ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

Southland Times, Issue 18965, 13 June 1923, Page 5

ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES

SCALDING FATALITY IN FREEZING WORKS. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright). (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) SYDNEY, June 12. A blow-off pipe underground at Carcoar freezing works split on the underneath side for ten inches. A stream of steam and water, at a pressure of 150 pounds to the inch, spurted forth, making an excavation six feet in length, three feet wide, and two feet deep. Stanley Cowan, in endeavouring to locate the valve handle to shut off the cock, fell into the excavation containing hot mud and was scalded to the neck. He was taken to the hospital, where he died last night. Charles Arnold, engineer also fell into the hole and was severely scalded.

CYCLIST’S SUDDEN DEATH. (Per United Press Association). PAHIATUA, June 12. Walter William Webster, a married elderly baker, whilst cycling to business this morning, collapsed and expired before reaching the hospital POULTRY FARMER’S SUICIDE. ASHBURTON, June 12. Apparently worried over the purchase of a poultry farm and despairing of the future, James Moffatt, aged 40, a newcomer to Waterton, drowned himself in a creek. The evidence of his wife and stepson at the inquest was to the effect that deceased rose at 6.30, kindled a fire, put on a kerosene tinful of water for mixing the fowl food and went into the yard. The wife, two hours’ later, when searching for duck eggs, found him lying on his back in two feet of water. Deceased was inexperienced in farming and worried over his purchase. He regretted taking his wife into the country. A verdict of suicide while temporarily insane was returned. CYRIL WHITAKER’S DEATH. CORONER’S VERDICT. AUCKLAND, June 12. At the Coroner’s inquest on Cyril Whitaker, who died in the hospital following a fight with Tom Heeney, a verdict was returned that death was caused by haemorrhage of the brain caused by a rupture of a cerebral vein on the right side, the walls of the vein being very thin. The Coroner (Mr McKean, S.M.), said the contest was conducted in accordance with the regulations. The contest appeared a perfectly clean fight. It was one of those unfortunate happenings that occurred from time to time.