ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4855, 22 January 1894, Page 3

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

+ [Special to Pbkss Association.! MELBOURNE, Jan. 22. A locomotive on the Healeville line exploded at Ringwood station, severely damaging the station and another engine which was standing near by. The driver and fireman had a miraculous escape from death, but the former was badly cut about the body.

An inquest wan held at tbe Doncaster Hotel, Waahdyke,on Saturday, before Mr C. A. Wray, coroner, touching the death of the infant son of Frederick and Susan dates. The evidence of the parents showed that the child was in good health, and was all right when the father went out to work on Friday morning. The mother stated that she washed the child and put it to sleep in a swinging cradle, covering it with a piece of muslin to keep off flies, and went about her work. She was very busy, and beyond thinking that the child was Bleeping a long time, Buspected no danger. Shortly before noon she looked at the baby and found it lying with its face in the soft pillow, dead. Her husband came in and he at once telephoned for Dr Eeid, who, however, could do nothing when he arrived, half an hour later, the child then having been dead an hcur and a half or two hours. The jury found that the child had been accidentally suffocated. The parents were greatly distreased while giving their evidence, and the coroner expressed sympathy for them. The father, Frederick Catea, is a cooper employed at Mr W. H. Clark's wool works, and resided in Ohristchurch until, about sir months since. The Southland Times says :— Captain Laycock, of the Australian coasting steamer Barabool, who was lost overboard last week, had a presentiment that he would meet his death by drowning in the vicinity of Gabo Island. He had a dread of this part of the coast owing to the very heavy weather he had encountered there at different times during his long experience in the coasting trade. Captain Laycock, who was about thirty-eight years of age, wag very popular with the travelling public. He had the habit of walking with his hands in his. pockets in all weathers, I and it is supposed that he had been going I down one of the ladders when the steamer gave a heavy roll and that he toppled over. An inquest touching the death of the infant child of Ada Kerrison was held at the Crown Hotel, Sydenham, at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon, before Mr R. Beetbam, Coroner, and a jury of whom Mr T. Hancock was chosen foreman. After a short deliberation the jury returned a verdict that the child was born dead. Last evening a boy named Victor Freeman, aged nine yearß, broke his left arm in Selwyn Street, Addington, through running against a bridge leading into his father's garden. The little fellow had the injured arm attended to at the Christchurch Hoapital.