ACCIDENTS, ETC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9990, 29 November 1895, Page 1 (Supplement)

ACCIDENTS, ETC.

A painful accident occurred ab Pakuranga on tho 19th of November, about four o'clock. It appears that two or three children of Mr. Edward Fitzpatrick, in the absence of their mother, were playing near the fire, when tho clothes of one of them, about six years of age, took fire. The child was almost immediately envoloped in flames, and was severely burned all over the body. The child was removed to tho Hospital, where it died tho following day, An inquest was held on Nov. 21 when a verdict of occidental death was returned. A boy, two and a-half years old, named Robert Oliver Pringle, son of an employee on' the drainago works at Petone, was killed on Nov. 9, Io appeals ho was playing about the drain, which was being opened up, and by some means got in tho way of a pickaxe being used by ono of tho men, which crushed through his skull, causing almost instantaneous death. At tho inquest a verdict of " Accidental Death." Patrick Ilealy said he did not see the child until ib was lying botweon his feet with the pick in its head, and thero was nothing previous to that to attract his attention to it.

A bathing fatality occurred at Nolson on Nov. 8. A 14-yoar-old daughter of Mr. Harris, with a younger child, went to bathe in tho Maicai River, which was slightly swollen and discoloured by recent rain. Tho girl, who could only swim a few strokes, appears to have got oub of her depth and became flurried. On hor sinking the child ran for assistance, which was obtained, but when the body, which was carried down the stream into 12 feet of water, was recovered, lifo was extinct. The holiday at Blenheim oil Monday, the lltli of November, was marred by an unfortunate trap accidcnt, which occurred on the Awatero Road, and resulted in the death of John Whitling.an old resident, and causing such injuries to Richard Matthews, an expressman, that his life is despaired of. Tho trap capsized at a dangerous angle on the road, and the occupants were precipitated into a creek. Whitling had his neck and an arm broken, and Matthews received concussion of tho brain and internal injuries. Saunders, who was with the party, gob out previously, preferring to walk over the dangerous spot. A distressing death through misadventure occurred at Mafoura. Mrs. Martin Maley had beon rubbing her 18-months-old boy with painkiller, and set tho bottle down. The child picked ib up, and going to the cradle, poured its contents into the mouth of a seven-weeks-old infant, causing spasms and inflammation of the lungs, from which the child died. A fatal accident occurred ab Marton on Nov. 12, on Mr. T. H. Bredin's property, near Rata, the other side of tho Rangitikei River. Two brothers were fencing on the cliff overlooking the river, and R. Bredin, who was standing on the edge, slipped down the cliff. The body was discovered on November 14, ten feet back from the water's edge, and four foot below the surface of the slip. A man named W. Willoughby, a carpenter, Napier, attempted to cross tho line in front of the late train from Danevirke. He was knocked down and very soriously injured. Ho was removed to the hospital where he diod in a few hours: A verdict in accordance with the evidence _ was returned, the driver of the train being exonerated from all blame. Mrs. Jessie Shorb, of Palmerston North, a patient in the hospital, died under chloroform, administered while undergoing an operation for an internal complaint. Four medical gentlemen were present. A young man named Herbert Reihards, aged 22, was killed while bmh-felling near Titorangi on November 22, ,

