CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2664, 5 April 1905, Page 33

CASUALTIES.

r A man, about 35 years of age, was killed ton the Port Chalmers line by the train proceeding to Port Chalmers at 8.30 p.m. en the 27th. The engine-driver felt *he cow-catcher strike something, cr.d on the train being brought to a standstill the body of the man was alongside the line. Dr Hodges, cf tPort Chalmers, was sent for, and on his arrival life was pronounced to be extinct, and tho body was removed to the morgue at Port Chalmers. The base of the man's skull was fractured 1 and the left shoulder •badly knocked about, and death is believed to have been instantaneous. The man was about 35 years of age, sft 7in in height, of xaeditim build, clean shaved with the excep'±son of a moustache, and he was wearing a dark grey tweed suit. Sergeant Geerin informed the court that every publicity had •been given to the accident, and several perjsons had visited the body during the day, ibufc no one recognised it. His Worship 'having summed up, the Jury returned a verdict that the deceased (who was unknown) smet his death through being .struck by the engine of a train proceeding from Dunedin *o Port Chalmers. The Southland Times states that the police has been advised that the body of Henry Thomson, who was one of the victims of the drowning fatality afc Ringa Uinga passage on March 1, had beeff found ton the beach at Ringa Ringa. A woman named Annie Jane Parry, 56 years of age, was killed in the ZeaIsmdia. Private Hotel, Wellington, on Tuesday night. She had engaged' a room at the fcotel, and later in the evening a noise as of a heavy fall was heard in the back yard. On examination it was found that Mrs Parry had fallen from the fire escape ©n the third storey to the asphalt below. Jiife was extinct when the doctor arrived, *he woman's neck being broken, her skull fractured, and one thigh broken. An inquest was held on Wednesday concerning tho death of Annie Parry. From the evidence it appears that the woman's neak j was broken and right thigh fractured when jpieked up. Mrs Parry, who was divorced from her husband, took a room at the fcotel on Tuesday, and seemed very depressed. The evidence indicated that deceased had unbolted the approach to the fire escape on the third floor, and jumped to the ground, 50ft below. A verdict was returned that deceased committed suicide while temporarily insane.

A sad fatal accident occurred on board the warship Challenger at Napier. The •vessel was thrown open for inspection by the pupils of the various schools. About 1000 visited the ship. During the afternoon cne of the boys, a lad named Hector Ennor, about 13 years of ape, while .being shown over -the vessel fell from the "crow's nest' * on the foremast on to the deck, sustaining injuries from which he died while being brought ashore. In his fall the boy broke two wires about 15ffc from the deck, falling heavily on his shoulder. At the inquest the evidence showed that the affair •was accidental, with no blame attaching to anyone. A verdict of accidental death was returned.

Another fatal accident ccourrcd at the Hastings Railway Station on Thursday.. As ihs 9.15 train was leaving for Napier the giard, Harry Carr, while attempting to board the train, slipped and fell on the line. Two carriages and the guard's van passed over his hj^g The train was immediately jiidled up, and medical assistance obtained, but death must have been instantaneous, as the body was badly mangled. The deceased was about 55 years of age, and had a eon in business in Hastings.

Timothy M'Carthy, a young man employed in the Ross rope and twine factory, Napier, got his left arm caught in the cardin>g machine on Wednesday, and the injuries necessitated the limb being amputated. A passenger named Mary Robinson, while jcurneying between Omakau and Galloway IFlat, lost her balanoe on an express driven by a Chinaman named Charlie Lue Chong, and, falling from her seat beside the driver, she sustained a dislocation of the neck. Her husband was accompanying the woman, the pair being en route to the public works near Alexandra. The body was conveyed So the Dunstan Hospital. At the inquest the jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased met her death by accidentally falling off an express trap by which she sustained injuries to the brain, no blame being attachable to the driver of the vehicle. Robert Lynch, driver of an aerated water cart, was injured at the crossing at Penrose, Auckland. When his hor&B3 began to cross the railway line he saw a train appear round a bend. He tried to urge his horses into a

trot, but did not succeed, and the train caught the cart before it was clear, and smashed it to pieces. Lynch was brought ±o the hospital. His injuries are not serious, mainly consisting of a bad scalp wound. A girl named Gallichan was badly burned by coming in contaot with a burning log afc Matamau, Hawke's Bay. She ia not expected to reoaver. An old man named John Webber, aged 70 years, died suddenly on Friday morning et his residence at Ravensbourne, where he has carried on business as a bootmaker for many years. The cause of death is supposed to have been dyspepsia. A sudden death occurred at Edendale on Monday, 27th ult. (says the Wvndham Farmer).- A man named John Nugent, about 60 years of age, an employee on Mr Donald Macdonald'e estate, while engaged forking on top of a stack of grain, collapsed and fell to the ground. On being assisted by his fellow-workers, he said he felt a little faint, but would soon be all right again. The man never rallied, breathing his last shortly after the arrival of Dr Rogers, who had been summoned post haste, death being caused by heart failure. The deceased had only been a-bout six weeks in this colony. He came from Victoria, where, it is understood. hiß wife and family reside. A 13-year-old boy named Simmonds, a eon of Mr Simmonds, a member of the !New Plymouth staff of the Railway Department, was admitted to the hospital on Friday week suffering from injuries to his face and eyes. The boy, who has shown considerable aptitude in mechanical work, constructed a model sTeam engine. In experimenting with the model on Thursday night the youthful engineer turned the ■wTono- valve to shut off steam, (he result being** an explosion, and injury to the boy as mentioned above. Blindness ensued, but at is anticipated that it is only temporary, and that sight will be restored. On Friday night the patient was able to see the glimmer of a light in the room. _ A jockey named James M uuiie, while -riding at tho Akaroa Racing Club's annual

meeting, held at Plumpton Park on Friday afternoon, fell from his horse, which rolled over him. He sustained severe concussion of the brain and also fractured his collarbone. He is in a serious condition.

