured to pick out tho charge in the hole which had missed fire, and whilst doing so with a knife the charge exploded. The result was he was frightfully cut about the face and head with splinters of wood, and through both lips down to the chin. His nose was also crushed, and there are several cuts on the forehead and ears, besides which his left shoulder was badly bruised. Fortunately, no bones were broken, neither was the eyesight injured. He was at once taken to the Hospital, where Dr. Williams attended to the wounds, tho extent oi which may be gathered from the fact that it took the doctor an hour and α-htilf to dress them all. Henderson is now pro- . gressing aa favourably a3 can bo expected. Our Russell correspondent telegraphed or Feb. 21 :—A seventeen-months-old child , named Killer, strayed from home yesterday, and was afterwards found dead on the beach. Itia supposed to have been drowned. ! Our Aratapu correspondent writes: — Bathing on the West Coast is much indulged in by residents in theJSorthorn Wairoa, and i is attended with some risk at times owing tc i the heavy breakers and strong backwash ot , water. On February 1 two young lads, named Mcllroy and Leabourn, were bathing while the tide was running out, and in swimming around were carried rather far- ■ ther than they intended. On becoming i awaro of the distance they at once deter- [ mined to make for shore. Leabourn, after several attempts, managed to gain a footi ing on the sandy beach, and knowing that . Mcllroy had not been able to reach shore, i he ran down to some others to give the alarm. On reaching Mr. Turney, he win . quite exhausted, and unable to speak. Bj 1 pointing, however, he.managed to make himself understood, and, a rush was made , for the spot where Leabourn and Mcllroj were known to have been bathing. Mr. . Joseph Molloy, seeing that something un t usual was astir, came running down frorr i the cliff, throwing off his clothes as he ran On learning the cause of alarm ho at onc< r plunged into the surf, and boldly swam ou 3 into the breakers in search of Mcllroy, wh< could not then be seen. Mr. Turney, oi I the beach, afterwards discerned him some - hundred yards further down, and directec e Molloy to him. When Molloy reached Me j Ilroy he found him much exhausted, anc , unable to help himself, bo he placed om a arm round him, and with tho other strug j gled for the shore, taking care to plac> e himself on the top of each succeedinj e breaker and clear of the underneath back o wash, which was very strong. Succes . attended his efforts, and he was able t j hand his helpless burden to Mr. F. Ross d Mcllroy wae laid on the beach, and th 3 efforts used to restore him were crowne< y with success, e A buggy accident occurred at Otara oi the 31st January, through which Mi n Jamieson, of Pukekohe, received sever ie injuries, He and Mrs. Jamieson wer 1- driving from Otahuhu, when they stoppe' n the buggy to readjust the seat. Whil » Mr. Jamieson was in tho act of stAnuin n up, holding the reins, the horse bolted, an k he was thrown out of the buggy, one of th n wheels striking his head, and inflicting tw g wounds of a serious nature. He was rt ie moved in a state of unconsciousness to Mrc ie McGee's residence adjoining. A tolephon it message was sent to Onehunga for l)j ie Erson, who on arrival found Mr. Jamieso g suffering from concussion of the brair d but he succeeded in. restoring him to coi x> ciousness. The express train, in coming into th of Oamaru station ori Monday, February I is struck "a dray at a level crossing. Tw a, boys were in the dray, and both wer }• thrown out. One escaped unhurt, but th of other, a lad named Reid, was injured, hi ly left thigh being broken, while he also r< I ceived a wound in the bead.

