CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2429, 3 October 1900, Page 18

CASUALTIES.

■ Robert Edwards, the Oamaru reservoir caretaker, committed suicide by shooting "himself with a gun on the morning of the 26th. . ' At Christchurch John B. Thompson, a commercial traveller, staying at- the Railway Hotel, fell from an upstairs window to the pavement. He was taken- to the hospital, where it' was found that he had received* a severe shaking, and was badly bruised, but had escaped serious injury.

A man named William Williamson was brought down from Palmerston on Thursday afternoon, terribly injured, as the result of being run over by a traction engine. One leg was broken, and his chest crushed, in addition to sustaining a severe scalp wound: He died at 3.20 p.m

A pcriotis accident happened at Port Chalmers on Thursday forenoon. While the steamer Hawea was discharging railway sleepers one of them fell from the slings and struck a wharf labourer named Alfred Godfred, inflicting a terrible wound. First aid was promptly rendered by Mr W. Kemp, and Godfred was conveyed to the railwny station, where Dr Hodges attended him, and found he had sustained a' compound comminuted fracture of the right leg. After doing all that he possibly could for the sufferer, Dr Hodges ordered his removal to the Dunedin Hospital.

On Saturday , at Port Chalmers, an elderly man named William Allan, who was employed driving one of the winches on board the steamship Waimate, went into the hold for the purpose of wedging some railway iron for slinging. While climbing up the hold ladder to regain the deck, and when he had nearly reached the top, his hold slipped, and he fell with great force on to the iron. Mr Malm of the Whakatane, was quickly in attendance, and found the man had sustained severe injuries to the head, besides fracturss of both legp. Dr Hodges was also promptly on the spot. Life being extinct, the body was taken Allan's late residence. At the inmiest the jury returned a verdict of " Accidentally killed by falling down the hold of the s.s. Waimate, and that no blame was attachable to any person."

The West Coast papers report that a fatal fire occurred at Inangahua Junction on Mon&WE. fesfcj by sriiich. Mr Alborn's fegM K&g

completely destroyed. A man named Luc? a, who discovered the fire, was startled from sleep by the flames, bursting into- his room, which was upstair?. All the people in the hotel were got out, except a lad named Edward Mutton, a servant, who was burned to death. Gallant but unavailing attempts were made to roach his room, and ]\lr Alborm nearly lost his own life in this connection. Mr Alborn'd loss is estimated at not less than £1000.

A young man, Arthur Gower, recently arrived from Vancouver, was found drowned in a well at Whangarei. The surroundings indicate suicide.

A foreigner was found at Auckland in an unconscious condition, in a timber yard close to the water's edge. He had apparently fallen into tlie water, and just managed to -crawl out before losing consciousness. What clothes he had on were saturated with -, water. He is now in the hospital in a critical condition. Information is, to hand that Mr- J. ,G. Hope, a member of the Government aurvey party, was drowned at Fitzroy Bay, Pelorus ' Sound, on Monday. The boat sank' in deep water.

A man named William Lother, a warehouseman, residing at Lin wood, while endeavouring 1 to get off a tram at Ohristchurch, slipped, and fell under the wheels of one of the carp. His left leg was badly crushed, and he was taken to the hospital, where the limb was amputated. ' *

Alfred Godfred, who was injured by-a railway sleeper falling on him at Port Chalmers,and was taken to the Dunedin Hospital, ,died m that institution, on Friday morning. - A man named William Wrodue was admitted to the hospital on . Friday afternoon suffering from, a fractured arm and a bruised' nose. These injuries' were caused by- a horse which he was driving in a field at Allanton lashing out at him.

Mr R. B. Pearce, a fireman 011 the dredge workmg in Manukau Harbour, was found dead m his bunk on Monday when the night watchman went to arouse the crew for work. Mr A. R. Cox, a well-known Rangitikei resident, was drowned in the Rangitawa Stream, at Halcombe, on Saturday. The body was found on Sunday. When the Haupiri wae off Rocks Point at Westport on Monday the purser saw a silver watch and chain,-. 19s 6d in silver, and some papers lying on the after hatch. He found that they belonged to one John Snowden," a. saloon passenger, bound from Nelson to Greymouth. Search for Snowden proved fruitless. It is supposed that he had committed suicide by jumping overboard. It is understood that Sr.owden was a brewer at Greyniouth.

Mr Patrick Touhy, of Heriot, ganger of the platelayers, got his leg broken on "Saturday night in a very simple way. He was- -having a bit of fun with another railway- employee, and was stepping back very "quickly, when 1113 boot caught in a nail projecting or. ths floor, which caused him to fall backwards, with the result that the large bone of his leg, about Jim or 3in above the ankle, was broken. . First: "*aid was rendered promptly by Mr . Andrew „. Wilson; ''guard of the Hesitft-Waipahi bran'eh, who successfully 1 set the injured leg. Dr De Lautour arrived on the scene shortly after,' and finally made things comfortable for the "".injured" man. " The sympathy of J th'e entire district is with Mr Touhy, who. though not having been lor.g on the branch, has made himself very popular, having taken • a prominent part in the patriotic , movement in connection with the patriotic fund and the fourth contingent and other local matters.