ACCIDENTS, ETC

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11275, 19 January 1900, Page 2 (Supplement)

ACCIDENTS, ETC

A lamentable accident took place on Jan. 9 at half • past - seven in Hobson • street, nearly opposite Mr. Little's establishment,, by which a little boy, aged four years, son of Mr. Robinson, bciardinp;house-keeper, of Hobson-street, lost his life by being run over by a tramcar. A verdict of "Accidental death was returned at the inquest. On Wednesday, Jan. 3, Mr. Dawson, seed merchant, had a narrow escape of being drowned on the beach, Waitakerei, West Coast, not far from the place where young McLeod was drowned at Christinas,' 1898, which shows the danger of people going to tlio bays there without a guide familiar with the localities. Mr, Dawson was sitting on a rock watching some young men fishing, when a roller suddenly came in and swept him off the rock into the sea. fortunately ho was a swimmer, but was carried by the current and backwash to and fro between the mainland and a rocky islet some distance out. The young men, Messrs. Ussher, Ness and others, noticed the accident, and called out to him to keep his presence of mind, and they would do their best to rescue him. Their first fishing line thrown broke, but as lie was washed towards the mainland, they, after three attempts, succeeded in throwing him a fishing line, which he grasped, and was rescued. But for his being a swimmer be must have perished. Young McLeod was similarly swept oft' a rock by a roller and drowned. Mr. J. Stewart, J.P., of York Station, Croixelles Harbour, came into Nelson on Jan 2, having walked overland and joined the coach at Wnngamoa. He reports that about eleven o'clock on Monday morning, James Kellor (aged 28), his wifo (ayed'2o). and Lewis Stewart (aged 26), left Kellor Bay at the head of Croixelles Harbour, in an open boat for Mr. W. J. Stewart's, where they intended having dinner and to spend the rest of the day. A heavy south-wester was blowing, and when α-quartcr of a mile from land the squall upturned the boat, which sank. Kellor never moved, neither he nor Mrs. Kellor being able to swim. Mrs. Kellor struggled, and Stewart caught hold of her and tried to low her sliorewards, but she made a frantic struggle to get towards h'er husband, and implored to be allowed to go to him. Stewart was fully clothed to the boots and only a, moderate swimmer. He hung on to the woman till he believed that she was

drowned, when he was much exhausted, and tried to swim ashore, which he could not have done but for picking up a piece of the stern sheets. Stewart is a brother of Charles Stewart, of Fiteroy Bay, Pelorous Sound, who was drowned about a fortnight before. The Kellors had been married eight months onlv.

