SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1522, 7 December 1886, Page 2

SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

A very serious accident happened yesterday morning at the site of Mr Hayhursl’s new mill at Smithfield, the victim being a man named Charles Claridge. A large pit has been excavated where the water-wheel will be placed, and across this was placed a staging of four pieces of scantling, and a pump had been rigged up for the purpose of raising water to mix concrete with. the bottom of this pit Claridge and several others were at work yesterday, and shortly before 11 o’clock a couple of tons of earth aad gravel fell from the north side of it. In falling this struck the iron pipe of the pump, and the pump in turn struck the staging, and the whole fell. Those above gave a warning to those below, and ail but Claridge managed to get out of the way of the falling matter. The poor fellow did attempt to get out of the way, and stepped slightly aside, but he then appeared to become paralysed, and one of the pieces of scantling struck him fairly across the head. A terrible wound was inflicted, and there wa? a great flow of blood. All haste was made in getting him to the surface, and he was at once placed in Mr J. Hayhurst’a waggonette, and, supported by Messrs Lynch and Hobbs, driven by that gentleman to Dr Hayes residence at Temuka. Dr Hayes at once took steps to arrest the flow of blood, and discover the nature of his injuries. He found a wound almost across the centre of the head, extending from the forehead to the back of the skull, and a little to the left of this, on the fore part of the head, a depression of the skull on the brain of about the size of a crown piece. The doctor hastily decided it would be better to send the unfortunate man to the Timaru Hospital, and after everything possible had been done for him he was conveyed thither in Mr Nicholas’ drag, accompanied by Mr G. Lynch. The unfortunate man must have been bareheaded whan struck, as his bat was after picked up unmarked. He was quite conscious when be reached the doctor's, and also when. he got to the hospital. He has a wife, who is in delicate health, and three young children dependent on him.