CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2578, 12 August 1903, Page 50

CASUALTIES.

Whilst assisting- in loading the Ze-alandia at Auckland a wharf labourer named 1 J. Fox received severe injuries. He was down the hold, when a large cling of sugar, weighing £>bout a ton, struck his head. So great waa the force of the blow that it doubled tho man up, and he then fell across the tunnel on his back, the sling bearing him down. When extricated he complained of his back being hurt, and on examination at the hospital it was found the spine Tas> 6eriouely hurt.

James Miller, a sailor on the s.s. Rotoiti, J was charged at Auckland on Wednesday with, attempting to commit suicide. He had been drinking heavily, and was found lying across the rail-3 in front of an approaching shunting engine at the Auckland railway yard. He told a railway man to let her come, and was escorted off the yard. Half an hour later Miller suddenly lumped a fence and , stood in front of another train leaving the Gtation. The engine pulled up not a second too soon, Miller being knocked down and struck on the shoulder. Accused explained that he was suffering from delirium trcmens. He was remanded till Friday, so that evidence respecting his condition might be I obtained . j

A woman named O'Connor, 80 yesrs of age, died in a tramcar while going to tiervice as St. Patrick's Cathedral, Auckland.

A lad was taken to tho Chiistehurch Hos- ', piral suffering from a sovere cut in the groin. ■ Ao his condition was serimi3 on the sbh his depositions were taken. He stated that he had been washing himself, and his mother asked him to go on an errand. Argument , ensued, and l the boy told hie mother to j " shut up." She then threw a carving knife, i inflicting the injuries. The patient's con- | ditiort was improved towards evening. I A serious gun accident occurred a* Otaki j last week (says the Wairarapa Times). A j young man, named " Pat Kite," the adopted ; son of the- late Rev. Pineaha., while out pig- ' hunting, had his hand iracturcd by the explosion of his gun. His han3 had to be amputated above the wrist. Kite is well | known as a footballer, having played for ' both Raukawa and Tainui. He was given , to the Maoris when a child.

Th© Danuevirke Advocate- states that Mr H. W. Haybittle, formerly of Palnweton North, nearly lost his life in a iresh im the Akitio River recently. It appears that Mr Haybittle was crossing at the mouth of the river on horseback, and that his horse was swept away in tho flood and drowned. Mr Haybittle managed to make the shore, but lest his pack, containing clothes, and also a considerable sum of money, which was washed from the coat he was wearing at the time of the acoident.

At the Southburn School last Monday (cays the Timani Post) a lad named Alexander Philip had hi* thigh bone snapped a few inches above the knee through another boy accidentally treading on hia left leg. No one dreamt at first that anything serious had happened, and the boy remained in his place at school all the afternoon, but he had to be driven homo by his teacher about 5 o'clock in the evening. Later on his parent* drove him into Timaru, to Mrs Sommerville's private hospital, where the leg was immediately set by Dr Reid. Thomas Douglas, who was working in the bush at Mararoa for Mr Mitchell, met with an accident on the 3rd, a log rolling on him an.d fracturing a leg below the knee in. two places. Tho sufferer was brought to Mossburn, where he was attended to by Dt Todd. A man named Power met with a rather eerious accident at the Brokcai Hills Mine, Tailua. A charge of gelignite exploded unexpectedly, and inflicted injuries to the chest, face, and arm. The ami was broken, dislocated, and lacerated, and there were cuts over the eye. The chest was badly injured. The man's condition is eerious, but he is expected to recover. The men who conveyed Power to the Thames Hofpital had a terrible experience. The accident took place about 8 p.m. on the 6th. An hour later a score of men started off to eaTry their injured mate 25 miles ovei rough district bridle-tracks. They were compelled to cross seven streams, which heavy rains had swollen, and the water was nearly up to their middle. Rain fell all the time When they got to Puriri thoy juf-t missed the >tra,in. They telephoned to tho Thames foi a b-ake, and) arrived there scaked to tho skin, covered with mud, and - greatly fatigued. The injured man must have suffered awful agony, despite the fact that everything was done for his- comfort by his comrades. Power is still in tho tame condition, and is doing as well as can bo expected. An explobion' oi gas occurred at the Spit Post Office, Napier, on Friday morning. Mr Wilkic, the postmaster, struck a match in the hall to light his pipe, when a deafening explosion took place, blowing out the window* and door 9 and shifting the walls of the lean-to kitchen about a foot. Mr Wilkie was thrown violently to the ground, and waa rather seriously injured. The explosion is attributed to a leak^ reported to the autholities recently and not attended to. Mr James Barron, of Saddle Hill, met with a painful and serious accident recently (says the laieri Advocate). He was working a chaffcutter, when by some means he was drawn into tho machine. Before he was rescued a large portion of his left breast, extending underneath his arm, was torn away. Dr Will was sent for, and attended the sufferer, who, wo are pleased to- hear, is making satisfactory progress towards recovery. An elderly man named Charles Smith, a County Council employee, fell off a train at Kopu, neai the Thames, on Saturday. and was run over. His arm was severed above the elbow. Ho was taken to the hospital, where it is reported his condition is serious. An old man named Bishop was found dead in an old cottage, in which ho lived at Hamilton, Auckland. The odour showed that he had been dead some days. The cottage was burnt on Saturday, by order of the authorities. During the periormameo at Auckland; on Saturday night by Fuller's Entertainers a cracker thrown from the stage amongst the audience struck a lad named David .Searle, 12 years of age, ia the face, injuring his eyesight. It is feared that if inflammation sets in the boy will 10-.c the siaht of both eyes. Before the inquest concerning the death of an old man named Bishop, who was found dead at Hamilton, N.1., the jury viewed the body, which had begun to decompose-. The cottage- was insanitary and unfit for habitation. On the advice of a medical man. the jury and Mayor (who was al&o present) eonc-uning, the coroner gave the

necessary authority to fire the dwelling and cremate the body. Decetised -was last seen alive on Wednesday. The medical evidence showed that deoeased suffered from internal cancor, and died from exhaustion. The jury brought in a verdict accordingly. Richard Brassington, 40 years of age, unmarried, employed as an accountant by T. and A. Young, manufacturing chemists, committed suicide at the Commeicial Hotel, Wellington, on Monday by taking arsenic. It is etated that deceased had betir financially embarrassed. A distressing accident occurred in Gore on Monday. A young married man named Alex. Coutts, employed in the grain store of Messrs Henderson and Batger, was engaged stacking bags of manure, when the pile slipped and buried him underneath. When freed the unfortunate fellow wa9 discovered • to have broken his spinal . cord near the. neck. The whole body is paralysed, with the exception of the arms. His recovery is hopeless. Coutts is about 30 yeaTs ,of age, and has a young wife and two children. He is the son of old and respected residents of Gore district.