Shortly after three o'clock on December 31 a man named Wm. Bartley, a wharf labourer, residing at Mrs. Smith's boardinghouse, Chapel-street, reported to the police that a man named John McDerinott, a fisherman, had been drowned off the embank, raent, near the Railway Wharf. Bartley. who, it appears, was the only witness of the accident, states that he was walking along the embankment at the north end of Mr. J. J. Craig's large shed, when he saw McDermott standing by himself there. He did not speak to him, and while engaged in looking for a minute or two ii? an opposite direction ho heard a scream, and on looking round saw McDermott fall on the slope of the embankment and roll into the water, and disappear in the waves. He (Bartley) ran to the spot, and saw the man rise to the surface, but as he could not swim he could do nothing towards McDermott's rescue. He gave the alarm, but before help came the drowning man bad disappeared from view. Subsequently some boats arrived on the scene and commenced dragging operations, which resulted successfully. Deceased leaves some brothers and a sister, residing in this city. His parents are said to be dead. At the inquest on Jan. 1 the jury returned a verdict to the effect that " the deceased was accidentally drowned while suffering from a fit." One of the most singular fatalities which has occurred in Auckland for years past took place early on Saturday, Dec. 23, to a man named John Davies, a carpenter, aged 46 years. It appears that he was found at two o'clock on Saturday morning in his residence, Union-st., with his neck broken, the result, apparently, of falling downstairs. At the inquest, the jury returned a verdict! of "Accidental death." Davies leaves a widow and large family. What is believed to be a fatal accident is reported from Pomohak*. A buggy was seen to capsize when crossing the ford at Maxwell's, and the occupants, a man and a woman, believed to be Mr. and Mrs, Eskdale, from the fact that it was Eskdale's buggy, were thrown into the river, which is swift at the place. A search was made, but the bodies, so far;-have not been recovered. A man named Peter Anderson was found drowned in a pond at Ngapara on Sunday, It is supposed to be a case of unrequited affection. An infant named Marsden Amos, 14 yean old, was burned to death at Newman, through his clothes catching alight from an open stove. Mrs. Ramsay, wife of the manager of the Onrawera Gold" Mining Company, at Round Hill, died after the administration of chloroform in a dentistry in Invercargill. A medical man was present. Deceased leaves several children. At the inquest the jury found deceased died from the influence of chloroform properly administered, all precautions being taken, and proper efforts made to restore animation, no blame being attachable to any person. Thomas Pennell, son of a butcher at Kaitangata, has died from injuries received through his horse bolting. He was riding out for orders, when his horse apparently took fright, and bolted alongside the train. Ho either fell or was thrown off, and his coat became entangled with the brake of one of the waggons. He was dragged about 50ft before the train pulled up. He was badly injured about the head. He met his death on his 29th birthday. On Thursday morning, at the slaughterhouse of Messrs. Hellaby Brothers, Richmond, a man named James Craig, residing in Vine-street, Ponsonby, was accidentally killed. He was working at the bottom of a well, and a bucket;, which was being lowered, slipped from the hook, and struck him on the head, breaking the skull. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict of " Accidental death," A man named J. C. Conway, while coming down from Kaikoura, in the steamer Wαkiitu, to the Christchurch Hospital, suffering from a broken leg, died on board the boat on January 3. A distressing boating accident took place at Limestone Island, on Thursday, Jan. 4, by which Mr. W. H. Hewlett, of Mangapai, lost his life. He was on his way to Whangarei in a small boat when it capsized, throwing him into the water. The accident was noticed by Mrs. Hewlett from the house, which is at a distance, and a pon got out another boat, but before he reached the scene of the accident his father had sunk. On the body being recovered a line from the sheet was found fastened round Mr. Hewlett's wrist. It is conjectured that ho was holding the rope when a squall struck the boat, and before he could ease the sail the boat went over. On Saturday, Jan. 6, about halli-past six o clock, an able seaman of the s.s. 'Star of Victoria, named Arthur William Headley, 33 years of age, was accidentally killed while in a state of intoxication, by falling over the gangway guard-ropes, and fracturing his skull, by striking the aide of the ship, and then the wharf stringers, with great force. An inquest was held on Jan. 7 at Gleeson's Hotel, before Mr. Thomas Hutchison. S.M. Tho jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death, and that no blame was attachable to anyone." A daughter of Mr. Hough, farmer, Crookston, was shot through the heart with a rifle on Dec 22. Whilst making her brother'.* bed, a loaded rifle, left in the room, exploded and killed her. The bullet, after passing through her body, was found embedded in the ceiling. At the inquest a verdict of accidental death was returned. A sad accident, happened at Pokeno on Friday, tho 22nd inst., by which Winifred Ursule Walsh, aged two years, met her death by drowning. At the inquest held on Saturday before Mr. J. P. Ewing, J.P., it. appeared that deceased followed her elder sister, who was sent for water, to the creek, and, not returning, a search was made, with tho result that she was found floating in about 3ft of water. All efforts to restore animation were useless. Information was received at Dnnedin on Dec. 27 that a man named Swan had been drowned near the Heads. He was I going oft' to a yacht in a dingey with two others, when the boat swamped, Soma fishermen picked up the two others, but [ bwaii was drowned.

