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The Morning Bulletin,
Tuesday 21 October 1884 The severe, and in some instances fatal, accidents that have been caused in the vicinity of Rockhampton during the last few weeks by the falling of trees have been far in excess of the number for some time past, and would seem to point to the conclusion that the warnings have not been sufficient. Our readers will have a vivid recollection of the accident to a poor fellow at Westwood, who was struck by a falling tree, and lay dazed and insensible, and exposed to the weather for many hours, until his absence was noted, and search made for him; and also of another man engaged in such work—felling trees—in the same neighbourhood, who was killed instantaneously by a blow to the back of the neck by a falling limb. To these we have to chronicle another fatality from a similar cause. The sufferer was an old man about sixty-five years of age, named Hannibal Hosking—a native of Cornwall—who had been in the employ of Mr. J. A. Summers, gardener, Limestone Creek. On Friday Mr. Summers was burning down trees on his homestead, and was assisted by the deceased, who, becoming thirsty, asked his employer where the Billy was, and being told, went towards a tree that was being burnt, about seventy yards distant. Mr. Summers continued his work, and a minute after Hosking had gone he heard the tree fall, but did not think of leaving off work to examine it. After a lapse of half-a-minute one of Mr. Summers’ sons asked him if he had seen the deceased since the tree fell, and as if impelled by a feeling that the poor old fellow had come to harm, he told him to run to the tree and see if he was there. On arriving at the spot the lad called his father, and on Mr. Summers joining him he found Hosking in a state of insensibility, with both legs broken, and a large wound in the head. He was unable to answer Mr. Summers when spoken to. He was carried into a shed, chlorodyne administered, and a vehicle got ready for his removal to the Rockhampton Hospital. He expired just as a start was being made from the scene of the accident. Mr. Summers lost no time in reporting the occurrence to the nearest magistrate, and on Saturday an inquiry was held by Mr. J. Murray, J.P., at Limestone Creek. The witnesses examined were Mr. Summers and Mr. A. W. Thompson, a selector in the vicinity of Limestone Creek, from whose evidence we take the foregoing particulars. Hosking had been in Mr. Summers’ service for eighteen months, but had been known to that gentleman for five years, and he had written to his brother and sister who live in Cornwall. No one seems to have seen the fall, and it may be that Hosking, being very deaf, did not hear it coming. This supposition is borne out by the fact of there being a wound on the back of his head. The Brisbane Courier,
Friday 24 October 1884 ROCKHAMPTON Contributed by Bob Bolitho |