ACCIDENTS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 4847, 27 December 1902, Page 5

ACCIDENTS.

DROWNING CASE IN THE WANGANUI RIVER. Special to the “ Times.” , WANGANUI, December 26. Tho pleasure of yesterday’s up-rivor excursion was mdoly dispelled early in the afternoon, when it became known that -one. of the passengers had boon drowned. It appears that five young mon arrived in Wanganui from Palmerston North on Thursday morning, to spend the holidays, and four of them decided to enjoy an up-river. trip yesterday. After lunch at Kahininihi, where the passengers landed, two of tho young men, T. Moritscn and C. Holm, went a little way further up to indulge in a bathe. Holm, who is a powerful swimmer, saw his companion enter the water, and shortly afterwards started to swim across tho river, leaving Moritscn holding on to the willows on the bank and splashing about in shallow water. Holm, on returning, called to Moritsen, and getting no response, he' asked the other members of tho party, who had arrived on the hank, if they had seen him. They replied in the negative, and after calling several times and receiving no answer, they realised that their companion had been drowned. Holm at once started to dive, in the hope of seeing some sign of Moritscn, hut all to no avail. Word was then sent to the Manuwai, and Captain Murdock Stuart, with four or five others, left with apparatus, and commenced dragging operations. These, however, were also of no avail, and eventually the steamer started for town without the body having been forond. Tho police leave at six o’clock this morning to drag for tho body. Tho deceased, who was a native of Denmark, had been in the colony only about ten or twelve months. Ho had recently been working at Kairanga, near Palmerston North, and he and his companions had com© to town to spend the Christmas holidays. Needless to say, the party were deeply grieved at tho young man’s death. It is understood that some of Moritsen’s relatives reside at Awahuri. His parents are in Denmark. press association. AUCKLAND, December 26. A fatal accident occurred yesterday to a child named Dorothy Briddon, aged three years. It sooins that tho child’s father was travelling to Ponsonhy in an electric car. and child was plaving "with a doll, which out or a window, and the child, in looking out to see where it had gone, fell on to tho roadway. Tho child fell clear of the car, hut rolled under the hind wheels. The right arm was severed from the body, and there was a deep gash made in the skull. Death was apparently instantaneous. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict or accidental death, and added a rider that the attention of the Tramways Company be directed to the urgent necessity for placing protection bars on the outside of the car windows, in order to prevent a recurrence of any similar accident. NAPIER. December 26. A Comoration employee named Geo. Tteaney fell off a cart this morning, suffering severe injuries to his head. He was taken to the hospital, and has not yet recovered consciousness.