ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 683, 7 December 1909, Page 7

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

GENERATOR EXPLODES. A SHOCKING DEATH. (Bj TclcEranh.—Press ABflnclatlonl Palmerston North, December 6. .An .explosion of acetylene gas, with shocking results, occurred in Church Street East on Saturday evening; Edward Mundy. a lad of fourteen-.years.' - -of age, being, killed almost instantaneously;. He was a son of Mr. James, Mundy, bootmaker, and, being of a mechanical turn-.;of.' mind, had made an acetylene gasgenerator out of an oil drum, which fitted loosely into: a circular tank filled with water. The gas was, used tb light up a small'cinematograph apparatus which deceased had. , -It ' appears; that just after , six- o'clock deceased and-.his brother William were attempt--, ing to light a tube fixed to tho end of an oil drum when the explosion occurred. Tho deceased . must.-have..been.' leaning ■ over- tho' generator, at the time, for the top of the oil faum'.tfas Jjlown- out,',,and ."struck him in the face, indicting terrible and fatal injuries. .DecoasedVarm'was also' broken by the explosion.-. '- .- .

. The-top of the -oil dram struck the roof of .the • shed,.-with tremendous force, taking •' a : piece out of the rafters, and lifting-the iron oil tho roof.

. Deceased's-brother had a very narrow cscape. . ,Ke -had his .hand/ near the generator ■when .the .explosion. occurred,..and- received-a ve™ severe injury to hia right hand. . Dr. OBnen was called in, and found decosed just breathing his last..: --At an,inquest this morning; the verdict'was that.. deceased; ,was; killed accidentally ; by- an explosion, of; acetylene gas. *

SEIZED .WITH CRAMP. , /By Teleuraph-Proas ,4as.*lßtlon.l .. ■ Wantjanui,-December 6. A young man named W. Hosier had a narrow escape. from, drowning while bathing in the rivor ; -yesterday. He is an expert swimmer, having won many races; in tho Old" Country. - °; d"ed .off a .boat, : and after . boihg ■ in > the water half .an hour was - seized with cramp and remembered nothing until he found-"him-self jn.ntyd.--.'A lad named. Neilson, who was bathing- with llasler, saw tho latter sink, after coming; to.the surfaco onco.or twice, and dived after him. others; camo to'his assistance, and Hasler was . brought, ashore unconscious. ' ReBuscitative work was applied for half an hour and Hasler recovered.

A SUDDENLY SWOLLEN RIVER. - nl . T . . Pahiatua, December 6. ■ Oliver Johnston, aged about 25,. a single.man and,a rabbiter by occupation, .was drowned in the Aohanga Biver at the orossing to Handysides- about, nine o'olock last, night. ' Ernest tooling, a shepherd and a single man, was drowned in the same river at Waiotiaki ford about .ten o'clock last night. The river was Hooded on account of the heavy thunderstorm which poourod yesterday afternoon alone the Puketoi Range. "

. , A CURIOUS ACCIDENT. A purjous acoident happened to a little boy 2?med Clarence Deeprose, .after playing in a held at Ninfield, near Boxhill, says the "Dannovirke Advocato." : It is supposed that ho tolt-tired, lay down, and went to sleep. A grass-outting machine drawn by two horses came along, and before the driver knew or saw tho child,, he was caught in tho machine, and-the toes of, one foot and the heol of .the other were: out off..:"The boy, who is only four-years old, was taken to the hospital at I where one-foot had to-be ampu-

SUDDEN DEATH. :Word has beeu received by the police of tho, sudden death' at Flaxbourno on Saturday of a .3-year-old boy named Clifford Graham ■u Nab.

DROWNED IN OPAWA RIVER, : Advice has been received by tho -polico from Blenheim that a young man named Arthur .William Tolhurst. 23 years of age, was drowned while bathing in the ■ Opawa' River on Sunday afternoon. Deceased, who was employed as a shepherd, was a native of Noiv South Wales. J ,

AT lURORI. A labourer named Adam Swallow, 37 years of ngo, residing at No. 53. Thorndon Quay,' had ono of his legs broken whilst working at Karorv'yesterday. He was '.admitted to tho hospital for treatment, •

INJURED ON THE . WHARF. ■■ : ;A',married man. named Edward■ Butler, 31 years of age, met- with a serious accident whilst working, on the wharf yesterday.- It appears; that 'Butler; was standing on a plank over a vessel's hold handling coal baskets whon'> bnsketful of coal hit tho plank and dislodged: Butler, who . was ' precipitated into the vessel's hold. His left log and two of his ribs were broken, and ono of his ankles was dislocated. Butler resides at No. 01 Adelaide Road. ■