ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2792, 9 June 1916, Page 6

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

DROWNING ACCIDENT. A drowning accident, the victim of which lias not been discovered, occurred f in rather an' unusual way as the Tarawera was leaving the outer tee of the Queen's Wharf shortly after 10 o'clock last , night. The .ship was backing oufc from the berth, the vessel's stern being well out, and the bow quite close to the wharf. A man was observed by the feu onlookers to hasten along the wharf, with the evident intent of getting aboard the ship. Tho bow-line was lowered from the fo'castle head, whioh the man immediately caught hold off, and apparently hooked his leg over the loop. Meanwhile the ship was backing further j away from the wharf and into darkness. Witnesses on the wharf, stated that as far as they could see the man was hauled | up the side of the ship until close to the anchor, and then, they heard the cry "Man overboard [" No one on the wharf saw the man. actually fall, as th'e ship was by that time too far away. The Tarawera immediately returned to her berth, and it was learned that on the alarm being given tho third mate, Mr. P. Ishister, at once secured a lifebelt and jumped into the water. He was, .however, unable to reach the unfortunate nian, who sunk out of sight when separated by not more than twelve feet from him. A boat from a coal-hulk which was lying, at the inner tee of the Queen's Wharf, was very quickly on tha scene, and after picking up the plucky mate searched the vicinity without sign of the missing man. The identity'of the victim is quite a mystery. Captain Ritchie, master of the Tarawera, stated that his vessel was about three lengths away from the wharf, and going astern when the alarm was given. He had no knowledge of who or what the man waß. The Tarawera departed for Napier a few minutes afterwards. . AN INQUEST. At-the inquest on the body of Wilfred - Theodore Wilcox, schoolmaster at Maisriceville West, who was found dead in Masterton on Wednesday morning, a verdict was returned of death from natural causes. The relatives •of the deceased residfi in tho Auckland district. ACCIDENT AT GOVERNMENT PRINT- ■ , ING OFFICE.' A workman named William Shenther, in the employ of Sanders Bros., contractors for the erection of the new wing to the Government Printing Office, had a nasty fall from that building at about 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon. The injured man, who resides at 183 Thorndon Quay, was at once removed to the Wellington Hospital, where he was found to have sustained injuries to his head, believed to be not of a serious nature. He was quite conscious last evening. KILLED INSTANTLY. By Tek'sjraph—Pi-'h * ' Auckland, June 7. Henry Johnson, a married man, was killed instantly by the collapse of a derrick used for transferring cement from the steamer Mahurangia to the steamer Westralia. . ; DIED IN THE STREET. Masterton, June 8. An elderly man named John Molloy fell dead in the street to-night. He had bee." subject to fits. FOUND DEAD IN BED. - By Telegraph— (Special Correspondent/ Masterton, June 7. Wilfred Theodore Wilcox, 33 years of age, school teacher at Mauriceville West, was found dead in bed in a- Masterton boardinghouse this morning. He had. been ailing for some time. He enlisted in tho 9th Contingent, but was discharged after undergoing an operation.