DROWNING AT NEW BRIGHTON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5428, 2 December 1895, Page 4

DROWNING AT NEW BRIGHTON.

Yesterday morning a lad named Thomas Curties, fifteen yeara of atre, brother of Mr Walter Curties, of the late firm of Adams, Cartiea and Co., was drowned at New Brighton under very painful circumstances. He lived with his brother in Worcester Street Lin wood. About half-past eight o'clock he and two companions of about his own age, named Henry Billoliff and. Reginald Gee, went to bathe in what is known aa the Basin, in the Avon, near the island at New Brighton. On account of the nature of the bottom, this is a dangerous place for bathing, and' a board bearing an announcement to that effeqt is erected near it. Curtiea, who' could not swim, was wading, when he suddenly stepped into deep water and sank. When he rose Billclilf attempted to save him, but he seized Billoliff and both went down together. They rose and sank again, and en coming up the second time Bill cliff broke away and got to shore. Curtiea then went down the third time, but did not again come up. The third companion, Charles Graham Lamb, gave an alarm, and two young men, named Lee and Watkins, Btripped and dived in, but failed to obtain the body. Mr C. Cnrtia came with his boat, and several residents and volunteers from the Engineers' camp came to assist. About nine o'clock. Borne twenty minutes after the unfortunate lad had sunk, Sapper Capstick dived, . and, with considerable difficulty, brought up the body out of ten feet of water, about fifty yards below where the accident occurred. Meanwhile two young men, Messrs Lee and Bain, went to the telephone bureau to inform the police. They state that Mrs Sefton, whom they saw there, said that she could not take the message unless they paid sixpence, and that, as they had no money on them, they had to telephone from the Hotel.! Mra Sefton afterwards Bai'd that the boys misunderstood her, and she telephoned to Chriato'hurch herself. In the meantime, a number of the Eogineers having failed to restore animation. Mr W. J. Stratton arrived and applied the Sylvester method of artificial respiration, but also without avail. No medical man had yet appeared, but shortly after eleven o'clock Mr Walter Curties, who had been informed of the occurrence arrived on his bicyole, and telephoned from the hotel to Dr Ovenden, while a New Brighton resident, Mr A. Wyatt, sent a telephone message from the bureau to Dr Murdoch. About half-past eleven o'clock Constables Plewellen and Kelao arrived- from Chrißtohurob. They were unaccompanied by any doctor, and were; apparently, under the impression that title body had not been recovered. It appeared that the telephone message, as received at the police station, had not made it clear that the services of a medical man would, be of use. .At five minutes past twelve o'clock . Dr Murdoch . arrived, bat after working for some time in endeavouring to restore animation, lie pronounced life extinot. Drs Ovenden and Palmer, who came about a quarter of an hour afterwards, could only confirm that opinion. Dr Murdoch commended Mr Stratton for the measures he had taken. Great credit is also due to the volunteers, who worked hard for over three hours, under the direction of Captain M'Gee, trying to bring the unfortunate lad back to life. The body was taken up the river in a boat and taken to the New Brighton Hotel. It was afterwardß, by permission of the Coroner, removed to Mr Walter Curties' house in Worcester Street, Lin wood. A very painful impression was created by the long delay which took place before medical aid arrived, though it is doubtful whether, had the doctors been informed earlier of the occurrence, they could have saved the lad'alife. DEATH UNDER CHLOEOFOEM. j On Saturday morning a girl eight and a half years old, named .Ruby Janet Coates, the daughter of Robert Coates, of May's Soad^off Fapanui Road, died whilst an operation was being performed on a growth on her throat. Drß Manning and Brittin were in attendance. The latter administered" the chloroform, while the former performed the operation. An inquest wbb held on the body of Euby Janet Coates,(on Saturday evening, at the residence of the parents, May's Road, before Mr R. Beetham; coroner, and a jury, of whom Mr J. Jackson was chosen foreman. The evidence -of the medical men, Drs Brittin and Manning, who had performed an operation for the removal of a growth in the throat, showed thai; every care had been taken, and that the child had died after the operation. The jury returned the following verdict : — " Ruby i Jane Coatee, being under the, influence of chloroform duly and properly administered by two medical men, for the purpoee of an operation, died while under the influence of the drug by misadventure, and further the jury sees fit to add that neither of the afforesaid medical men was in any way to blame tHerefor." Yesterday morning the eldest Bon of Mr J. Ashley, station-master at Lyttelton, met with a nasty accident by falling over a bank. The boy fell ott the stump of a tree, and inflicted a rather deep wound in his head. Yesterday evening the sufferer was doing fairly well.