CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2130, 20 December 1894, Page 30

CASUALTIES.

A miraculous escape from death is reported from Te Reinga waterfall, Hawke's Bay. A Maori while eel fi«bing went near the edge and was carried over by the currant, falling fully 100 ft into tbe deep and boiling water beneath. He was pick' d up unhurt nave for a few brui« s. Or the arrival of the Monowai, from Auckland, it was reported that at 1 a.m. on the 13 h, when off Cape Runaway, a steerage passenger named P. Medbey, booked from Napier to Sydney, was observed by a fireman to jump overboard. The alarm was promptly given, the ship stopped, and a boat lowered, but after carefnl search the boat returned without finding any trace of the man. His effects consist of a swag covered with oilcloth, which was handed to the collector of customs at Napier. News has been received by way of To Anau that a man named Ratbbone, one of the roadtnikir.g jurty at Milford Sound, died on Sunday, th 2- it. R<.*.hbone wm a resident of Weitport, when h- i »iVBi» a wife aurl family.

Mr H If B-g«b.!iw, of the Dunedin post effice, met with an accident a d.»y or two ago by which some of his ribs were fractured, and he sustained internal injaries. While dragging a bampor along the floor, and walking backwards, he failed to notice that a trap door was open. He full partly into aud partly against the trap and fcuv dined the injuries mentioned. A cad<-t who was ascending the ladd»r was struck by Mr Bagshaw, but fortuuately the youth maintained his footing, and was bo saved from falling a distance »f about 20ft. The swag of John Meehan, or Meighan, who jumped overboard from the Monowai between Auckland and Gisnorne, was handed to the collector of customs on the arrival of tbe vessel at Napior. The swag w»s found to contain, buyond tbe ordinary outfi ,-* ticket of membership for the New Zealand Shearers' and Labourers' Union, Oamaru branch, and eeveral addresses of wellknown sheepf armors in the South Island. A number of tickets in a Melbourne Cup sweep were also discovered. Meehan had booked to Napier, but is not known to have any friends here.

Charles Jacobs, ft single man, living at Eketahuna, wag shot dead through his gun going off while he was getting through a wire fence.

The remains of Mrs Schlitcbing, missing since the 28ih September, were found in the bush near Rutherglen, West Coast. It is supposed she died of exhaustion. A young man, T. B Evans, whose parents reside near ChrUtchurch, waa killed on the New Brighton tram line at 10 45 p.m. on Friday, tie w»s riding a bicycle, and in endeavouring to get between the rails after parsing the tram he fell, either from his machine skidding ot twisting. He was close to the horses, and before the tram could be pulled up they and the car went over him, disfignring his face and mutilating bis body. Death was almost instantaneous. At the inquest a verdict of "Accidental death" was returned.

Three shearers crossing the River Tekapo, South Cantcrbnry, were washed off their horses. Two sot aahoce. much exhausted. The third

landed with the horses on the Spit, mounted, and endeavoured to cross, and was drowned. His name is O'Donald, aged 23, and his parents reside in Taraimki.

While a number of children were playing about the Waverley jefcty on Saturday af fctruoon a little girl, 10 years of ago, nsmed Annie, daughter of Mr Gabriol Hodges, of Eskv«%le street, South Dunedin, fell into the water, and would in all probability have been drowned but for being pluckily refcued by Mr Andrew Russell, bootmaker, of Dowling street. Mr Rus*ell went down to the jetty with the object of waiting for the steamer, and noticing the child in the water proceeded to divest himself of some of his clothiDg. As, however, it appeared that the child was in imminent peril he plunged into the water when he had only got his coat and one of his boots off nnd swam out to the little girl, who>n he succ tided in getting hold of jusb as she was on the point of drowning. The child, a» soon as he reached her, clutched him tightly about the neck, and, not being a very good swimmer, he had considerable difficulty in getting ashore. Mr George Brown, who happened to be on the jotty at the time, seeing the difficulty he was in, rushed down the steps and assisted him to land. The little girl subsequently seemed none the worse for her immersion, and was able to walk home with her brother shortly after the mishap. A plucky rescue vra.% effected at Waverley on Friday by a High School boy named George Baird, son of Mr William Baird, carver. It appears that several small boys were playing on the jetty when one of their number named Coyle, aged seven years, fell in. The cries raised by hia companions attracted young Baird, who rushed to the spot, and seeijg how matters stood plunged in without waiting to takeoff any of his clothes. It was high tide, and the water was deep with a strong current running, and Baird had a stiff job with his almost unconscious burden. He, however, managed to reach the landing stage, and little Coyle quickly recovered, and was soon none the worse tor his ducking. A. peculiar feature of the case is that the little fellow's father was one of the men drowned at the Waiau last week.

A rather nasty accident, which, however, was fortunately not attended with serious consequences, happened in Canongate on Monday morning. Mr Hugh Gourley, jun , was driving a light waggonette containing his Bister, Mrs Charles Wadie, her own three children, a nephew and niece, and the luggage of the party to Broad Bay, whither Mrs Wadie was going with the childien to spend the holidays. Coming down Russell struct Mr Gourley to some extent lost control of the horses owing to the brake not acting properly, and the animals turning the corner of the street rather sharply capsized the trap in Canongate street, the whole of the occupants being thrown with considerable violence into the road. Mrs Wadie, however, was the only one who was badly hurt. The waggonette passing over one of her legs near the thigh caused it to be severely bruised and swollen, her hand was also cat and swollen, and she sustained injuries to her face, one side of which was badly bruised and swollen. A little boy, four years of age, got his left leg slightly injured above the knee ; Mrs Wadie's niece had her hand cut slightly, aud one of Mr Gourley'a foot was injured. The other occupanta of the trap escaped unhurt. 'As soon as the accident happened a number of the residents of tbe neighbourhood gathered round and rendered all the assistance they could to the injured ones.