CHINCHILLA in 1880 and 1881

A terrible railway accident; several strange accidents; Sale of Chinchilla and Canaga Stations;.

Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), Saturday 17 December 1881, page 5

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT.

Our Toowoomba correspondent wires us the particulars of a shocking fatal accident which happened early this morning, on the Roma Railway, The telegram is as follows : — TOOWOOMBA, Saturday. "At 9 o'clock last night Thomas Gallagher and Patrick Talty, two lengthsmen, left Chinchilla on a trolly and proceeded in the direction of' Dalby. Both men were intoxicated at the time, and it is supposed had a supply of drink with them. They apparently fell asleep on the trolly, and the up goods train which left Toowoomba at twenty minutes to 2 o'clock, and which travels slowly, struck the trolly about three miles from Chinchilla. The train was at once stopped, and on examining the trolly and buffers of the engine, blood was dis-covered. The men in charge of the train then went back and found Talty frightfully mutilated, but alive; and further on they saw Gallagher. The latter was a ghastly sight. He was almost cut to pieces, and his bowels protruded; he was quite dead. Talty was brought on to Chinchilla station, and it was intended to send him to the Dalby Hospital by the Roma fast train, but he died on the platform just as he was about to be removed. "The ganger states that he did all in his power to persuade the men not to leave Chinchilla."

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Darling Downs Gazette (Qld. : 1881 - 1922), Monday 19 December 1881, page 3

FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT

A DEPLORABLE and fatal accident happened near the Chinchilla railway station on Friday night last, whereby two lengthsmen - Thomas Gallagher and Patrick Talty— met a violent death. It appears that both men had left the station about half-past six o'clock, whither they had gone to meet the pay train, on a trolly, with the intention of going to their camp in the direction of Dalby, one sitting on each side of the trolly, which they propelled with their feet. They were intoxicated at the time, and it is supposed that they fell asleep each, with a foot on the sleepers, thereby pre-venting the trolly from running down the in-cline, on which the accident occurred, about three quarters of a mile from Chinchilla station. The up goods train approached Chinchilla about eleven o'clock, and was travelling at the rate of eight miles an hour when the driver (Mr. Brown) and the fireman (Mr. Baxter) felt that the train had struck some obstacle, but which they could not distinguish in the darkness. The "cock-rod" of the engine having been struck by something the driver whistled "down brakes," and on the train slackening speed, Baxter got on to the splash board to try and discover the cause. He returned to the train, however, without having being able to learn anything, and the driver remarking that they must have struck a wallaby (which are frequently found on the line there) determined to proceed into the Chinchilla station, and pushed on. On nearing the station they missed the points, and the fireman remarked it to the driver who said they would go on to the ticket platform and then come back, but they almost immediately observed a "danger" signal being waved and stopping; were meet by the station master who told them of Gallagher and Talty having left on a trolly that evening and the trolly having just run up to the station without any occupants. The station master and driver at once took the trolly and after proceeding about three-quarters of a mile found the two men, Gallagher, quite dead, and Talty in articulo mortis. The unfortunate fellows appear to have been struck by the lamps of the engine, which were broken, Gallagher being nearly cut in two and evidently dying instantaneously, and Talty having one side of his face smashed, and other fatal injuries, as if he had been dragged some distance. He was still alive, but died on the Chinchilla platform about half an hour after being taken there. Both men, we understand, were married, Gallagher leaving five children, and Talty two or three. Talty had only on the day of his death received notice of his promotion to the charge of a length on the line. Kelly was the guard of the train, but from all we can learn no blame attaches to any one on the train. An enquiry is to be held.

[one of many reports of this accident, many with gruesome details]

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Western Star and Roma Advertiser (Qld. : 1875 - 1948), Wednesday 17 March 1880, page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL

At the Police Court, on Saturday, Thomas Fuller, on remand, was again brought before the Police Magistrate, charged with the larceny of a cheque for £17 10s., the property of Mrs. Browne. Sergeant Burke appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Salmond for the defence.

The evidence of Mrs. Browne, and. Mr. Martin Zerbe was taken, from which it appeared that on the lst January Mrs. Browne (who resides near the Taroom road) had placed the cheque with other papers on the table in her sitting-room, and when she went to look, for it some time afterwards discovered that the cheque was gone.

0n the 8th of the month the prisoner went to Mr. Zerbe's hotel in Taroom, 150 miles distant from Roma, and paid the cheque away. He afterwards took charge of a team conveying wool to Chinchilla, where he was arrested on the charge of stealing the cheque. When arrested prisoner denied stealing it, and said he found it about ten miles from Roma on the road to Taroom. He was committed for-trial at the next sittings of the District Court to be held in Roma on the 1st of April

Bail allowed.

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Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), Wednesday 9 June 1880, page 3

A peculiar Accident. — An accident of a curious, but painful and dangerous, nature occurred (says the Dalby Herald) to Mr. Robert Thompson, head stockman in the employment of T. S. Kelly, Esq., of Woomba Station, near Condamine Township, on the evening of Monday week. It appears that Thompson was drafting some cattle, and one bullock refusing to enter the drafting yard, he took up a peg used for pinning down the slip panels and threw it at the animal's head with considerable force; the peg struck the beast's horn and rebounded, the end striking Thompson on the left eye-ball. Mr. Kelly drove him into the Township of Chinchilla next morning, and telegraphed for Dr. Crosby to proceed to Chinchilla by the special train. On the doctor's arrival, he found the poor fellow in great pain, the organ being completely smashed up. The Doctor hopes to save the rotundity of the organ, although vision will be irrecoverably lost.