Our Rotorua correspondent accident, attended by fatal results, W pened to a young Maori woman nanied Boka te Amohau, on Sunday, December 17 When walking along the beach near tlm Oliinemutu pa, she stumbled into a boiling • hole, and was scalded up to the waist. She was at once extricated, but succumbed to her injuries on December 21. Harry Erith, formerly custodian of the Masonic Hall, Wellington, fell in a fit and struck his head on a kerb, inflicting a severe wound, from the effects of which he died. An elderly man named J. Kellick, plumber fell down the steps of the Hereford Hotel dive, at Christchurch, receiving injuries to his head. He was sent 'to the hogpiJJM in the ambulance van. The doctors thera said nothing serious was the matter, and sent the man to the lockup He was found dead in the cell at five o'clock on Sunday moraine An inquest was held on Dec. 25. Dr. Svuies who made the post-mortem, said there \va< a wound ljin Ion;' through the scab tc the bone, but no fracture of the skull, "ifo brain showed chronic alcoholism, mid the man must have died whatever attention he had received. A verdict of death from compression of the brain through a f a l! aided by constant drinking, was returned a rider being added that all attention was paid to the man. Private information has been received that tne wife of Mr. D. Wilson, stationmaster at Ormondville, Hawke's Bay, was drowned while attempting to cross a stream in company with her niece. On December 21 some boys named Cowley and others, and a hoy named Smith, were playing in Ponsonby at soldiers, with wooden guns. In a charge the boy Smith got a severe blow with one of the guns in the stomach He was taken home to the residence of hja father, Mr. Jesse Smith, Bulwer-street, l'on. sonby. Dr. Knight was called in, but peritonitis had set in, and the little fellow n boy of 11 years of age, succumbed to his 'i tl . juries on December 24. There was no bad feeliii" between the lads, the whole affair bi"n(t purely accidental. The deceased, be. fore his death, explained how the affair occurred. At the inquest, which was held by Mr. E. Baker, coroner, a boy named Cowley, who accidentally hit the deceased, tlio mother of deceased," and Dr. Knight pave evidence. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death." Peter D. Ho;;;;, a well-known resident of Wamranui. was found <bm] <m 1i,.,. 07 :.

