ACCIDENTS, ETC

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10084, 20 March 1896, Page 1 (Supplement)

ACCIDENTS, ETC

THREE LIVES LOST.

A boating accident occurred on the Lyttelton Estuary 011 Saturday morning, the 29th cf February, by which W. F. Warner {licensee of the Commercial Hotel, Christchurch), J. Murray (licensoo of the New Brighton Hotel), and Herbert Stewart, formerly an employee of the New Brighton Tram Company) lost their lives.

The accident happened about two a.m., tho boat which was being taken from Sumtier to New Brighton to compete in a sailing race in the afternoon, capsizing in a sudden gust of wind. Hawker, tho fourth occupant of tho boat, went for assistance, and got through the mudflats after a desperate struggle. When ho returned with help his companions had disappeared. Search for the bodies was kept up the whole day, and that of Murray was found about one a.m. on March 1. Warner's body has also been recovered, but up till late in the afternoon that of Stewart had not been found.

Warner was about 01 years of age, and had lived a somewhat adventurous life. In his youth he followed tho sea, coming to New Zealand in 1861. He purchased tho hotel now widely known by his name in 1873. He leaves a wife and a young family of three.

Murray also has a family, but Stewart was unmarried.

At tho inquesb on Warner and Murray the verdict was " Accidentally drowned by the upsetting of the yacht Waitangi." Tho body of F. H. Stewart was found on March 6.

Tho ketch Reliance, which left Wellington for Nelson on Friday afternoon, the '28th of Februrry, found tho northerly gale too strong for her and put back. In boating up the harbour she missed stays and got ashore at Hind Point near the lighthouse. Sho began to break up at once. The crew got safely aslioro. The National Insurance Company has a risk of £500 on tho cargo, of which £200 is ro-inaured in the Standard Company. The hull was sold for £17. The Reliance is very well known on the New Zealand coast, having been engaged in the coastal trado for some years. She was built on tho Huon River, Tasmania, in 1875, and after boing employed In the coastal trade of that colony for some years was sold in 1886 to Messrs. Cook and Hendry, of Lyttelton. Her dimensions are:— Length, 74'(5ffc: breadth, 19'7ft; depth, Bft; tonnage, 05. Our Kaukapakapa correspondent writes: —Two inquests wore held at Mr. Deacon's Hotel, Riverhead, on the 26th February, before Mr. R. Sinclair, coroner, and a jury of six, of whom Mr. Win. Major Holland was foreman. One was on un old man named John Buddie, a gumdiggor, who was digging for gum by the side of a creek near Lamb's dam, Riverhead. Ho had dug a hole 10 feet long, four feet wide, and nine feet deep, and while in the act of getting gum from the bottom on Februaay 24 the sides caved in and buried him. Death must have beeu almost instantaneous. He was quite alone. As he did nob come homo in tho evening search was made by those living near. Deceased was found buried beneath seven feet of earth. A verdict of " Accidentally killed by a fall of earth while searching for gum." Decoased was 72 yoars of age, unmarried, and no relatives in the colony. The otbor was on a man named John Davis who had been about Riverhead and Brighara's Creek for over 20 yoars. He was last seen alive on Mr. Deacon's verandah on the 22nd February, about eight o'clock. He was sober, but very despondent in spirits on account of the woman with whom he lived having left him. He was found on February 24 between eleven and twelve o'clock, considerably below high water mark, face downwards in the mud, noarly opposite the old mill. His punt was found some distance away, but not capsized. The jury returned a verdict of " Found drowned, but as to the circumstances attending the drowning there is no evidence to show." Deceased was a Welshmen, about GO years of age, and no relatives in tho colony. A fatal accident occurred at Thames, whereby a lad named Michael Moran was killed. It appears that at about half-past soven on Feb. 24, the lad who worked for Messrs. M. Browne and Co., of Albertstreet, was riding a horso, which he had just brought out of a paddock up Pollonstreet, whan it shied at a heap of dirt, throwing young Moran, who foil on the back of his head. 3e was conveyed in a card to the hospital, and as he was conscious, it was thought nothing sorious was the matter, but hemorrhage of the brain setting in, he died at four o'clock in the I afternoon. Moran, who was about: 18 years

