CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 17

CASUALTIES.

A tra m returning from Sumner to Christchurch on Monday laden with excursionists was derailed at the points at Heathcote bridge, completely blocking- the line for several hours. Some sensational reports reached town about serious injuries to passengeis, but these pioved unfounded for the most part. The most serious case is that oi Mrs Lang, a resident of Limvood, who was sitting on the steps leading to tha top of a car, and who has received internal injuries, the extent of which is not yet known. Her son had his hand crushed, and her daughter received injuries in hei side. A man had his fool injured, and a boy had his hand crushed. George Gibb, caielaker of the Wellington Gardens, was run over by a train at Petono on the 2nd, and received sue.i injurie" that both legs had to be amputated While Mr Bond, a totilei nrai Merton was leading in his crop on S-uuidaj ho had the misfortune to slip from a load ol ehtaves, and' falling heavily to the ground, sustained a 'very ore shaking* tie was attended to by T)r Falconer, assistant turgoon a,t Heaoliff Asylum, and so far :u, c.uiu be a*cci tamed sustained no senoin i.tl,v>. \. married woman named Louisa Diek^i 1 ?, a "native of Hobart, but who was a p-w-sengrr fio-.v Melbourne by th<» Monowai, her eon, apparently aW 13 years oi age, accompanying her, died *h°rt. y after tU steamer's arrival at the Bhift on the 2nd Dr Toirrnc- made a po s t-n_orte.n examination, which di.cosed an px^iimxp lui'R trouble and prrltonili*. but the co-he oi cb-uh was rupture of a perforating ulcer on the btomacli. The stewardesses on the Monowai aUo gave rvidenre and the jury returned a verdict that death resulted from i^atuAil causes. Mrs Dickers s nu»band » said to be in Palmer-ton North \n inquest was held at Napier on tho body of a. man named Hmv/ Hughes who died a3 the result of an acodent caused by a stone ialHni; on him and pinning him in the mer at Alanjrauhare. The evidence showed thol on the morning of the 2/tli March deceased, with his son, Stanley Hughes, went to work splitting post*. The son was sent for some tools, and on returning found his father sitting in the river with a stone n-ei"hm« about 15cwt on his le? The water was C shallovv, leaohin:? -up to the mans waist. It was not until about 3.30 p.m. that the stone could be moved, owing to its weight :>nd tho distance from which assistance hart to be biought. The man was then taken to the Napier Hospital, but died the same evening "at 7.30 The medical testimony vv.ij to the effect that nothing had been bound round the leg to .-tcp the bleeding, and that death ws occasioned by shock, loss ot blood, and inflammation. A verdict wa* returned in accordance With the medical testimony, and the viy added a nder to the effect that more attention might have been •paid to deceased alter his rescue from the water. A man nar-wl Limber was working in a gravel pi£ at New Plymouth, when a fall of tandstone occurred," burying him to tho armpit*. When extii^itod a:y.l examined medically it 'was found he had sustained severe internal innuies, besides a laceration ot the right arm above the elbow and fracture of both bones of the forcaim. Both thighs were a'so frailum! Hf was removed to the hospital, but exphed half an hour alter adr.ii-sion. Mr 4. Ru^ell, who was hurt at the polo t-poits at AuckHnd, died in a pnvat* hospital on Wednesday. His pony dashed at a fence wi'h a chop of about 7ft or Bft on the other «ide Although the pony was killed en the =p»t, it was thought Mr Ru«seH had practically escaped injury. It was f oivd subsequently, honevor, he h<?d «ustfinod seveie injuiie- to the bowels and a rupture cf the kidney . An operation was performed on Tuesday and nnnthnr next day. He had an attack of peiitoniti% the result of an accident some year.s ago, which handicapped him in his recovery. He recont\v came from Edinburßh, p:h! vv.'3 farminj; at f'dmbridc;f». At the r.iriiir- 1 - a vprdio; of "Accidental death " wa- l.iwm '. with the following ndt : T." juiy are of opinion that nccli ,eni p w. shown by the club in not having the gate closed and manned by a competent man."

