CASUALTIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3003, 4 October 1911, Page 63

CASUALTIES.

Michael Greene, a single • man, 65 years of age, was found drowned in a ©reek near Kiku Koku, Auckland. It is (supposed that he fell into the water as the result of sudden heart failure.

Joseph Youngman, aged 50, a cook, was found drowned in the Wairoa River on September 25. The body of the woman who was cut to pieces on the Hutt railway line, near Thorndon Station, on September 25, lias been identified as that of Mrs Maria Donovan, aged 56, wife of Mr Edward Donovan, for many years gardener at the Government Buildings, Lamb-ton quay. She left her home stating that she was going for a walk.

A body, supposed to bo that of Captain M'Dowell, of the Bell Flower, which was wrecked off Banks Peninsula on July 2A, was found en Sept. 23 by one of the Klinloch settlers. The body, which was in an advanced state of decomposition and minus the head and one arm, was washed up on the beaeh in Tumbledown Bay, the scene of the wreck. It is surmised that the body had been pinned under some wreckage which was washed into a small cave, and the continual washing of the cea had released it. Constable Whatman, of Little River, went over on Sunday morning, and with Mr J. M'Queen, of Kinloch, buried the late captain's body close to the scene of the wreck. On Friday, Sept. 22, as Mr Wm. JameS, a well-known Inch Clutha fairmer, was driving along the Harborough road, on his way home from the Balclutha sale, his horse shied, and plunged over the bank into the Mblyneux River, dragging the y cart and occupant with it. Fortunately, it-struck shallow water, and with the assistance of a band of men who were called to the scene, the horse and cart were got out of the river.- Had the accident happened about a chain further down stream, the result would have been disastrous, for there is a steep drop of about 15ft into deep water, and it was at this spot that a mam wife and child lost their lives through a horse going over the 1, bank three years ago.. A Maori, Kira Pupuha, was found dead in his hut at Waikawa, near Manakau. A gun was found alongside body, and examination showed that deceased had been shot through- the heart.

Joseph Armstrong, a married man, was struck by the falling'!-limb of a tree while working in the bush at Orepuki on September 28. Death was. almost instantaneous. He leaves a widow and two children. The Inspector of Police was advised on Sept. 28 from Middlemarch of a blasting accident which occurred at Smooth Cone on September 26. Two men named Henry Seddon and John Dumford were employed oh a roadrnaking contract, in the course of which they wea© using gelignite explosive. One shot apparently went off successfully, and the men had just returned) to the scene, when there was a second explosion. Seddon was slightly injured about the head, eyes, and arms, and' Dunford was seriously injured about the leg, arms, and hand.

William Brandon, an old-age pensioner about 74 years of age, and caretaker of the Bul-ler Domain, was found dead in his hut on September 30. Death is understood to be due to heart failure.

About 7.5 .p.m. on September SO a man was seen by Mr Thomson, steward of the Anchor liner Waimea, to fall off the gangway into the Buller River. Tlie- third engineer, who saw the man in the water, threw a lifebelt to him, but after making a few splashes in the water the 'latter disappeared. A boat was 'got out, but failed to find the miesing mon. No one from, the Waimea is missing, but the Gertie failed to get trace of a fireman named Bugsbv. who. it is thought, must have been the man who was drowned. The Gertie sailed for New Plymouth on the 30th.

At Cihrlstchurch on. the Ist a collision of a serious character between a motor car and a cyclist happened at the intersection of Victoria, Kilmore, and Durham streets. The motor car, which was driven by Miss Leggatt, was coming from Papanui, and at the intersection of streets mentioned turned southward into Durham street to avoid a vehicle which was coming westward along Kilmore street. In turning into Durham street the car collided with Edward Knox, a cyclist, who was going northwards along Durham street. The cvclist had almost reached, the middle of .the intersection when the front of the car struck him. The impetus carried him about 10 yards until the car was brought .to, a standstill by striking a telegraph pole on the western side of Durham street. Knox was taken from under the- can and was found to he severely injured about the head and legs. The occupants of the car escaped without injury, but the front portion of the car was considerably damaged, owing to the force with which it struck the telegraph pole, a .small portion of .which near the base was slightly stripped. According to the statements of eye-witnesses, the car was travelling at an ordinary pace when it reached the intersection of the three streets.

James Crawford, aged 60 years, who was admitted to the Christchureh Hospital on. September 29, suffering apparently from the effects O'f a narcotic poison., died a* the institution on September 30 without having regained consciousness. At the inquest his wife and son stated that he was in the habit of taking sulphomial to induce sleep, as he suffered from a diseased hip, which sometimes caused him irritation and pain. On Friday morning about 7 o'clock he went to milk the cows, but collapsed, and became unconscious when nearing the cowbaiis. They supposed that before he wont out he took something to ease his pain, and probably took an overdose. The verdict was that deceased died from a narcotic poison, but that there was_ no evidence to show how it "was administered. Mrs Eleanor Wakefield., 53 years of age, who resided with her husband in King Edward street, South Dunedin, wa9 found dead in her bed on Saturday morning. Many years ago she was told by a medical man that a trouble from which she suffered would sooner or later affect her heart. She returned to her home on the Friday, and retired to bed apparently in her usual condition of health. She afterwards got out of "bed, took some medicine, and returned to bed. Her husband, Charles Wakefield, never thought there was anything serious amise, but when he awoke at a quarter to 5 in the morning he found hi 9 wife was dead beside him. At the inquest on Monday, Dr Gordon Macdonald stated that he examined the body of the deceased on Saturday and found no external marks

which would indicate violence cf any sort or anything which pointed to the cause of death. A post-moitom examination of the body showed that the right lung was adhering to the chest wall, levea-lmg old lung trouble. Attaching to the heart was a small hydatid cyst, and other organs wero similarly affected, while tuere was also fatty disease of the heart. He attributed death to heart failure, caused by fatty disease and aggravated by hydatid cysts touching tho wall 01 the lieari

coroner returned -a. verdict in ac with the medical evidence.

A Wellington wire advises the death of Mr Alexander Macdougall, late manager of the Greymouth-Point Elizabeth Coal Company ; aged 69. The deceased was manager of the Brunner mine in 1E96, when the explosion occurred there. An inquest was held at Temuka on tho 2nd concerning the death o.f a eld boy named GafFaney. The boy was riding 'on tho back of a Cambridge roller, and shifted to the front unknown to the driveir. He was jerked off, and the roller passed over his head. A verdict of accidental death was returned.