A young man named Otto Yon Vogan, a resident of Lincoln, took some linament in mistake for medicine on Sunday. He was brought to the Christchurch Hospital suffering from poisoning, but is expected to recove *

& A boy named James Madden fell from a tree in Hagley Park, Christchurch. on Saturday, and sustained concussion of the brain. Tie was picked up unconscious by a casual passer-by and taken to the hospital.

At the milk suppliers' picnic at Portobello on Saturday an unfortunate accident happened to a man named David Morrison, who was one of the competitors in the Hurdle Race. Morrison had just landed on one leg from a jump when another competitor struck him on the leg, fracturing it above the ankle. Morrison was conveyed to Port Chalmers by the Tarewai, and after treatment wa3 sent to his home in Dunedin.

Mr Wm. Kirklanct, of Elm Grove, East Taieri, was the victim of aya v painful aeidenfc near Hyde on Friday afternoon. In company , with Mr Hunter- WePton, of Cottesbrook, Mr Kirkland. was returning in a motor car from the Central Otago stock sale at Waipiata. When about four miles on the Middlemarch side of Hyde the steering wheel of the car went into a rut,- with the result that the car was capsized over a culvert. Both the occupants were, of course, thrown out, and while Mr Hunter- Weston escaped unhurt, Mr Kirkland sustained a dislocated ankle. Mr Kenny, near whose resid'enco the accident occurred, was exceedingly kind to the sufferer, and rendered every assistance in his power. Dr Martin, of Middlemarch, who was speedily in attendance, attended to Mr Kirkland, who was brought to Dunedin on Saturday morning, and who is afc present in the Chalet Hospital under the care of Dr Church. Mr Kirkland is doing as well as can be expected, but as his injury is of a serious nature he will be confined to his bed for some time.

| The body of a man was washed up on the beach near the Kidnappers, and was brought to Hastings on Monday. The flesh was off the face, and the features were therefore unrecognisable. It is understood that the man A. Smith, who was drowned off the beach at Glive Grange on November 27, 1904, had a toe missing off 'one foot, but on the body just diseovei-ed the toes are all intact. His . relatives, however, have been communicated with.

John Gillingham, a youth, son of Mr Sandham Gillingham, of Fairlie, was killed on Saturday night as the result of a trap accident. He was driving down a steep cutting with another lad and lady, when the horse bolted, and capsized the vehicle. Gilhngham died five hours later. The other lad had his collarbone broken, and the lady received various injuries, rendering her unconscious^or some hours.

Three fishermen, named Jones and Percy ((2), picked up a body, dressed with the exception of boots, floating below the Quarantine Isla-nds on Monday forenoon. They brought the body to the railway pier, and gave information to Sergeant Geerin. The body was identified as that, of William M'Callum, who was drowned while boating in the harbour on Anniversary Day (23rd ult.). An inquest has not been deemed necessary, one already having been held on tho body of M'Callum's companion, young M'lvor, who was drowned afc the same time.

A young man named Saye, in the employ of Mr W. Meek, of Enfield, met with a severe accident on Saturday night (says the Oamaru Mail). While riding home he was thrown from his horse, and, falling on his head, was rendered unconscious. He was ccnveved to the hospital, but had not regained consciousness yesterday, though he was doing as well as could be expected under the circumstances. «. A Christchurch telegram states that there is no change in the condition of James M'Guire, the jockey, who was injured on Saturday through the horse he was riding j rolling on him. i

The Colonial Treasurer has received a five-pound note, "conscience money," from Invercargill.

Mrs Burgess, the victim in the shootiug case that occurred afc Methven recently, has now sufficiently recovered to be able to leave the Ashburton Hospital.

The Sister Superior of the Church Mission ' with St. Mary's Orphanage desires to grate- I fully acknowledge gifts of clothes from Mes- | dames James Allen, Benham, Beck, Davies, ' Dunkley, Eva, Finch, Hendy, Joachim, Jamie- , son, Lawless, M'Master, Moore, M'Coy, Smith, Misses Williams and Johnson ; fruit, vegetables, cake, jam. etc., from Mesdames James Allen, Dunkley, Friend, Fynmore, Greenslade, Jeffrey, Lo Keong, Moore, Stubbs, Nevill, Neiid, Scales Misses Cox, Johnson, "Anon," and Fowke ; box of fruit from Middleinarcli ; wood, Mr Brickell ; coal, Mr Joachim; carpets for bedrooms, Mr Cook ; books from Mrs Vezey; money for book?— Mrs Finclu 10s. {