ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 13979, 12 May 1913, Page 4

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

AN' OLD WOMAN'S DEATH. (Per United 1 - Press Association.) WELLINGTON, May 11. Jane Hall, aged .7.6, an inmate of the Homo for the agod and needy; ■ died- on Friday night. She had had a paralytic stroke some , time ago, and another on Friday, but had recovered from thiseome hours before deatlr, occurred. The medical officer of the Homo is not prepared to give a certificate, so an inquest will be necessary. ■ KILLED BY PREMATUEE BLAST OP ■ GELIGNITE. ,-i. ; , , ' DUNEDIN,' May 11, While working at the north end of the Chain Hills, tunnel patting in gelignite plugs, the employees, named Harry Smith, received . such injuries as proved almost instantly, fatal. It appears that Smith was putting in the plugs, and another employee named Charles Gardner was pushing them home when from some un-accountable-reason .a premature explosion .took place and. Smith received the full force of a charge in his face. 'Gardner was knocked about a bit in the arms and ■breast, while two others named Baker and J. Hutchison received minor injuries. The express from the. south was stopped and all the men brought into Dunedin. Gardner da now. lying in the hospital, but it is not thought that his injuries are very serious. Baker and Hutchison, after being attended to, were able to go home. Smith was a single man and resided with his mother 'at Dockside, Caversharh. .. He was about 32 or ,33 years of age.. A PRISONER DROWNED. .INVERCARGILL, May 10. A . prisoner named Frank Peterson, aged about, 25, was drowned In the estuary this, afternoon., Ho was working on a bridge in, the estuary, and in some unaccountable way fell into- the water-and was drowned. The work) was, cohsidered quite safe, < and • operations had been carried on there for ovelr two years without accident. Peterson was brought from the North Is- , land, and was serving a sentence of three years. The body has been recovered. A COAL TRIMMER'S DEATH. . ' TIMARU, May 10. An inquest was held this morning into the death of Arthur Heading, aged 4,5, of London, coal trimmer, of the s.s. Zealandic. The evidence showed that on Thurslay, when descending to the stokehold, hje 1 had nearly .reached the, bottom of' the ladder whenslipped and fo'l, striking the edge of an iron door with his head; and' sustaining, such injury to the skill! 1 and brain that lie died in the hos--1 pital"on Friday. A verdict of accidental death was returned. Deceased was stated to have had some, beer before going down, and" the ladder is said to bo dangerously slippery. SUICIDE. CHRISTCHURCH, May 12., Alexander; C. Barrett, lately groom at local stables, was found dead at Avonside yesterday, a" bullet wound in his head, and a revolver by*his side.-