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Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), Monday 21 June 1880, page 2

PECULIAR ACCIDENT. :

Dalby Herald' of 'Saturday -19th :— '

A serious accident occurred, on Thursday morning to a young man, a Dane, employed on the contract for re-insulating the telegraph line near Chinchilla, he was waiting the arrival of the train from Blythedale, and casually picked up a small copper cartridge, lying in the sand near the railway station. Being ignorant of what it was, or its contents, he tried to empty it by probing it with a piece of wire, when suddenly it exploded, blowing off a portion of the thumb and two forefingers of the left hand. The cartridge or detonating cap, was evidently one used for blasting purposes, and had probably been accidentally dropped from a case. The sufferer was sent on by train to the Dalby Hospital and promptly attended to by Dr. Byrne, who yesterday considered it necessary to amputate the top joints of the thumb and fingers.

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Darling Downs Gazette and General Advertiser (Toowoomba, Qld. : 1858 - 1880), Monday 12 July 1880, page 3

. 'Accident near Dalby. —An accident of a serious nature happened to a young man, named Harry Davis, last week at Wambo. He was endeavoring to collect a draft of ' brombies ' (or unbranded horses) and when closing on them, a foal crossed the horse he was riding and to escape a collision, the horse suddenly swerved near a tree, sending his rider with full force on his side against it, breaking his arm and thigh. His companions removed him as carefully as possible, and under great difficulty to Chinchilla Railway Station. and he was sent from there by train to the Dalby Hospital, on Saturday morning, where he was attended upon arrival by Dr. Byrn and is progressing favorably .

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Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Wednesday 15 December 1880, page 3

Government Land Sales.

A SALE of the unexpired terms of leases of forfeited runs of Crown lands in the unsettled districts took place at Mr A Martin's auction mart, Queen-street, yesterday. The attendance was moderate, and the competition anything but brisk, except for one or two lots. The following is the result of the sale -

SURVEYED RUNS

DARLING DOWNS DISTRICT—Chinchilla, 140 square miles, upset £1, to Shillito and Jessop, at £2 1s ; Canaga, 32 square miles, to John Byrne, at the upset, £1 ; Tara, 27 square miles, to R. Mackie, at the upset, £1.

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Western Star and Roma Advertiser (Qld. : 1875 - 1948), Wednesday 21 September 1881, page 2

Roma, "Wednesday, September 21, 1881.

The up goods train due in Roma yesterday morning at 9 o'clock did not arrive until 1 o'clock. The detention was caused by the engine leaving the rails at Chinchilla. Fortunately no one was injured, and so soon as the locomotive was replaced on the rails the journey was resumed. It is hoped that so soon as the works of the extension are begun, the railway authorities will do away with this slow train and give us at least one fast train from Brisbane to Roma each day. It takes twenty-seven hours to come from Brisbane to this town by the goods train; that is dreadfully " slow" work, and has continued long enough.

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Western Star and Roma Advertiser (Qld. : 1875 - 1948), Wednesday 12 January 1881, page 3

A couple of weeks since a man named Long was attacked near Chinchilla with sickness resembling cholera. His face (says the Herald) assumed a livid blue color. He was immediately attended to by those about him and brandy freely administered of which we are told he had drank an entire bottle full, and, although a man not used to strong drink, this had no intoxicating effect on him. Long is now recovering.

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Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), Monday 21 March 1881, page 2

GOVERNMENT' LAND SALES.

The following land sales are notified, in the Government Gazette—

At Jessop's auction rooms, Dalby,.on April 27; 43 town lots, Chinchilla.

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Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Monday 18 April 1881, page 3

Official Notifications.

(From Saturday's Government Gazette.)

APPOINTMENTS.— Constable E. Johnson to be inspector of slaughterhouses at Chinchilla.

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Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Saturday 30 July 1881, page 6

Official Notifications.

(From to-day's Government Gazette.)

APPOINTMENTS. -……constable W. Donaldson to be acting clerk of petty sessions at Chinchilla ;

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Darling Downs Gazette (Qld. : 1881 - 1922), Wednesday 10 August 1881, page 3

OFFICIAL' NOTIFICATIONS.

(From Saturday's Government Qazcttt.)

Tenders Invited. — At the Education Office, for the erection of a State school and residence at Chinchilla.

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Week (Brisbane, Qld. : 1876 - 1934), Saturday 10 September 1881, page 7

OFFICIAL NOTIFICATIONS

(From the Government Gazette.)

The following tenders have been accepted:- for court house, Chinchilla, William Hodgen;

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Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Saturday 24 September 1881, page 6

Official Notifications.

(From This Day's Government Gazette )\

Reserves -For township purposes, 2560 acres, at the railway crossing, Charley's Creek, Chinchilla.

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Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), Saturday 26 November 1881, page 4

OFFICIAL NOTIFICATIONS

(From this day's Government Gazette)

State School.— A State school at Chinchilla has been authorised.

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Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), Wednesday 28 December 1881, page 2

OFFICIAL NOTIFICATIONS.

(From the Government Gazette

Reserves.— The following reserves are proclaimed

; for school purposes, county of Lytton, parish and town of Chinchilla, allotments 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, of section 2, 6 acres ;

for police purposes, county of Lytton; parish and town of Chinchilla, allotments 1, 2, 9, and 10, of section 2, 4 acres ;

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