of age, was much esteemed by numerous friends, and much sympathy is felt for his parents, in their bereavement. An inquest was on Feb. 25. After hearing the evidence of George Walker, milkman, who witnessed the accident, and of Dr. Williams, who, having held a post mortem examination, stated he attributed the cause of death to tho rupture of a blood vessel and pressure on the brain of a large clot of blood, the jury, without retiring, returned a verdict of " Accidental death."

Mr. John Stannard, a stockman, was rushed by a bullock at Johnsonville. He had three ribs broken, and was otherwise injured severely. The animal made most determined attempts to gore him, but fortunately the horns passed under his arras, and the bullock was at last driven off. Two onlookers were so scared that they fell off the fence of the stockyard, and one hurt himself badly, being unconscious for some hours.

An omnibus ran into a tramcar in Willisstreet, Wellington, and three young men who were standing on the footboard of the car received rather severe injuries. J. Dalziell (late of Dunedin), a clerk in the office of .Messrs. Stout, Mondy, and Sim, and W. Botell (late of Nelson), a clerk in Harcourt's office, each had a leg broken; while J. Paterson (brother of the well-known bookmaker), clerk in the New Zealand Express Company, had a foot smashed. Recently two sons of Mr. Brown, chief engineer of the s.s. Takapuna, were out shooting. During the afternoon they had occasion to pass through some tea-tree, and while doing so one of the guns which they carried suddenly went off. The charge entered the left hand of the one who was carrying tho gun, completely shattering four fingers.

Sarah Gavan, who was severely burned at Chatton Creek Hotel, Dunedin, on Feb. 28, died in the Clyde hospital. At Kaiapoi on March 3 a boy two years of ago, son of Thos, Wilson, was drowned in a tub of water.

A boy named Martin, the son of a fisherman, fell off Port Ahuriri bridge, Napier, while walking along the top of the rail, and was drowned.

A little girl named May Kelso was taken to the Palmerston Hospital on March Bth sufforing from burns received through hor nightdress catching alight at the fire. The child died about an hour after admission.

On March 11 the Hon. W. Jennings, M.L.C., was thrown from his horse in the Waitekauri district, and had two ribs broken, besides injuring a shoulder, one arm, and receiving a nasty out on one finger. He was driven into Paeroa, where his injuries were attended to by Dr. Forbes.

A lad named Scott Wilson, son of the master of the Mangatainoka School, saved a couple of children from drowning in the river on February 24. A fatal fire occurred at Ohaeawai on March 3rd by which an old Russell resident named John J. I'riar was so seriously burned that ho died on March 4. A man named Laurenson was drowned in the Te Kapo river on March 7. He was on horseback assisting a wool carter to get a six-horse team and empty waggon across the river, when it is supposed he became giddy and fell off his horse. He was seen by Jones, the carter, on tho horse motionless in tho middle of the river, and then the horse was riderless. Jones left the team and ran down the river, but failed to see his mate, and when he returned the waggon was capsized, and two horses drowned. The body was recovered later. An elderly man named Harry Simpson fell over a bank alongside a bridge near the Wanganui river, and was killed. Eaton Jones, miner, was killed by a fall of earth at Bald Hill Flat, Otago.

On March 7, while Miss Vercoe, third daughter of Mr. R. J. Vercoe, of Helensville, was in the act of melting some 'lees wax and turpentine, her clothes caught fire. There was nobody in the house save her youngest sister, Miss Nellie Vercoe, who tried to extinguish the fire by wrapping a coat around her ; but, that method failing, she carried her sister to the tank aud plunged her in, by which the fire was extinguished. The burns sustained are rather serious