An accident of a far more serious form occurred at the houses already referred to as being built in Eversfield place. This was on the 9th of July, when a young man named Henry Tapp, slipped from his position whilst hauling up a piece of timber, and fell between the joists, a distance of 16 feet, thus receiving a severe fracture of the ulna and ribs, and injuring the scapula. His case at first was thought to be all but hopeless, and although he recovered and was able to work, he did so under crippled difficulties.
Another personal mishap occurred on the 27th of August, when a man named Coot was severely injured by a mass of earth falling on him, & hurling him down a distance of 9 or 10 feet. He was standing near the railway line at Bopeep when the earth was sent adrift by an explosion of gunpowder by which the workmen were separating some rock. On the same day an accident occurred at Hastings, but which is described under a similar heading in the next chapter.
Injury to two workmen occurred on the first of September, by a large fall of earth at a cutting of the still unfinished line between St. Leonards and Battle.
A perilous position was that which was experienced on the following day (Sept. 2nd) by a young man who had rowed out from land with a stiff N.E. breeze, and was unable to return against wind and tide. Seeing that he was being carried away in a S.W. direction, two boatmen rowed to his assistance and overtook him after a chase of several miles. The incident should be an object lesson to inexperienced rowers.
Through getting jammed between two waggons at the Bopeep cutting of the South-Eastern Railway, Charles Morris, aged 28, was obliged to undergo the amputation of one arm.
More railway accidents occurred near the same place in December. On the 14th, when James Chapman, aged 30, sustained a fractured thigh while at work on the South-Eastern line; and, four days later, James Turner, and aged 50, was buried by a fall of earth, and when dug out, one leg was so crushed as to require amputation.
A severe accident occurred on the 17th of December to a young gentleman named Pepys, son of the Countess Cottenham. A horse on which he was mounted started off from the Marina, and on reaching Warrior square threw its rider and kicked him with his hind legs. Bleeding and insensible, the sufferer was carried into the corner house (now the East-Sussex Club) which had just had then been purchased by the Rev. G. G. Stonestreet. Two doctors were sent for, who after dressing the young man’s wounds, had him taken to his residence.
A railway labourer, named William Martin, fell over a cliff on the railway line, north of St. Leonards, on Sunday evening, Dec. 21st, and broke his thigh. His cries attracted the inmates of a neighbouring hut, who came to his assistance. He was taken to the Infirmary, where the fracture was restored by Mr. Savory.
