FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 924, 29 November 1910, Page 3

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

MAN RUN OVER NEAR SHANNON.

Patrick McGinn and C. B. Gray, two employees ot Potter’s flaxrnill at Koputaroa were making tbeir way homeward on Saturday night, and had reached a point where Coe, a storekeeper at Koputaroa was killed last May. It was midnight and probably they did not expect trains and were making 1 heir way along the rails, when at about a mile short of Shannon a ballast train came up. Gray got clear, but McGinn was run over, one leg being completely severed and the other almost so. The sufferer was immediately picked up and conveyed in the train to Shannon whence the stationraaster telephoned to Palmerston and Levin for medical aid. The injured man was conveyed to the Otaki Hospital, and the remaining leg was amputated and the shattered portions of the other, but McGinn’s injuries were too severe and he died at 4.30a.m. on Sunday, Deceased is understood to have relatives at Christchurch whence he came recently.— Manawatu Times.

From enquiries we have made, it appears that the deceased, Peter McGinn, and Carl Bell Gray had spent the afternoon in Shannon, and when making their way home had walked along the railway line as it was a much shorter cut than the road. They left Shannon about n o’clock, and when they got about a mile down the line Gray suggested that they should have a rest, seating himself at the same time. Deceased replied, “ I think I’ll battle on,” and walked a few yards further on, and then also sat down. Gray went along to where deceased was sitting, and gave him a drink of beer out of a bottle which he had in his posssession. Apparently both men then went to sleep, as Gray remembers absolutely nothing until awakened by the train and hearing a shout of “ man hurt,” and saw the railway officials gathered round. On lying down, deceased must have laid with his legs across the line, whilst Gray was just clear. It was just about midnight when the accident occurred, and the train was a ballast train proceeding from Otaki to Dongburn, in charge of Guard Harvey. Upon the unfortunate man being picked up it was found that bis left leg was completely severed just below the knee, and the right leg, just above the ankle, was hanging by skin and muscle only. The man was quite conscious, and asked to be shot or given poison. The severed leg could not be found, but was picked up by Constable Sweeney the following day. The injured man was put into the train and taken to Shannon, where the Stationmaster got into communication with his head office, and instructions were given for the train to return to Otaki in order that McGinn could be conveyed to the hospital. Devin was also communicated with for medical assistance, and Dr McKenzie joined the train at Devin and did all that was possible. On arrival at Otaki, the man was immediately conveyed to the hospital, where an operation was performed, but the injuries sustained were so severe that the man died at 4.30 o’clock. The deceased was a single man, about 30 years of age, and is understood to have relatives in Christchurch.

An inquest was held at Otaki on Monday, befote Mr W. C. Nation, when the verdict that deceased met his death accidentally through being run over on the railway line between Shannon and Koputaroa. was returned.