The Reporter

Southern Cross, Volume 2, Issue 9, 2 June 1894, Page 9

The Reporter

RAILWAY COLLISION IN A MERICA. A SOUTHLANDER AMONGTHE INJURED. A few weeks ago we made a short extract from a letter in the Riverton Star in reference to life in America. The ■writer of this was Mr Jas. Clarke, formerly of Gummies Bush, and more recently of Seattle, Washington District, U.S. Before leaving here he was engaged in the Invercargill Railway Locomotive Department, and on reaching America he followed the same occupation, and has been for some time acting as enginedriver one of the great railway systems of the Republic. News was recently received by his friends that he had met with a severe accident in one of those terrible railway collisions so common in the States. The following reference to the occurrence is taken from an American exchange ; —Dr Allan, the Northern Pacific surgeon yesterday performed at the Fannie Paddock Hospital a difficult operation on Jas. Clarke, the engineer who was injured on his locomotive several days ago. Clarke had suffered a severe fra dure of the head, just behind the right ear, and was in a comatose condition before the operation was performed. His skull w r as trepanned, a portion of the fracture removed, and the depressed portion of the bone elevated. The operation was entirely successful, and Clarke experienced immediate relief. A physician who was present stated that the fracture wnsthe worst he ever saw.” In a letter to his friends Mr Clarke, whose recovery was for a

time very doubtful, writes in a wonderfully cheerful mood considering what he has gone through, expresses his gratitude to the attending physicians for their great skill and attention, and makes special mention of the manner in which the superintending surgeon of the Northern Pacific Bailroad handled the case, one evidently of exceeding delicac'y,*and calling for the possession of the highest skill. Mr Clarke adds that it will probably be a year or more before he is able to travel.