DISTRESSING ACCIDENT.

Te Aroha News, Volume XII, Issue 1762, 24 August 1895, Page 2

DISTRESSING ACCIDENT.

W(E)regret to have to report a very ' distressing accident which occurred on Thompson’s Track on Tuesday morning last. It appears that the Foreman of Works on the track, Mr Mullinger, was assisting one of the men to fall a tree on the Gordon Settlement section of the works, when the accident occurred. The tree striking another in its descent, the butt glanced off the stump and slid back with tremendous force striking Mullinger on the left leg, just above the ankle, breaking it, and causing a very nasty wound, which bled profusely. A stretcher was at once procurred and the sufferer taken to the nearest place, Katikati, a distance of five miles, which was reached with great difficulty, the men in some places having to cut their way through the bush. A telegram was at once sent to Dr Wright, of Waihi, who wired back that he was unable to come. A message was then despatched to Dr Porter, of Tauranga, who lost no time in answering the call, and arrived/at Katikati about 5 o’clock. Owing to the serious nature of the wound another wire was sent to Dr. Wright; and as he did not arrive, and mortification setting in the next morning, Dr Porter found it necessary to amputate the leg below the knee. The sufferer is now doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances. Several of the men who were living close by, had a very narrow escape of being killed, as no sooner had they left tToir tents than the tree came crashing down smashing the tents into atoms.