ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12584, 14 October 1911, Page 5

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

(Per Press Association.)

WANGANUI, this day. ! At an inquest on Frank Thorn as, injured on the sth inst., and who died m the hospital, a verdict was returned that he died from injuries received m a railway accident, caused by his own want of care.

' Southland papers give particulars of a .very serious accident which occurred to ; a- farmer's son- He and a younger brother were ploughing m a paddock. By some means he lost his hold of one of his * plough-lines, and m hfs endeavor ?tjo regain possession of the liife without shopping his horses he jumped on the plough, and slipped down, and'the coulter cut a gash into the side of his knee, slicing off a piece of the joint bone. ' A miraculous escape from a fatal accident occurred \at the Waipawa railway* station when ' the express was leaving for Napier last evening. Just as the train moved an elderly man,, named W. Robb, who had been saying good-bye tip friends on board, stepped from the carriage m the wrong direction — that is, with his back to the engine. The, consequence was tliat he missed his foo£i|ig, stumbled, and fell between the' gjatform and the moving train. The occurrence was witnessed by the assistant guard (Mr L. Hammond), who, with admirable presence, of mind, sprang, to the rear of the carriage on which Jie wass ' and applied the Westinghouse brake,. Tliis brought the slowly -.moving train to ' an abrupt standstill 'within a few yards. The dangerous predicament of the man had been witnessed by the local police constable and the stationmaster, and when the train was stopped they pulled him up on. to the platform iv a dazed condition. His coat Avas torn from his back, and his face and head were badly gashed, blood flowing profusely from his wounds. It was impossible to tell at the moment whether he had been badly hurt, but he was taken into the station m order that his injuries might be attended to. It may be imagined what a close call he had when it is said that there were scarcely two inches between his head and the moving t'.p.iiv His head and body were struck by the' passing woodwork of several of the carriages. The proiqpt action of the assistant guard (Mr L. Hammond) certainly saved the man's life.