ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1213, 31 May 1895, Page 31

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

An inquest on the body of the tram driver George Newman, who died from injuries received by falling off a tram-car on Saturday evening, was held on May 22 before Mr Ashcroft, Coroner, and a jury of which Mr A. B. Wilton was foreman. The driver and conductor of the car both stated that deceased appeared to fall off the car, and concurred in the belief that the wheels did not go over him. Dr Tripe, who had made a, post-mortem examination of the body, said he found two slight marks on the left side of the forehead. On opening the chest he found four ribs broken on the left side, and pleurisy and congestion of the left lung. One of the broken ribs would have pressed on the lung, but did ■ not lacerate it. He thought the cause of death was pleurisy and congestion of the lung as the result of the broken ribs. He thought the injury to the ribs was quite .sufficient to account for the state of the pleura and the lung. He did not think the wheel of the car jmssed over him. Dr Ewart agreed with the cause of death assigned by Dr Tripe. After hearing other evidence, the jary returned a verdict of accidental death. During a heavy gale which raged at Gisbome, the schooner Spray, from Mercury Bay, Auckland, went ashore. The waves broke clean over her/and the rescue of the crew was very exciting. A young man named ' Frederick Lowndes bravely swam through the surf to the vessel, carrying a line. This was secured, but the crow did not venture to come through the surf by means of it, fearing for the captain, who is an old man and feeble. They launched a boat, and the captain and one sailor got into it, and were safely hauled ashore. The boat then put out with three shore hands and secured the remaining two sailors, but in returning capsized. The cook of the Spray becom ng entangled in the lines was rolled under ii.ua boat several times, and only, rescued with great difficulty, being brought ashore insensible. It is expected the schooaor will be prot off safely. Both vessel and cargo are uninsured. ' .

The young woman Madge Robertson, who was arrested on, Wednesday night on a charge of attempting to commit suicide by throwing herself in the harbour, has been remanded for a week for treatment. The Picton Press reports a severe accident to Mr J. Maeindoe, third mate of the barque Rangitikei. He was attending.to the shipping of cargo when he slipped and fell down the fore hatch. His face and side were severely bruised, and one of his wrists sprained, and ho was unconscious for a time. He was taken to the hospital. A cottage owned and occupied by Mrs Corkery, near Bunuythorpe, was destroyed by fire on Saturday morning. Mrs Corkery was absent in Wellington. The building was insured for iSSO in the Phcenix office. A man namod William Connall, aged about 60, living on the Palmeraton side of the Oroua River, was found drowned on Monday morning in that river> a quarter of a mile from. Awahuri. Ho was last seen on Saturday night at 11 o'clock, and was then going in the direction of the Oroua. Connall was all through the first of the Maori war, and was present at the siege of Orakau. / A boy named Alfred Wright, who lives with his parents in Hanson street, was acshot by another boy named Chas. Dbrner at Cape Torawhiti on Saturday afternoon last. The boys were out shooting, and a pea rifle which Dorner was handling accidentally exploded, the bullet passing through Wright's hand. He was taken to the Hospital, where, the injury was attended to by Dr Ewart, who i does not regard the wound as of a serious ' nature. }

The football accident by which Mr Henry McLean, son of Mr George McLean, of Hawera, "was injured occurred, during the Rivals - Inglewood match. McLean came, into collision with an Inglewood man, and fell with his head under him, several players falling on him. McLean remained on the ground after the others had got iip, and it was found that be could not move his bead, and was apparently very much hurt. The lower limb 3 were found to bo devoid of feeling, and the neck was badly bruised. A slight improvement has since manifested itself. Mr Henry McLean is a great favourite, and the accident is deeply regretted. Auckland, May 22.

The small steamer Waitoa, trading to Wairoa South, struck a rock at Buckland Point, at the entrance to the j Tamaki River last night, and was for a time in a dangerous position, making a good deal o±\water, bat was refloated at high water, with but little injury. : : ./■.;;"' M The passengers were landed safely. The dwelling-house of Mr T. B. Smith, at Birkenhead, was struck by a whirlwind yesterday. Part of the iron roof was carried fully two miles to seaward, the front verandah was ripped off and lifted right over the house, and the other verandah was also lifted away. The members of the family were at dinner when this occurred, but none were injured.