vTHiiganui) was lounu dead on Dec. 27 inside the door of his residence. It r.ppearj that deceased entered (lie house on Dec, 26 without a light, and fell against the table, striking the back of his head, and rupturine a blood vessel. His wife and family ttero away on a holiday. Deceased was formerly a borough councillor. A shocking accident occurred in Pitzberbert district on January 9, resulting in the death of a youth named Archie Cameron. A party of about 16 young people -were pro', eeeding from Palmerston to the residence of a settler in Filzherbert district to spend tho evening, ond, when four mile from town, the brake, while descending a sharp hill, was carried over the sido and down into a steep gully through one of the horsee swerving. Tho drop was fully 30ft, and it is marvellous how so many escaped being killed. One young lady," Miss Cameron, sister of the youth killed, is still unconscious. Miss Cliristensen sustained dislocation of the thigh, Miss Jack badly bruised about the back and leu, evidently kicked by the horses. Master Jack pulled a girl off the brake just as it was capsizing. Others sustained minor injuries. Cameron's mother is ci widow, residing in Palmerston. An inquest was held at tho Thainei on Monday, the 15th of Jan. into the circumstances attending the death of the four-< months-old son of Mr. Henry Kerby, of Richmond - street, whoso death took place on Saturday, tho 13th of Jan. From the evidence adduced, it was shown, that the mother of the child ate some- cheese for her tea on Friday evening, and during the night the child partook of the milk from her breast on three cr four occasions. Early in the morning lh& child appeared to be very ill, and as it obtained no relief from some brandy and water, and afterwards a little castor oil, that was administered to it, Dr. Bond was sent for. The latter prescribed for tha child, but towards the evening its skin became covered with purple blotches, and at 8 o'clock it died. The doctor stated that he made a post-mortem examination of the body this morning. He found indications of peritonitis, which had been caused by the milk taken from the mother. He was satisfied that the child died from ptomaine poisoning, as there was no other way of accounting for its illness. The jury returned a verdict to that effect. _ A smash up occurred on the Mangaehu aide of Turakina Hill at eight p.m. on January 14. A spring trap containing Mr. Moran (railway ganger), his married daughter (Mrs. Tyson), of Napier, and her two younger sisters, girls of 15 and 12, two younger children, and Mrs. Ronald Cameron, of Fordell, were coming up the lull, when the horse took fright at an approaching vehicle"? lights, swerved round, and backed the trap over a steep incline, the trap turning over in the descent. Assistance was quickly procured from Wangaehu and Turakina, The injured people were conveyed home to t lie latter place. Young Miss'Moran, 15 yean of age, had evidently received serious injuries. Though conscious she was suffering severe pain, and was carried on a roughly improvised stretcher some three miles, when she succumbed to her injuries at midnight, before medical assistance from Marton arrived, though the same would have been of no avail. None of the others were seriously injured, although Mrs. Tyson got a very severe shaking. The horse had his fetlock broken, but the trap, a heavy spring one, was uninjured. The news received at Thames on Jan. 1 1 announcing that Mr. Ronald McDonald had been kdled by a fall of earth in the Wailii Company's mine evoked great smvpatlij for the widow and family. The deceased, who was one of the pioneers of this goldfield, was a native of Prince Edward Island, and came to the Thames more than 30 years ago. He was engaged in mining, and occupied the position of manager of 'the Old Queen oi Beauty, Golden Calf, and North Star mines in succession. He was 60 years of age, and leaves a wdow and family of eight \n inquest was held on Jan." 12. After hearing the evidence the jury returned the verdict, Ihat deceased met his death by shock (caused by a fail of earth)." t Frank Wilson, aged eight, went out fish ing at Otaki and was not seen again alive. The body was found in Lake Takapau. A lad, about 12 years of age, was accidentally killed on the Wellington Railway Wharf, being crushed under the wheels of a coal-laden waggon. It is not known how the accident happened. A telegram from Dunedin states:—Tha body of a young man, named Nicholas bwan, drowned on the 27th ult,, while going to a yacht, was found on Sunday, much decompo?ed. At the inquest a verdict of accidental death was returned. The evidence showed that deceased stood up in a small boat, though told not to. and she capsized. Ho was a strong swimmer, and appeared to be going strongly, when he suddenly sank. Sydney Goodwin, a porter at Napier station,' but until recently platelayer at Hunterville, while engaged in shunting on Jan. 15, fell on the line, two trucks passed over him, cutting off one leg above the knee, the leg was amputated. Goodwin was sent to the hospital, but little hope was held out of his recovery. He has a wife and one child now in Wnnganui. Goodwin succumbed to his injuries during the night of January 15. Some rattier sensational stories having gained currency, Mr. Cresswell, solicitor, attended the inquest on behalf of the relatives, and cross-examined witnesses, but tlio evidence showed that the affair was purely accidental, due to deceased wearing boots with nails, which slipped on the rails. The jury found that no one was to blame. On Monday. Jan. 15, Mr. Oliver Bainbridge, tlio raconteur, who gave some lectures in Auckland a few months ago, met with ii serious accident while on a visit to Otahnhu. He was visiting the residence of Mr Nichols, on the farm known as Muttons farm, which is situate between the Great South Road and the Tamaki River. J In the course of conversation, Mrs. Nichols ! was mentioning the fact that the weasels were playing havoc with her poultry. Mr. liainbndge said he had a revolver, and would shoot some of them. He had shot one, and was clambering up a bank to get to some wattle, when he slipped, and fell, the loaded revolver exploding by the concussion. The bullet penetrated' his chest, just missing his heart, and came out at the back. The children, noticing the snioka of the revolver, went down to the place, and found Mr. Bainbridge lying on the ground injured. They gave the alarm to their mother, and steps were taken to send ' for Dr. Rowley, who attended to the sufferer, [aad ordered his removal to the liosnita],.