A little boy named Sheehan met with a fa f .d accident at Waitahui a We-t on the Ist tlnougli the capsizing of a dray. M-r Robert Muidorh, accompanied by his wife, with Mrs Sheehan and tho lad, were proceeding to a paddock to cart in a <iop. vvlipm thf dray capsized at a n.inow part of thp lo.id, and on being ri'.dited n nai foivid that the boy was dead. Mr- Sheeh.ni e=cai'i j d with a broken leg. while Mr and Mr« Mur doch were iinmjuied A youna, man (20) named William Hemy Thomas Gla-a. a pamior belonging to Oamaiu. tell oii" the fii »t c\pioi ti.xin about iuo inilei south ol I'almcrston on Thursday night. The tiam gave a jerk, nnd the man, \\ ho n>is landing on the platlorm of a carnage, lost bis hold, and struck the ground wii.li great violence. He sustained

a fracture of the base of the skull, and th» injury subsequently proved fatal. Word was sent back to Palmerston from the next station, and Dr Hislop wont out and attended! deceased. Dr Hislop ordered his removal to the hospital, and he was brought down by the next train. Mr Coughlan, of York place, who has some knowledge of ambulance work, happened to be on the trair, and took charge of the sufferer on the journey down. At the hospital everything possible was done, but death ensued as above stated at 11. JO on Friday morning. At the inquest a verdict of "Accidental death" was returned.

A railway porter named Alexander M'Dougall met with a shocking accident at Palmerston on Friday. He was engaged in shunting two empty carnages on to a siding, and attempted to cross the line in front of the engMie. Somehow or other he tripped and fell on to the rails, and was caupht by the cowcatcher. After being dragged some yards the engine passed over the unfortunate man's arms, crushing them frightfully. He was subsequently removed to tho Dunedin Hosruta l , where it was found necessary to amputate both arms, one at the shoulder and thfc other above the wri^t. He is still in a critical condition, but hope? are entertained of his recovery. The Taranaki Herald states that a lad named White, aged eight years, was drowned in the river at Waitara on March 30, while fishing from tl'e Freezing Company's whar f A verdict of "Accidental drowning-" was returned at the inquest. Mr W. Taylor, storeman in the Loan and Mercantile Agency Company at the Spit, has been missing since Thursday last, and search was made with the result that his body was found in the water of t'-'e Ironpot under th^ steam launc'i Tiusty. The body was considerably knocked about, as> though from beiiig squpszed between the side of the vessel and the wharf. No information is yet to hand as to how the body came to be in the water. He leaves a wife and three children.

In connection with the buggy accident a' Sandhurst on Saturday, by which eight visitors from Dunedin were more or lors injured, one (Mr Peter M'Lean) sustained a fracture of the skull. His recovery was at first doubtful, but he regained consciousness for a time on Monday, and the doctors, of whom there were four in consultation, are more hopeful, although it is yet difficult to say wha* fc result will be. The others sustained brin-cs and cuts. Mcsra Smellie, .-er. and jun.. of the Burnsido Ironworks, were in the tra]) at the time. A* fatal accident occurred ai? the Lake Brurmer Company's sawmill on the 2nd. the victim bemjf a man named Bai-ker, about 33 vearo of ape. Two trucks loaded with timber were- being phunted out of a siding, and Barker, in attempting- to couple them while in motion, fell on the rails, one truck pass'iig over his legs and one arm, inflicting fearful injuries, to which the unfortunate youna; man succumbed -before reaching the hospital. Barker had only been married nbout five months previously. At the inquest a verdict of " Accidental death " was re. turned, and a rider was added that the Railway department be asked to issue inthat no one (except railway officials) is to work or handle trucks whilst tha e:igme is in the siding.

The M.iori ''King" Mahuta has been on a visit to Kawhia, West Coast. The Kawh;a Natives have handed over to Mahuta the 4-00 acres which the Government wished for a township site at the Maika, on the south head of Kawhia Harbour. It is understood that Mahuta will place this place in tiie hand 3of the Government for survey and disposal under the act for Native townships.

At Collingwood, Melbourne, a woman who applied for a pension, admitted, on beine; closely pressed, that she was the owner of five cottages, which she valued at £250 each. Another applicant had drawn £200 from tli9 bank and buried it in the backyard before setting out in pursuit of a pension. He was fined £25, the bench wishing they could have made it £100.

Messrs J. Reid and Sons, on behalf of n gentleman who desires that his name shall not be disclosed, have forwarded to Mr A Bathgate, secretary of the Conservation Society, a cheque for £10, to be spent »iv replacing the ash trees in the Market Re serve and improving the reserve generally.