Dunedin, May 23. The body of Henry Halliday was found in a dam at Ross and Glendining's woollen mills, Kaikorai. Deceased, who -*vas at one time working in the mills, had been missing for a week. Dunedin, May 24. At the inquest on the body of Henry Halliday, a dyer, found drowned in a dam at the Roslyn Woollen Mills, a verdict of found drowned.was returned. Deceased, who had been discharged, had been low

spirited, but there is a possibility that he may have fallen into the dam. Napier, May 23.

As the express train was steaming into Napier station last night the engine came in contact with a large stone which had been placed on the rails neartha gasworks, severely shaking the engine and breaking the cross brake-shaft which connects with the steam brake, also doing other slight damage to the machinery. It is a marvel how the engine was not thrown off the rails. The matter was placed in the hands of the police, and this morning Detective Kirby arrested a youth named Adam Crowe, who is charged with having committed the act. Napier, May 27. A few days ago the express train had a narrow escape from being derailed within the town limits through a large stone having been placed on the line. As it was, the cowcatcher threw the stone on one side, and the only damage was the smashing of the engine's brake gear. As the result of enquiry Detective Kirby arrested Adam Crowe, a lad of 10, who confessed to having put a stone on the line. The boy was charged at the Magistrate's Court this morning, but when he saw the stone in Court he at once said it was not the one he put on the line, but a very much larger one. He was acquitted. Masterton, May 23.

A man named J. C. v R. Lee was thrown from his horse at Lower Taueru and had two ribs fractured, besides being severely shaken. New Plymouth, May 25. A young man named Grey Eraser was out shooting hares at Xaraka, near Waitara, with a Maori, when the latter fired at an animal just as Eraser was coming out of the bush Avhere the hare was seen, and the charge went full in Eraser's chest. The young man is in a precarious condition. \Hawera, May 25. In a football match yesterday, Henry McLean, son of Mr George McLean, a wellknown settler, received what appears to be a serious injury to the spine through a fall. ' Hawera, May 27. A young man named Norton fractured his leg when playing football at Otakeho. Dunedin, May 25. McLcod, a shepherd employed by Boyd Bros., sheepfarmers, at Taieri, has been killed through a buggy accident at Lovell's Flat. iNVERCAuaii-ro May 25. The drowning of Miss May Smith, head mistress of the Middle School, to-day, has caused a profound sensation, the lady, who was the daughter of the late Mr J. G. Smith, secretary of the Education Board, being greatly respected. This morning she was bright and cheerful, and left home for a walk, saying- that she would call on her married sister when out. She did not do so, and her body was found in a pool of the Yv'aihopai shortly after noon.

Nothing ■ is known that was disturbing her mentally. For somo time she had been troubled with her ear and with a singing noise in the head, and it is possible that a sudden pain caused a paroxysm which temporarily bereft her of reason. Miss Smith, who was 36 years old, was of singularly amiable disposition. The first intimation of her death was the finding of her hat, boa and gloves On the river bank by boys. Christchurch, May 25.

Mr C. W. Potter, stationmaster at Prebbleton, while engaged shunting this morning, had his foot caught in the points, and being unable to extricate it, was run over by a waggon, the wheels of which passed over his leg, smashing his thigh to a jelly, and injuring him internally. The unfortunate man was brought down to the Christchurch Hospital, but died of his injuries. He was a married man. Timcabu, May 27.. Mr J. Bird, for many years verger to the Wesleyan Church, had a fit on his way to open the church for service yesterday evening and died soon after. Mrs Fargan, aged 85, also died suddenly last evening. Napier, May 27. A fatal gun accident happened in the bush at the back of Makaretu on Friday. A young man named 010 Tostenson was out shooting with his brother, when they sat on a log to rest. Ole's gun slipped, and the hammers striking the ground, the gun went off, the charge going right through his body. He died in ten minutes.