On Feb. 18, at Huntly, the twelve months old child of Thomas Skillon, secretary to the Miners Unibn, was severely scalded by upsetting a basin of boiling water over its legs and body. Dr. Broom was called in, but the little sufferer died on February 15. An accident, which was nearly attended ■with fatal results, occurred ftfc Messrs. Price Brothers'foundry, Thames, about half-past four o'clock on Monday afternoon, the 2nd February. A man named Thomas Qanley was at work at an emery wheel, grinding jack spears, and Mr. George Price stood near watching him. Suddenly the wheel split in two, one half striking Ganley on the arm, and inflicting several severe cuts ; whilst the other half first rose upwards, etruck the roof of the building, and then fell, sbriking 'Mr. Price on the head, and rendering him insensible, besides inflicting a rough gash. Mr. Price was at once conveyed to nis home, and attended to by Dr. Williams. Two lads, Samuel Mardon and James Evans, aged 20 and 13 respectively, were drowned on Monday, the 2nd February, through a canoe capsizing in a dam at Mardon's flaxmill, Upper Riccarton, Canterbury. No one saw the accident, but a lad passing noticed the boat upsetting, and saw one of the lads in the water, and gave the alarm, when the employes at the mill used every effort to recover the bodios. Mardon's father let off the water from the dam, soon after which the bodies were recovered. A man named Eugene Frawley, aged 30, lately barman at Barrett's Hotel, Christchurch, met with a fatal accident on Monday, the 2nd February. He removed* the blinkers from a horse in a dray to feed htm, when the horse bolted, and knocking Frawley down, trod on his chest. The wheel "of the dray also went os r er him, breaking several ribs, and completely crushing his lungs. The man expired on 4fch February. On Tuesday morning, the 3rd February, a draper named Honry Lemorcier, residing in Gloucester-street East, Chrislchurch, died from the effects of an overdose of chloral. He was 45 years old and married. On February 3 a settler named Donley found the body of J. H. Hernall who was' drowned while attempting to cross the Huriinui river, Canterbury, a few week.* back. It was discovered 16 miles bolow whore he was drowned. A girl, aged 12, a daughter of J. Hole, brewer, Titnaru, was accidentally run over by a trap and horse and trodden on. She died shortly afterwards. A well-known resident of Hokitikn, named Smith,, a carpenter, was found dead in the river on January 30. He went across in a boat to gee a load of drift wood, and it is supposed ne noticed the boat get loose, and swam out to get it, took cramp, and got drowned. The body of a man named Donald Cameron was found in the Dnnedin harbour on Feb. 14. Deceased, who was in delicate health, left home in North East Valley in the morning for a walk, and was not again seen alive. At the inquest a verdict of " Found drowned" was returned, no evidence being adduced to account for his death. A little boy, Koven years of age, named Honey will, was drowned in the Hokitika river on February 8. He was sitting on a pile fishing, and fell into 16 feet of wator. Archdeacon Govett was thrown from his carriage :it New Plymouth on the 6th of February, and seriously hurt. The right arm was broken in two places. George Petrie, a young man, son of Daniel Petrie, of Southbridge, Canterbury, was drowned on Feb. 8 while bathing- in the Rakaia. Hβ was seized with cramps ami washed into a hole. Hia body has been recovered. Kate Joyce, seven years of ago, was burned to death through her clothes catching fire, n,6 Dunedin. Her elder sister wits burned while attempting a rescue. A seaman named David Daves, belonging to the steamer Duke of Sutherland, was drowned off the Wellington Railway Wharf on Feb. 12. Deceased and another seaman named Silver Arrowemith were proceeding on board, but when the gnngway was reached, the former saying he going up town for moro drink, a struggle took place, resulting in both men going overboard. The accident was observed and a life-buoy was thrown, which was caught by Arrowsmith, but Daws could not bo found. The body was recovered at two a.m. on February 13. Deceased was a native of Swansea, 32 years of age. and had no friends in the colony. By the arrival of the Union Company's Tiiupo, from Fiji, we learn that Captain Calder, of the A.U.S.N. Go's steamer Waroonga, which arrived at Suva on the 14th February from Noumea, reported thnt the same company's steamer Tfugantni, 203 tons, had been lost on the island of Aneityutn during a hurricane on February 11th The steamer went ashore at midnight and became a total loss, her back being broken. The crew were all saved, but all the cargo was loat. No further particulars were to hand. W. E. Mellish, solicitor, Palmerston North, accidentally shot himself on Feb. 19. Death wan almost instantaneous. Deceased was a son of Mr. Mellish, formerly Resident Magistrate of Christctiurch for many years. A traction engine crossing Menzie'e Ferry Bridge, over Mataura River, Invtjrcurgill, on February 18, broke through, and fell into the river. Robert Dodd wr.a killed, and Andrew Simson, owner of the engine, was severely shaken. A young man named Withers was drowned while crossing the Pohungina River on February 24. A Wellington telegram says :—The body of Mrs. Bailey, wife of a coach driver tit Otaki, was found in a creek near Otaki on Saturday. She has been missing for the last few days, and it is supposed to be a case of suicide. A boy, eifjht years old, Patrick Kane, son of a miner, We*tport, was drowned at Addtson's flat on Feb. ".M, while bathing in a clam. Several boys, about the same ago as deceased, were present, bub were unable to rescue him. McNiddcr, the engineer employed at Sparrow and Co.'s, Dunedin, was killed on the Frank ton Company's dredge Kawarau on February 20. Alfred Neill, aged 27, son of Major Neill, Wanganui, was found dead in bed at halfpast six or February 18th, nfc Murray's farm, Westmere. He retired the previous night in his usual health. The body of a middle-aged woman named Margaret Thompson, well-known to the Christchnrch police, was found in the River Avon, near the Resident Magistrate's Court, on February 14. She wiva .seen alive the previous night, .and nothing has fcranspirod to show how she got into the river. An old man named George Flowers, Reefton, on February 13, drank sulphuric ticid in mistake for ginger ale. The stuff was being removed from Kiriviin's cordial factory, and Flowers had been in the liubit of helping himself to cordial. He died axtnoon on February 14. At the inquest on Feb 16, the jury returned a verdict "That death resulted from drinking sulphuric acid in mistake for ginger ale," and added a rider strongly censuring Kerwin, the owner of the factory, for keeping an acid of this description about the premises without being labelled.