ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10485, 2 November 1901, Page 3

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Mr W. D. Canny was cantering along a road at Wangaratta (Vie.) when the cattle were being removed from the yards, and owing to the clouds of dust 'did not notice a. cow lying- on the road until quite close to it. His horse endeavoured to jump over it, but cow arose, and caused the horse to turn "turtle." Canny was picked up in an unconscious state. The horse was uninjured. The cow staggered to the side of the road and dropped dead.

Thorold Earl, aged 10, whilst out hird nesting, near Maryborough (Vie.), had a remarkable escape from being killed. He was accompanied by two other lads, and was examining a tree for nests. Earl stepped backwards, not noticing a shaft '50 feet deep, and fell to the bottom. Assistance was soon forthcoming, and the boy 'was, raised from the hold, when it was found that ho had escaped with a slight bruising of the shoulder and thigh. A couple of feet of mud at the bottom preventedserious results.

A painful incident occurred towards the- close of the O'Roilly trial at'Ballarat. When the police arrived at O'Reilly'^ hut at Invermay, deceased's sister, Julia, who was wanted as a witness, was found to be missing. Search in the neighborhood was made, and the •wretched girl was, after some time, found standing waist deep in a creek. She was at once rescued, but was unable to state how she came to be there. The opinion is that the girl became distracted as a result of the terrible charge which hung for many weeks over the heads of her parents.

A fatal mining accident occurred at one ' of the Chiltern Valley (Victoria) Gold Mining Company's shafts. The victim was a carpenter, Andrew McMillan, who was engaged, in the absence of tho regular pitman. A" heavy crosspiece fell from above and crushed him on the stage. Death was instantaneous. A clairvoyant, while giving an exhibition a few days previously, was asked a question by a member of the audience" as to how a big accident had occurred some time ago by .which a man named Peel was killed. She described the- affair in detail, and added that the dead man's mate would be killed by an accident very shortly. McMillan, as it happened, was Peels mate.