ACCIDENT ON THE SONOMA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12545, 12 April 1904, Page 5

ACCIDENT ON THE SONOMA.

MAN LOSES HIS LEG.

A shdck.jn'o accident happened on the s.s. Sonoma in port yesterday afternoon, by which a seaman named John Hopkins, aged 26, lost his leg. The vessel was in the harbour at the time drawing up to her berth at Queen-street Wharf. Hopkins, whose duties consist of assisting the baggage master, went down to stop a. winch, which had started working on the main deck, near the baggageroom. How the winch started of itself is not quite clear, but Hopkins went down to shut off the steam and bring the machine to a stop. Almost immediately afterwards a scream was heard, unci one of the stewards rushed to ascertain the cause. He found Hopkins lying 011 the deck, his leg ail torn and bleeding terribly. He was endeavouring to drag himself from the winch. When the steward went to bis assistance he cried, " Don't touch me; call the doctor." Dr. H. J. MoNulty, tho ship's surgeon, hurried along in response to the summons, and at onco realised that Hopkins was very seriously hurt, lie attended to his injuries, which were found to be very grave, the flesh being torn from the leg and the bones crushed. Thfc ambulance was sent for, and Di. McNulty went, with the injured man to the hospital. Here Hopkins' leg was amputated last evening, as it was fuiiud impossible to save it, and he now lies in a very critical condition. Dr. McNulty learned that Hopkins, who was quite alone when the accident happened, leant over the winch foi the lever operating the stopping and starting gear, and put his foot upon one of the drums. He slipped, it would seem, and then his loot was caught in the eccentrics and his leg was drawn in between them and the dram. He dragged himself free by a rope which was hanging above him, and got away from the winch, but. not until he had been terribly mauled. He never lost consciousness, and bore his shocking injuries most heroically, and so he comported himself at the hospital.

A touching little incident iu connection with the affair was the way the rough, but tender-hearted seamen, the doctor's consent being first obtained, gathered round flopkins when ha was being removed from the ship to the hospital. They spoke words of encouragement and cheer, ami shook him gently by the hand, while they were obviously moved by the suffering which he was enduring so bravely. Hopkins, who had gone from New Orleans to South Africa with horses, saw something of the war, and then went to Australia, where ho joined the Sonoma at Sydney, working bis passage over to San Francisco. His worth was realised on tho ship going over, and when he arrived at San Francisco ho was given the option of goiu«j on the ship's articles. Ha accepted, and lias been on the vessel ever since. This was two years ago, and he ha? made, many friends among tho ship's personnel by his steady and reliable conduct.