ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 7, 3 January 1913, Page 5

ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES.

FATAL HORSE ACCIDENT

(Per Press Association.) Christchurch, January 2. Frederick Joseph Clark, a resident of Spreydon, died yesterday as the result of injuries incurred while unharnessing a horse. The animal took fright, knocked Clark down, and dragged the cart over him. MOTOR LAUNCH FATALITIES. I Pahiatua, January 2. It is believed four men were drowned by the capsizing of a motor launch on tiie Akitio coast. A party left Aohanga yesterday for Castlepoint. The launch was found on the beach, with no trace of the occupants. The names of the men were;—Alexander McKenzie, Alexander Duncan, Sam Potangaroa (a native), and James Powers (a half-caste). A Melbourne message states that the Kabu o-—via East Coast, but saw nothing +I IO launch or its occupants. Search parties have set out. RAILWAYMEN KILLED. Invercargill, January 2. John D. Blackmore, checker in the Railway Department, was knocked down by a train in the railway yard this morning, and almost decapitated. His death was instantaneous. Deceased was 45 years of age, and leaves a widow and seven children. DIED IN GAOL. Wellington, January 2. Michael Malone, who appeared in Court on Wednesday on a charge of being helplessly drunk, and was remanded for medical treatment, died in the gaol this evening. SUDDEN DEATH. Gisborne, January 2. The District Coroner has been advised that Walter Clough, 35 years of age, died at Wairoa this evening as the result of injuries received when working on the harbour works. This morning Clough was engaged with a number of men stripping over the top of a papa quarry, and a slip occurred, throwing Clough off a ledge. He fell 70 feet to the bottom of the quarry, and his back was broken. He was a native of Victoria. While two small boys, aged about 10 years, were playing about in the water at Shelly Beach on Saturday morning (states the Auckland Star), one of them, a boy named Jones, living in Hackett Street, was carried out into deep water, and would have been drowned but for the prompt assistance of Mr A. Farquhar, the keeper of the baths. The boys were paddling at the west end of the beach, which is separated by the baths from the main portion, anjd they seem to have been the only ones in the vicinity. The boy Jones ventured out to sail a model boat, and was carried away by the tide, which was just about at its height, and was running very strongly. Mr Farquhar, who was in his office at the baths, heard the other boy crying out, “He’s drowning! He’s drowning!” The boy was about 50 yards out from the shore, and was just being carried out round the end of the reef, which projects at the end of the beach, when his rescuer reached him. He was under the water, but before diving in Mr Farquhar had heard the boy on the beach cry, “He’s hanging on to the boat,” meaning the model, and was thus able to locate him. He was grasping the string and the boat had just enough stability to keep him from sinking. A moment or two more and he would probably have lost his grip in unconsciousness, in which case he would have sunk to the bottom. By the time he had returned to the shore with his burden Mr Farquhar was utterly exhausted and could not lift him out of the water. The other boy, whose name is Jonas, here displayed great resource and presence of mind. He helped to drag his chum out of the water and immediately put hie folded coat underneath him, the first essential in resuscitating operations. Others had by this time come to know that there was something wrong, and assisted in the bringinground process. In a short while the boy came to, and was afterwards sent home.