ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 645, 23 October 1909, Page 10

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

A SHOCKING OCCURRENCE,

WOMAN PALIS FROM A RAILWAY ;>:; ■ CARRIAGE PLATFORM. ..

I,; . ; : (By,■ Toloffraph-Prosa Association.) > . Christchurch, October 22. shocking ; accident occured on tho main ■6onHi.lmo-.thw afternoon. Among the passengers who left for- south by tho mid-day express, wwrMrs. Somerfield, wife of the utahonnaster at Rakaia. When tho train was be<tween: Islington and Tompleton, Mrs. Somorfield fell or tho carriago platform-and sustained dreadful ; mjunes from which sho must have speedily succumbed. "Tho wheels passed over her legs, completely severing one foot and almost severing the' othor. leg. Details of tho accident are extremely meagre. The first news received in Christchurch about it was telegraphed from Rakaia. Tho body was found lying oh the rails by a railway employee' named William Workman. Ho informed Con-' stablo M'Donald, of Islington, of tho occurrence, and tho constable brought tho body to town. Fuller details of tho sad affair show'that deceased was formerly ,Miss Lyons, of Auck-land,-aged about 95 years.' .It appeared that tho unfortunate woman was crossing from a carriage, to'the,dining-car. and in attempting to grasp the hand-rail, slipped and fell feet foremost between tho carriages on to tho lino. Death ;was probably instantaneous, five cars passing over tho body. The accident was witnessed by George Baker, head waiter of tho dining-car. Ho stated that it took placo when tho train was proceeding at a medium pace, about three-quarters'of a milo north of Templeton. .:■: -. - -'-

; .-v.}/-. found, drowned; \' : .-. '. 'V ■■'■;Wanganui, October :22. rAn inquest was held to-day on tho body of a middle-aged man, named John Gibson, which was. found in the river. A verdict of found drowned was returned. ..The body had been about,ton days;ra: the water,mid thcro was no evidence to show how it got. there. ':. ■:;.■ FATAL FIRE: THE INQUEST. ■■•'. ;-.-,■ (By TelegraphJ— Special Correspondent) '■'.'' ; ' : ';; "■:■:■-:■'■■-■■■■■: : -;'v>" Napier, October 22.'' ,-.; An, inquest was held '. before Mr,-. Brabant coroner,- to-day, touching tho death of Thomas Ker, who mot-his death in a fire in the Westcourt boordinghouse on Thursday morning. .:'ihe- evidence, went to-show that the proprietor ; and his wife thought, that Ker was safely out of the house. The proprietor added there; was no fire escape rope' at the window in deceaseds room. A rope was not considered necessary; owing.to tho'closo:-proximity of • the ladder.fire escape. The inspector had never qiwstionedahis. After hearing 1 the evidenco, the coroner: stated, that .it was proper to remark that ;the. police had not -brought any .'evidence, as-to the.', origin .-'of tho fire in tho boordinghouse,on that" night.; Tho inquiry was simply as to ~;.the cause of. ; the death of the .unfortunate man who- l lost his life, and it would, of course, bo open to them to inquire into the causeof the lire if they thought fit.' jNp; evidence was given, as-to the fire being ...or ..otherwise, • but there was no evidence '.to 'throw':; any ;'blamo.' iipon anybody for; the-death. • It out in evidence •that -a .rope was missing in • deceased's room which was. m all the other rooms, and' was "•was,afire-e;scape,-.but it had been proved Uiat'the.borongh inspector..was quite,satisfied with the escapes m- case of -fire. '••;rhß_cbroner:r'eturned a-verdict';that deceased diedj.from suffocation, by smoke,, there being no ..evidence, o . show whether the fire was accidental or otherwise.'. , . -.;. •■

: SKELETON . FOUND AT OTAKI' ; ' ■.', 'Ellison received ■telegraphic advice last, night, that , the skeleton of ! ™ • LT" ;'^/ oUml nt + ? ta l i afternoon under a tree near tho beach. She had ao■parently some-montL, ahd thew was. nothing, to. identify -tho, body.' It is sun &■*? :h *'H- oi ■■*»"»"* Homi, wio #£ appeared, some;'timo'aßo. .A =ear<'h «.». ;„ ;stituted,:;b,.t-,without result Jt it sated a " l6 . £ V a P?"? 1 '- ' whi «!l». contained an Island- Bav .address...; The connection ot this incident wit? -Siahed;