ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15168, 6 December 1912, Page 8

ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS

SAD DROWNING FATALITY. AN AUCKLAND FOOTBALLER. LOST OVERBOARD FROM STEAMER. [BY. TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] DaRGAVILLB, Thursday. There was a tragic ending to the opening of the Dargavill© Bowling Club's season yesterday. A party of Auckland bowlers came by tho steamer Tangihua, which was specially chartered for their convenience. After they had been entertained last night by the local club, the Aucklanders started on tho return journey after 10 o'clock. Six miles from the Heads, one of them, Mr. Roddy McGregor, the well-known footballer, who had remained on deck when the others went below, was missed, having apparently gone overboard. No trace of tho missing man could be found. Tho steamer put back to Aratapu, and the party went on by the Aotea this morning.

DECEASED LAST SEEN ASLEEP.

• AN UNSUCCESSFUL SEARCH.

A member of the bowling party, who returned to Auckland last night, said that none of the party could give any definite particulars of the fatality. It appeared that McGregor did not retire so early as tho others, but went to look for the skipper of the boat, an old friend of his, to have a chat. Finding that the skipper was not at the wheel McGregor lay down on the deck, where he soon fell asleep. About 130 a.m. ho was seen asleep on the deck, and as he was naturally very tired no effort was made to wake him. About twenty minutes later he had disappeared. The boat immediately hove-to when it was found that he was missing, and remained in the vicinity for about four hours, as it was thought he may have fallen overboard and swum to the shore ; he was a powerful swimmer. The boat then put back, and yesterday a search party,. headed by Mr. Rankin, a member oPlhe bowling party, went out to the scene in a launch, but were unable to find any trace of the missing man. The general idea of McGregor's comrades was that he must have rolled down the deck and struck his head against the railing, rendering him unconscious. The tragedy cast a great glOom over the whole party. The late Mr. McGregor was very well known in sporting circles, and was highly popular. He wa3 a native of Auckland, and was the son of Mr. Charles McGregor, who was for many years in charge of the road works for the City Council. Deceased, who was a little over 30 years of age, was ■by profession a landscape gardener, and lately had been superintending the laying out of a number of greens in and about Auckland. One of these grounds, that at Takapuna, is to be opened to-morrow. The late Mr. McGregor first came into prominence in the sporting world as a footballer. He was playing for the Grafton senior fifteen when a little over 16 years of age. Ho was chosen to represent the province in the forwards in 1900 and 1901, but at the end of tho latter season Tetired from active football. Some few years ago ,he joined the Carlton Bowling Club and soon became one of the club's best players, proving very successful as a tournament player. He was for some time severely troubkd with rheumatics,'but latterly he recovered, and a few days ago was heard to remark that he never felt better in his life. His death came as a great blow to his parents, who are both of somewhat advanced ago.

BBEWEBY EMPLOYEE'S SAD PATE. FOUND DEAD IN A VAT. [BY TELEGRAPH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CnniSTcmjncH, Thursday. A fatal accident occurred to-day at the Union Brewery, Bath-street, the victim being a young man named John Whitman Gray, 23 years of age, who resided with his pare'nta at Sandyford-street, Sydenham, According to the statement made to the police it was Gray's duty to clean out the vats by playing on them with hot water from the side, so as to rid them of gas. At 1.15 p.m. another employee, Victor Tolcher, found deceased face downwards in the bottom of a vat, with the hot water still running. When the body was found there was no evidence of fumes, but appearances pointed to death being duo to suffocation. A doctor was called in and pronounced life to be extinct, and the. body was removed to the morgue. Deceased was last seen alive by Colcher-at 12-5 p.m., when he was in good health and spirits. It is supposed that he was overcome by tho gases and fell into th* vat, being scalded by the hot Water

REMARKABLE MISHAP. STRUCK BY A BICYCLE PEDAL. ["JBT TEI.y.CBAPU.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] TiMAp.tr, Thursday. A remarkable and ."eriovw accident marred tho cycle toad race of the Temuka Caledonian Society this afternoon. An eager crowd near tho winning post formed a narrow lane for the riders. Mr George Ward, tho president of the society, who was in the front of the line, dropped his pencil. He stooped to pick it up, and before he recovered himself a rider came along at a rate of probably twenty-five miles an hour, and a pedal of his machine struck Ward on tho side of the head. He foil unconscious and bleeding from the mouth, nose, and ears. The injured man was conveyed to tho hospital, where ho lies in a critical condition.. The cyclist was thrown, but escaped unhurt.