Accidents and Fatalities.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4582, 2 March 1893, Page 4

Accidents and Fatalities.

An inquest touching, the death of:. Mrs Elizabeth Jeffs, who died very suddenly at - her residence on Tuesday evening, was held at Coker'a Hotel yesterday evening before Mr E. Beetham, Coroner, and a jury of whom Mr John Naßh was chosen foreman. Evidence was given by Dr Thomas, who made a pOBt mortem examination,* deceased's husband, Martha Homer and , G. Bonnington. The jury returned a verdict of " Death from natural causea.'". Two people have died at Gornaldwood, a mining village near Wolverhampton, under extraordinary circumstances. Owing, it was supposed, to the eecape. of carbonic - acid gaß from neighbouring pits, several houses have been pervaded with noxious vapours. On the night of Jan., lo Sarah Ann Jones, a young woman, , was seized with convulsions, and died in a few hours.; Her mother also was found struggling in : convulsions, and a cat and several fowlß and pigeons were all dead. On the follow-. ing Saturday Martha Jones, grandmother of Sarah Jones, died. The • Coroner's jury in the case of each of the two women returned a verdict of " Death from congestion of the lungs, caused by the inhalation of carbonic acid gas." About a dozen people were stated to ba still suffering' from the effects of the gas, which is believed to have exuded from the coalmines' : into the cellars, of the houses inhabited by .those affected. ' •• ;: : ■,-.i^i v