Accidents.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 134, 19 April 1900, Page 3

Accidents.

CHRisTcmmcH, April 16. 'Joseph' Watson, a labourer, about 45 -.ears of age, met with a frightful death -at tbe Ohriatchurch railway station on Saturday night. He endeavoured to ««et cm to the 6 o'clock train for LyttelUon while "the train was in motion, and ..fell between the carriages, but caught Siold of a guard iron. Two young men .ou the footboard of the carnage got .hold of Watson and held him up for >over 300 yards, but eventually he -slipped out of his coat and fell under ithe-wfeeek of the carnage, wtoch massed over him, killing him instantly, "iisbody was fearfully-mangled, and ..one arm was euo clean off and left jammed between two rails. Sergeant -iuggan and Constable Worsley, who on the station, picked up the remains and convdyed them tto the lEailway Hotel, where they await an linqueßt. Watson leaves a wife and "family. At the inquest to-day, the evidence sghowed that" deceased tried'to get mi tthe train when just starting, and ; apparently raietook the space between itwo carriages for the platform, and fell between them. He hung on to the , guard iron, two passengers held him <up for some distance, when he slipped through his coat and fell under the wheels. There was no means of ■ communication with the driver •or i guard of the train. None of the rail- . way officials appeared to have -seen ithe man on the station platform. A -A verdict of accidental -death was re- * turned. The foreman said that the I'jury would not add any ridar. They ' felt that they could not blame the railway officials, and yet they could not exonerate them.

•"altogether OAMAfcU, April 17. 'A man named Richard Direen was 'ailed on the railway 'at Deborah -last ' night. His hat fell off while the engine Has shunting, and he got off to pick it up. While doing so the carriage > moved and the wheels passed over him. '^The hat was under the carriage.

-DtmiißiN, Aprilll7. As the coach from Alexandra was co i.i. y »o" n Allens Hill, sis miles 'j'->\: ]'. !■ 'ill, sast night, the axle "jiok... via tue coach turned over. The '.ing 1 Milf 'fiuie out and the horses oolted u if 1 - --carriage, dragging "the driver • < ucDonald) for 1-00 ;yards, but he escaped unhurt. The Jpassengers oa the box were Messrs W. »G. Seill, Harmati Reeves, H. S. Fenand H. R. Law. They are all "*?ell known in mining .circles in -Dunedin. Neill was crushed under the coach and his neck broken. Mr W. Absolomon Smith, of Dunedin, who an inside passenger, had an arm ■broken and his back hurt. The others, including ten ir.side passengers,' Were much shaken but not seriously hurt.' 'Two of the horses were Trilled. The injured passengers were brought into ■Roxburgh. The accident occurred seven miles iirotn'Roxb u-gh, and it is surprising Hhat more of the 14 on board were not seriously injured or killed. Five of the} passengers were on the box seat. Tbe front near wheel came off, and the •oowsh-fell on that 'side. Mr Neill when falling apparently caught the guard "sail, and was thus swung under the '• coach. The rest on the outside jumped • off. The coach was pulled along some fliatauce, when the kingbolt came out ' and the horses bolted with the fore- ' carriage. The driver was dragged for ■ about IO'O yards by the.reins. Those -in the iinside had to be taken out, no Kght task, before Mr Neill could be -taken from under the coach. It was 'at once seen that he was dead. The driver is considered a most careful aian, and the passengers say that he is -in no way responsible for the accident. $ome of thejpassengers came to town-

The inquest was opened at Euxburgh, but was adjourned to enable -tbe jury to visit the scene.