ACCIDENTS, ETC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9610, 7 September 1894, Page 2 (Supplement)

ACCIDENTS, ETC.

WRECK OF THE CHRISTINE. Wellington, September 5. The Marine Dejaartment have received information that the schooner Christine, bound from Hokianga to Napier with telegraph poles, was totally wrecked at the mouth of the Waiitotara River on Monday. The crew, consisting of five men, are reported to have been drowned. Hawera, Wednesday. The schooner Christine was found the beach, at the mouth of the Waitotara River. A mile and a half further along the beach two ship's boats were found. The schooner had been leaking, and the holes had been) plugged with blankets. .No trace of the crew has been found. It is considered probable they are somewhere on shore. * The following men were in the Christine when she left Hokianga on Tuesday, the 28th August Charles Richards, captain ; James McKay, mate ; John Haverty, A.B. Robert McKay, A.8.; and Emanuel Gaunt, cook.

At a late hour on August 10 a settler.from flenderscn, Mr. Jesse Henry Houhgam, an., came to the Auckland Police Station and reported that Richard Cantwell, a gumdigger,-bad been found lying dead, shot in the head, on a email reserve, near the Henderson Hotel. It appears that, about half-past four o'clock in the afternoon, he went out to shoot rabbits, and was missed in the evening, as he dia nob return home. His brother, Mr. William Cantwell, and his sister, Mrs. Ardie Hepburn, went to look for him, and found him as above stated, about halfpast eight o'clock, lying dead in the reserve, with a bullet wound in bis temple. An inquest on the body was hold on August 11. After considering the evidence, the jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased came by his death through a gunshot wound in the head, bub there was no •vidence to show whether death was the result of accident or otherwise. Deceased was steady, industrious, and provident, and not afflicted with melancholia, sp that there .was no apparent motive to suggest any other theory than that of death by accident.

The police authorities have received & report from Constable Haslett relative to the inquest on the body of Miss Montague, aged 15, who was found dead on the public road near Hukerenui on the 15th August. It appears that bfc.e young girl intended to visit a neighbour named Braden, three miles distant, and left her home on horseback. Being missed, a search ts'as made, and she was found dead on the road, the Jorge grazing near the body. On examination her neck was found to be broken. Bhe had apparently fallen, or been thrown off the horse. The jury, at the inquest, returned a verdict of " Accidental death." • An inquest was held on August 14 at the Governor Ferguson Hotel, Tararu, upon the remains of the young man William Prince, one of the victims of the fishing boat Lily disaster, whose body . was found floating in the tide at Tararu the previous day. Mr. A. Bruce, J.P., acted as coroner, and Sergeant Gillies represented the police. After the evidence of three witnesses had been taken, the jury returned a verdict to ithe effect" That deceased met his death by accidental drowning on or about the 31st ultimo through the capsizing of the fishing <mack Lily." >; ; j

A marvellous escape from a fatal accident occurred on Monday, the 13th August, on the Nine-mile Road, near WeStport. A man named Michael Leydon was using dynamite at his work. He placed 12 plugs on sheet metal, and warmed it' over a fire. He was removing the) dynamite from the fire when ib exploded. His face was cut and bruised, also his chest and his eyes were injured, but not seriously. The hat Leydon was wearing was torn to tatters by the force of the . explosion, and the shirt was torn off his shoulders. Leydon was taken to the Hospital. He did not lose consciousness, bur. suffers from the shock. Blood came from his nose, ears, and month. His sight will probably nob suffer, bub his hearing is impaired. At the inquest on the little daughter of Mr. W. Foulds, of Hampden, Hawke's Bay, who was drowned the other day in a well, a verdicb of accidental death was returned. This case is a particularly sad one, as Mr. Foulds lost a little girl in the bush some few years ago, and the mystery of her disappearance has never been solved.

On September 1, ib is supposed, a man named Frank De Bowers, employed as a seaman on the Northern S.S. Company's steamer Glenelg, fell overboard ab Onehunga and was drowned. The night watchman heard some screams coming from between the s.s. Kanieri and the s.s. Glenelg, and immediately launched a boat and went in search, butt) could find no traces of the body. A report gained currency in Onehunga on Sept). 4 that a small boat had been seen floating bottom upwards, and on recovery of the boat it was found to be one occupied by two young men named Sam Brierly and Henry Wells. They were known to have left Awitu for Onehunga on September. 3 with a lead of kauri gum. An unfortunate incident occurred on the passage of the Mararoa from Sydney, namely, the death of a saloon passenger, named F. Brigham, on the morning of the 2nd Sept. He was in delicate health, and on a trip for the benefit of his health. Mr. Brigham took a fit Of coughing, and broke a blood vessel. Tha bedroom steward, Rous, informed the chief steward, Mr. Binsted, who ran to the unfortunate man's aid. He was standing up in his cabin, and the blood gushing from his nose and mouth, and was in the act of falling when Mr. Binsted caught him in his arms, and he died in a minuto or two. The body was brought into port. Deceased was second master of the East Christehurch School, and on sick leave. He leaves a young wife, but no family. An inquest on the body Was held on the 4th September. Dr. Gordon made the post mortem. After hearing the medical and other evidence, the jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased died from hemorrhage of the right lung. The body was placed in a leaden coffin and taken on to Christchurcb, where deceased's widow resides.

