ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 226, 6 January 1911, Page 5

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES

A MAN DROWNED. By Telegraph.—i'ress Association. Palmcrston N., Thursday. A single man named John Dickson, 35 years of age, wag drowned in the Manawatu River at Moutoa this morning. The body has been recovered, but no further detaiis are at present ascertainable. SUICIDE AT GISBORNE. Gisborne, Thursday. A man named Sunkel, aged 26 years, committed suicide at Tokomaru Bay by taking laudanum. A SIMPLE FATALITY. Dunedin, Last Night.

An accident which occurred at Kaitangata in December terminated fatally in Dunedin Hospital to-day. A gin named Elizabeth Leitch, aged 11 years, was playing hopscotch near her parents' residence. The lines -were indistinct, and the girl's little brother was marking them in with a hayfork. She tripped on the fork, and fell, and one of the prongs entered her left eye. After receiving medical attention for a week, she seemed all right, but she subsequently complained of pains in her head and was removed to the hospital. The cause of death was an abcess on the brain. A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.

Masterton, January 4. A wagon driver named Cobb had a miraculous escape from being killed yesterday. He was driving a wagon-load of wool from Blairlogie to Masterton, when, in coming down the hill, the brake of the wagon gave way. He turned the horses into the hillside, and the impact of the wagon caused the ropes to break and several bales of wool to fall. One bale struck Cobb on the •houlder, and pinned him to the seat. He was, however, rescued fromTßs perilous postion by a passer-by. His shoulder was broken, and he was otherwise injured.

A CORONER'S RIDER. G-isborne, Last Night. At an inquest to-day on the body of the man, Charles Paulson, killed on the wharf yesterday whilst working in the hold of a lighter by a sling of salt falling on him, the Coroner returned a verdict that deceased was accientally killed. The Coroner added a rider that he was of opinion that it was the duty of all shipping companies and others to periodically examine and test all slings and other appliances used in connection with the shipping and discharging of cargo, for the purpose of ascertaining whether they were of sufficient strength for the purpose for which they were required. The Coroner also expressed the opinion that if such precaution had been taken in this case the death of deceased would probably have been averted.