THE DEATH-ROLL

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1675, 6 April 1904, Page 23

THE DEATH-ROLL

FIVE CHILDREN BURNED TO DEATH.

SYDNEY, April 3.

A Chinaman’s shop and dwelling were destroyed ,by fire .at Grafton. The owner’s wife rescued a baby and her husband, who was invalided with a, broken leg. A boy fell dottn the stairs and was rescued, though half suffocated. The remaining five children, ranging from four t.o seventeen yeans of age, perished. The unfortunate children appeared at an upstairs window, hub before the rescuers could reach them with a ladder the flames burst through the floor and engulfed them. A FATHER AND SON DROWNED. WESTPORT, April 3. A very sad accident, involving tho loss cf two lives, took place at Westport this afternoon. While a man named Golding and Ids two sens were fishing off the western breakwater staging, One son, Fred’, aged nine years, fell into the water. The father slipped down a pile, and, swimming out, caught hold c>f the lad. After a severe struggle, they got back to the rocks, but were immediately washed off by the surge of the sea, and both sank. Their bodies were recovered .about an hour and a half later. Golding leaves a widow and six children in poor c i rcu instances. R AILWAY FAT ALXTIES. BLENHEIM, April 3. The Saturday afternoon train for Picton had travelled about a mile from Blenheim, when a passenger named J. W. Higgins fell from the platform of a carriage on to. the- line, and was terribly mutilated by the. succeeding trucks. H© wan. brought back by the same train, and' died shortly after reaching the hospital. Deceased was thirty-five vears old and' unmarried. ’ INVERCARGILL, April 2. A!n elderly man. Alfred James Denton, a resident of North Invercargill, fell between the last carriage and* a heavy waggon, while stepping off the Clinton train on its arrival at Invercargill last night, a’nd was badly crushed. He died before reaching the hospital. A CHILD DROWNED. BLENHEIM, April 3. The two-year-old son of J. La.nkow, of Tuamarina, wandered away from ibj* parents’ house on Saturday, and wa4 found drowned in a ditch. A CYCLIST’S NECK BROKEN. TIMAR.U, April 3. John Cameroln, aged thirty-eight years, of Tinnaru, labourer, while riding a bicycle down a steep side-cutting neat Otaio, otn Friday, lost control of hi* machine, and went over the side, breaking his neck. He was seen from a distance going down the cutting at. a, g reals pace. The jury found a verdict of acci« dental death. DROWNED WHILE FISHING. NEW PLYMOUTH. April 3. A young main, named Joseph Kirk was drowned near the mouth of the Okahu river, beyond Rahotu, yesterday. Deceased, with six companions, was fishing on the beach with a net, whan they were all carried away by the current. All succeeded in reaching shore except Kirk, Avho is supposed to have got entangled in the net. Hugh and Eli Taylor 'were nearly drowned while etndeavourinto find Kirk, hut ueie rescued by the Phillip brothers. Kirk’s body ha® not yet. been found. KILLED BY A BLOW ON THE CHEST. DUNEDIN, April 3. At South Tokomairiro, on Thursday; while Mr Frank Doolaa, a farmer, was? carting ooia.l, the horse' gave a plunge, and swung round.. The shaft struck Dool'an a blwv on the chest, killing him instantly. ACCIDENTALLY SHOT. DUNEDIN. April 2. John T. Harvey, painter, residing at Moirnington, was at Hindon, yesterday, and died so.on afterwards. At thei inquest, the jury found that death had been accidentally caused by a, shot from a gun which was at the time in the Wnfk nf Hector Mockford. A