A few days ago, a young man named Frank Bennetb was riding in Brighton Road, Parnell, when he ran against a cart. One of his legs was severely crushed, although there was no cut, nor were any of tho bones broken. On Nov. 18 howover, symptoms of tetanus set in, and he was taken to the Hospital. The jaws were firmly Bet, and death took place 011 the 19th. A child, aged ten months, the daughter of Mr. Jas. O'Connor, farmer of Pukekohe, was drowned on Nov. 7 by falling into a boiler containing but a few inches of water. Ab the time of the accident the mother was washing and the father at work in an adjoining paddock. An inquest was held on November 8. After taking tho evidence /of tho parents, the jury found a verdict of "Accidental death, deceased being drowned in a boiler containing two inches of. water, and that no blame was ttributuble to.anyone." By a boat 'accident ab Macandrew's Bay, Dunedin, two young men were drowned, Claude Peacocke, aged 18, who is in the Custom - house, and William Fiddos, about 20 years of ago, son of a painter in South Dunedin, were out in a boat with another young man. Peacock and Fiddes were drowned, bub the other managed to escape. The body of Fiddes was discovered in the Dunedin harbour on the 23rd November. At the inquest tho jury returned a verdict of "Found drowned." The body of Claude Peacock, the second victim, has also been recovered, On November Ist a seaman belonging to the ship Rathdown noticed the dead body of a man floating off the No. 2 jetty, and informed the police. Constablo Jones went and secured it, and removed it to tho morgue. The body was identified as that of Hugh Macfarlane, late chief officer of the brigantine Stanley. Ib appears lie had been staying at the Sailor's Home, but hadnot been there since tho 23rd Oct. As the body is greatly decomposed, it is supposed he was drowned at the time lie disappeared from the Sailors' Home. An the inquest, held on November 2, nothing was adduced to show how deceased came by his death, and the jury returned an open verdict of "Found drowned." During the voyage of the barquoKathleen Hilda, which arrived from Newcastle on November 13th, the second mate, Ellis Thomas Tree, was washed overboard and drowned. Captain M. McKenzie, the master of the vessel, states that on the night of tho 3rd instant, Tree was standing on the rail, inside the rigging, attending to the mainsail, when a heavy sea broke on board, carrying him overboard. A lifebuoy was thrown over, and the ship put up into the wind at once, but there was too high a sea running to lower a boat. Tacked ship, and tailed backwards and forwards over the spot where Tree was washed overboard, for two hours, but nothing was seen of the unfortunato man. The night was very dark, and it was raining very heavily at the tiino of tho occurrence, the ship travelling at the rate of about 6J knots. Two other men were close to Tree at tho time tho sea broke on board, one of whom was knocked down and washed about the deck, but escaped with a few bruises. Tree was a native of Adelaide, and was about 43 years of age. 11. Kilpatrick, an old resident of Gore, was run over by a four-horse waggon on Noverabor 23, and died before medical assistance was available. Henry Mackley, aged 20, clerk at the Frozen Meat Company's Wallacetown works, was drowned on tho 2nd of Nov. in the estuary. A party had been out rowing, and on their return to the shed went into the river to bathe. Mackley turned down the stream, the others up, and he was seen no more alive, the body being recovered about two hours later. Deceased was an indifferent swimmer. P. Matthew, Oamaru, was found crushed to death by a fall of earth in a coal mine at Otepopo. Ho had evidently been dead some days. He leaves a wife and family in South Dunedin. A littlo boy, three years old, the' son of T. C. Gray, butcher, Christchurch, died on Monday, the 4th of November u from the effects of scalds received through falling into a bath of boiling water. Ati accident, which resulted in the death of a young woman, happened ab the Christchurch Railway Station on Nov. 17. On arrival of the 9.45 train from Lyttelton, the porter heard the screams of a woman from under the second carriage. The train came I to a standstill in a few yards, and a young woman was found lying on tho rails. When lifted up she was evidently dying, and expired in a few moments. Sho was terribly mangled, tho upper part of her body and arms being crushed, and the lower part of her face disfigured. Apparently, no one saw her fall, but it is supposed she was on the rear platform of the first carriage, and either attempted to get off or fell before the train stopped. Tho body has been identified as that of Margaret Martigau, aged IS, a domestic servant living in Stone's board-ing-house. Hugh Murray, the miner who was hurt in the Try Fluko mine on Nov. 15, died from the effects of his injuries on November 16. Ho was an old Kuaotunu resident and was very highly respected. An inquest was held, when a verdict of " Accidental Death" was returned.

Thomas Monaghan was drowned on Wot. 15, off Inch Clutha, Otago. An old man named O'Shea, a carpenter, met a horrible death at Tokaanu, on Nov. 17, by falling into a boiling hole. During the voyago of the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company's ship Taranaki from London to Port Chalmers, Arthur B. Holmes, senior apprentice, who was acting as third mate, fell from tho starboard mizMii rigging, and was drowned,