SERIOUS CASUALTIES.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1042, 27 October 1877, Page 2

SERIOUS CASUALTIES.

RATAL ACCIDENT AT ASHBURTON. An accident, unfortunately attended by fatal results, occurred at the Racecourse on Thursday, to Mr E. Corbett, sou of Mr Corbett, of Ashburton Forks. Mr Corbett, junr., was riding about the course when Ins horse tripped and threw him, Mr Corbett falling heavily on his head. He was taken up in a state of unconsciousness. Dr. Stewart, who wus on the ground, attended to him immediately, and had him removed to his home, where, notwithstanding the unremitting care and attention he received, he expired about 1 a.m. on Friday. An inquest will be held on Saturday. PAINFUL ACCIDENT AT ELLESMERE. In returning from the Ellesmere Show on Thursday last, Mrs McLachlan, her friend, two children, and man driving were thrown from a trap, through encountering a horseman who could not avoid the collision. Beyond the usual effects of such a fall, there was not any injury, except, unfortunately, to the children, one of whom had his collar bone, and the other a rib fractured. The occurrence being close to Dr. Chapman’s gates, that gentleman was immediately in attendance, so that no serious consequences are to be feared, SAD ACCIDENT AT LYTTELTON. A serious accident happened in Port yesterday afternoon aboard the Pet, barque, lying alongside the No. 3 Wharf. It appears that the men, who had been working coal out of the barque’s hold, knocked off work at 5 p.m. There were six hands below, four of whom caught hold of the chain and hook used for hoisting the coal buckets, and the other two clinging on to the two lowermost men in order to be hoisted on deck by the steam crane, which is a usual practice. Below the main hatch, where they were working, the coals had all been cleared away, the ship’s kelson being bare. They were all hoisted up to a level with the combings of the main hatch, and Hie two uppermost got off, but the others were unable to hold on any longer, and the whole four were precipitated a distance of at least seventeen feet, falling right across the kelson. By a miracle the one beneath suffered hardly any injury, and the uppermost one was little hurt; but the two others were not so fortunate—one named George Bostig bad his thigh broken, and the other, Fisher, snapped his wrist, and was badly cut about the face. Dr Rouse was speedily on the spot ami attended to the sufferers, who under his care were removed lo the casual ward and attended to, It is to be hoped that this accident will call attention to the bad practice of being hoisted in this dangerous manner, and that the authorities will stop it. In several other ports in the colony very similar accidents have occurred through the same practice, and the means of access 10, or exit from, the holds of vessels would seem lo require to be as much a matter of regulation as gangway and lights.