The poor fellow was taken to the Infirmary where he continued for a considerable time in a precarious and almost hopeless state.
Fatal Accident On the 24th of June, a man of the name of Burt, while assisting in gathering up the last load of hay on the West Hill, was thrown off the waggon by a sudden movement of the horse. A serious injury was inflicted on the head and spine of the unfortunate man, who was taken to the Infirmary, but died on the following day.
A Gun Accident of a serious nature occurred at Battle on the evening of the 11th of July, by which an alarming injury was inflicted on a little girl, 8 years of age. The child thus injured was the daughter of Mr. T. S. Hide, assistant Town Clerk of Hastings. A son of Mr. Matthis, about 7 years of age, having been enquired for the little girl bounded out of the room, saying "I'll find Freddy for you" and immediately encountered the charge of a gun by the undesigning "Freddy", who it was supposed had taken up the weapon from some place, where an older member had inadvertently left it. On rushing to the spot, Mr. Mathis found the poor child on the ground with her neck, chest and face blackened with powder and covered with blood. The cuticle of the face had been penetrated by the grains of powder and on the left side of the neck were two frightful wounds of almost a finger's length. Two Battle surgeons were quickly in attendance, and soon after another surgeon from Hastings, together with the child's father appeared on the scene. The child's sufferings were great, and for two or three days, her life was despaired of.
Numerous Accidents occurred during the week which ended on the 23rd of August. Besides the case of poor Hilder, the flyman, described in the preceding chapter, there were the following:- A gentleman fractured a leg by slipping down a bank at the Dripping Well. A carter of the name of Horace Quaife, whilst endeavouring to stop a run-away horse, was thrown down, and so much injured, that he afterwards died in the Infirmary. Mr. Sparks, of Mercatoria, was seriously injured by falling from a window, and a lad named Page, fell out of a boat off Hastings, and was rescued from drowning by two fishermen.
Horse Accidents would make up a tolerably long catalogue of casualties during a year; yet, are they thought but little of in comparison of railway accidents. Two of such casualties are described above, one of them having proved fatal to human life. Three others took place within a few days afterwards. A horse belonging to Mr. West, received a fright in Havelock road on the 27th of August, and after galloping at full speed into Castle street, overturned the van to which it was harnessed, and caused considerable damage to both the van and a carriage with which it collided. The latter having been changed by the owner for another, the substituted carriage was also run away with by the horse to which it was attached. The third horse accident was of a more serious character, but as occurring in St. Leonards, is -
