Two Shocking Accidents,

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 203, 30 December 1893, Page 2

Two Shocking Accidents,

A shocking gun accident occurred. at Moonlight, near Maryborough, recently, the victim being a boy named Peter Yranzigan, age 412 years. Vranzigan and his brother, John, aged 15, had borrowed a double? barrel muzzle-loading gui> from, a neighbour, and proceeded to a house occupied by a fanjjly named Silver, about a mile away, to get the two Silveriioys to accompany them on a shooting excursion. Previous to calling at the house they hid the gun in a corner of a fence, and after waiting some minutes Peter Vranzigan went for the gun, and in drawing it from the fence a bramble caught the hammer and it exploded, the contents of one barrel entering the left eye of his brother, who was standing 20 yards away. The Silver family went to the injured boy's assistance, but he was unconscious, and died shortly after. Bentley, from whom the boys obtained the gun, states they were in the habit |of borrowing it, and had it twice within the week, and that he had not used it since. A miner named John Lathby had a terrible experience at the Lady Barkly mine, Bendigo, on the 27th ult. He was engaged with a mate named Irwine sinking a winze below the 1030 ft level, which was 50ft deep. Having charged two holes with rackarock, Irwine went up, lowering the rope to Lathby, who, after sending up the tools, tied a water keg to the end of the rope, lighted the fuses, and then, hanging on to the rope, was hauled up to the ladders, which were lift above the bottom. Leaving the rope, he continued his ascent by the ladders. When the rope parrying the keg got near the top Qf the winze the keg caught in some obstruction, and, foiling, knocked Lathby off the lad: der to the bottom of the shaft, a dis : tance of 40ft. Not losing his presence of mind, he pulled out one of the fuses, but before, he could get hold of the other one chaise went off, Lathby was found by his mates *nrr" sitting posture, covered with blood. His nose was sp|it down the centre, his left leg was broken v\ three places and he hud sustained numerous other injuries.