A painful accident occurred on the 2Sth August to Miss Annie Bartley, one of the employees of Messrs. Wrigglesworth and Binns, Quean-street. She was in the studio, and while dissolving some beeswax over a gas stove, poured in some turpentine, which at once caught fire. In trying to put the blaze out her clothing caught tire, and she ran downstairs. Her cries brought the manager, Mr. Hill, on the sccne, and he took prompt measures to suppress the flames. Dr. Lindsay was sent for, and soon was on the scene. On examination of the girl he found she was burned about the lower part of the body, but not seriously. Mr. Hill got slightly scorched about the arms in putting out the flames in the blazing dress of the girl. A sad fatality arising out of snowballing occurred near A trees School, nedin, on Sept. 3. George Henry, a lad aged 12 years, was proceeding towards school with a companion when a snowball was thrown at a passer-by. The latter, who carried a stick, ran after the boys in a threatening manuer. Henry, who was running backwards, slipped, falling on the tram line in front of the car, and before the car could be stopped the boy received injuries to the base of his skull, causing almost instant death. At the inquest a verdict of accidental death was returned.

Jane Douglas, aged 24, domestic servant, staying at the Star Hotel, Napier, apparently in the best of health, fell down in what was supposed to be a fainting fit soon after dinner. She was put to bed, and as she complained of acute pains in the region of the heart, medical assistance was sent for, but before a doctor had arrived she expired. It is supposed to be a case of heart disease. John McKibbin, a farmer, of Crown Terrace, Otago, shot himself at his residence on August 31. At present it is unknown whether the shooting was accidental or not.

George Kirk, a married shepherd on the Gwavas station, Hawke's Bay, left the station for the men's quarters on Sept. 2, but never arrived. His body was found in the creek next day. He is supposed to have met an accidental death. A sad fatality occurred at Home Bush, near Masterton, the other morning, when a little girl, aged 14 months, daughter of Mr. D. W. Cross, wandered away from the house, and falling in a creek near at hand, was drowned before she could be rescued.

A lighterman named Larry Morrison was drowned at Dunedin on Friday afternoon, the 10th August. He was sailing up the harbour, when the boom struck him and knocked him over. He appeared to sink at ohce. The driver of a 'bus passing reported the matter, and a boat was sent out, but failed to find any trace ot him. The body of Jonathan Auld, the mining agent, Reeftor., was found in the river on August 11. He was last seen ■on Thursday night, August 9, on his way home by the path along the river. He was an old resident and a member of the William Burns Masonic Lodge. A child named Ethel May Booker, two years' old, was drowned in a well close to its parents' residence at Burnside, Otago, on August 13. The child was missed for a few minutes, and was found floating in a well which , contained about four feet of water. All attempts to restore animation failed.

A young man named George Piper was stripping in a quarry at Weston, near Oamaru, on August 14, when his foot slipped, and he fell a distance of 30 feet. He received internal injuries, from which he died about a quarter of an hour after. He leaves a wife and two children. Peter Campbell, an old and muchrespected farmer, was killed at Christchurch on August 18, by his horse falling with him. McKay, a settler at M uetawai, near Catline, Otago, was killed through a tree falling on him. He only took up land at the beginning of the year. He leaves a wife and three children. - A human hand has been found on the Wellington beach, and in the vicinity is a quantity of wreckage, leaving no doubt that a small vessel has been wrecked, and that the crew have perished. Henry Topp, a farmer at Sefton, injured by a horse tramping on him on August 14, died on August 16. A man was pulled oub of the water insensible at Wellington on Aug. 17. He died shortly afterwards. His name is Entil. The body of a carter named Henry Burgess, was found floating in the Wellington harbour on August 21. The body had been in the water some days. A young man named Dunn, aged 18 years, was found drowned in a well at Tamatarau, Parua Bay, on August 10. Ib is believed he had. taken a fit, as he was subject to them. William Wilson, picture-framer, was found dead in a shooting gallery in Princes-street, Dunedin.

Mr. John Murray has isuued a circular to the shareholders of the Bank of JNew Zealand, recommending them to elect Mr. W. Booth, the Hou. W. Johnston, Mr. Moody, Mr. T. G. McCarthy, and Mr. R. H. Glyn as directors. Ho describes them as eminently qualified for the position. It is understood that Mr. Glyn only intends to act temporarily. On Sept. 1 at noon, at the National Bank of New Zealand, the tenders for the £11,900 required for the consolidation of the City Loan were opened by the bank manager, Mr. Dubhie, in the presence of the Mayor (Mr. *J. J. Holland), the Town Clerk (Mr. P. A. Philips) and the City Council Treasurer (Mr. Paine.) The "tenders were to be for debentures of £100 each, bearing interest ac five per cent. Between 40 and 50 tenders were received and the price offered ranged from par to £5 premium, the total, amount offered being £47,705, or over four i; times that required. The average price was £4 premium. Tenders over three pet cent, received allotment in full, and these ab three per cant, were allotted in the proportion of 50 per cent.