Clutha Railway. — The piercing of the Caversham tunnel was effected on the 26th, the workmen on both sides meeting at three o'clock. As showing the exactitude of the driving, we may mention that the error in line and levels did not exceed one inch. This result, which is almost unprecedented, is to be attributed to the care and skill of Mr Adam Johnston, the assistant Government engineer, who has had charge of the work. -Tuapeka Times, 3/10/1872.
Births, Marriages and Deaths
On the 9th September, at Cargill street, Mrs Adam Johnston, of a son. -Otago Daily Times, 2/10/1873.
It is with much regret that we have to record a very serious accident, to which a fatal issue seems almost certain, which happened at Milton last evening to Mr Adam Johnston, Resident Engineer there of the Clutha Railway. Mr Johnston had quite lately gone to live at Tokomairiro, and he was making preparations to take up his residence there, with his family, in the house formerly occupied by the Rev. Mr Stanford. He had been negotiating ahout the purchase of a horse, and had two on trial, the one being in a paddock adjoining his new house, and the other on a neighbouring farm. He went to fetch the latter horse to put it into the paddock beside the other one. On going over a creek he jumped on the horse's bare back, and is supposed to have ridden in this manner for a few hundred yards. It is helieved that his horse then shied and threw him. He fell upon his forehead, and received concussion of the brain. Up to 8 o'clock last evening, when a telegram was received just before the office closed for the night, Mr Johnston remained insensible, and no hope was entertained bf his recovery. -Otago Daily Times, 23/1/1874.
THE ACCIDENT TO MR JOHNSTON.
(From the ‘Bruce Herald.') Of the numerous accidents which have occurred in this district within the past few days, the most painful and distressing is that which befel Mr Adam Johnston, Resident Engineer, in the service of the General Government, on Wednesday evening. The whole circumstances in connection with the accident are not yet fully known, and it is possible they never may be so. The main facts, however, are the following: — Mr Johnston, having recently been promoted to the rank of Resident Engineer, secured the English parsonage here as a residence, and to which he had only removed his family during the day. He apparently had been on the look out for a new horse, aud one had that day been sent him on trial from Waihola, and left in charge of his father-in-law, Mr Robert Forsyth, Arnha’, only a short distance off. Mr Johnstone went for the horse in the evening, and left, leading it by the bridle, about eight o’clock. In the other hand he carried a can of milk, which had been given him to take home. The horse was without a saddle, and as Mr Johnston left the remark was made that he would have to walk all the way, to which he replied that he would at least ride through the ford, Salmond’s Creek, a short distance off, on his way home. In a little afterwards Mr Johnston was found lying at the roadside by a boy, who communicated the tidings, and Mr Forsyth and others were speedily on the spot. They found Mr Johnston quite insensible, much bruised, and apparently in a dying state. A horse was got with all haste, Mr Fergusson was sent for, and was shortly in attendance. A door was procured, and on it Mr Johnston was carried to the parsonage. Upon examination, the doctor found a pretty severe grazed wound upon the forehead or left temple, the left shoulder bruised, and other bruises upon the left side. Concussion of the brain had also taken place, and the whole of the left side was completely paralysed. [We regret to learn that Mr Johnston died this morning. — ed, E. S.] -Evening Star, 23/1/1874.
The funeral of the late Mr Adam Johnston, Civil Engineer, took place on Sabbath afternoon, at 3 o'clock, when the largest assemblage at any funeral that has taken place in this locality met together to pay the last tokens of respect to his remains by following them to Fairfax Cemetry, their resting place, until the trumpet shall sound and the dead be raised. The sudden and painful circumstances attending his death were in more than an ordinary degree calculated to call forth the sympathies of the community, but when to that has to be added the universal respect in which Mr Johnston was held as a private gentleman, and also as a most valuable public servant, we were not surprised to see such a large attendance, not only from the Tokomairiro district, but also from Dunedin, Taieri, Waihola, Lawrence, and Balclutha, a circuit of forty miles around. About six hundred persons followed the remains to the grave. Mr Johnston had only lately arrived from Dunedin to reside here, having been appointed Resident Railway Engineer, although he was known to many previously when acting as a surveyor. The night of the accident we believe was to have been the first night he was to have slept in his new home. Regarding the accident itself, full particulars will be found in our report of the inquest, which appears in another column. About forty gentlemen came from Dunedin by coach and private conveyances, numbering amongst them the leading professional men and members of the civil service, both General Government and Provincial, with whom Mr Johnston had long been a fellow worker. No stronger proof of the high estimate in which he was held could have been given than this fact, that every member of the Government staff that could possibly get away was present. We heard Mr Blair, General Government Resident Railway Engineer for Otago, and Mr McKerrow, Chief Surveyor, speak of him in the highest terms of respect for his private and personal worth and, as to his professional ability, express the opinion that had he been spared he was certain to have reached the very top of the tree; that his death was a great public loss as well as a private one. Amongst those from Dunedin, we observed several of the office bearers and members of Knox Church, of which congregation Mr Johnston had been a member, and had taken an active interest in the young as a Sabbath-school teacher, and as a member of the Young Men's Association in connection with that church. Mr Johnston has left a widow and two children to mourn his untimely end. His age stated upon the coffin was 35 years. The Revs. Mr McAra (Mr Johnston's brother-in-law) and Mr Chisholm conducted short but impressive and appropriate services at the house and at the cemetery. -Bruce Herald, 27/1/1874.
The news of Mr Adam Johnston's accident and subsequent death caused deep heart-felt sorrow to his many friends in Dunedin. Not only on his immediate personal friends, but on all who had ever heard of his worth, did the news fall heavily, for his loss is a loss to the Province of a highly skilled engineer, a generous hearted gentleman, and a true Christian. I do not record this opinion of his character on hearsay; I knew him personally and honored him for the many amiable qualities of mind and heart which those who came in contact with him could not avoid detecting. It is scarce possible for me to realise the fact that he has gone; so short a time has elapsed since I last spoke with him, and stood beside his tall form. Strange it is to see the good, the noble, and the truehearted called away, while the useless are left to cumber the ground. We know that a wisdom higher than ours directs these matters; but, alas! this knowledge cannot make us forget the friend who has been so suddenly snatched from amongst us. We may bow our heads in submission while our hearts are heavy with sorrow; we may try to bear the loss of an honored friend patiently, but it will be a long time before we can bring ourselves to think painlessly of all his virtues; of all his kindly words and actions. Time, with healing on its wings, may by and bye banish the acute pain which the sudden death of the late Mr Johnston inflicted upon the hearts of his relatives and friends, and then they may be enabled to speak of him calmly; to dwell tenderly, and without pain, over the recollection of his former doings and sayings, feeling comforted the while by remembering that "dust was never committed to dust with a more certain hope of a glorious resurrection" than was that of Adam Johnston. To an aching heart, the following lines of the poet Nicolas are peculiarly soothing: —
High thoughts!
They visit us
in moments when the soul is dim and darkened;
They come to bless.
After the vanities to which we harkened;
When weariness hath come upon the spirit —
(These hours of darkness which we all inherit)
Bursts there not through a glint of warm sunshine,
A winged thought which bids us not repine?
In joy and gladness,
In mirth and sadness,
Come signs and tokens;
Life's angel brings upon its wings
Those bright commings
The soul doth keep —
Those thoughts of Heaven, So pure and deep!
[We regret that we are obliged to hold over the remainder of our Correspondent's letter till next issue.] -Bruce Herald, 27/1/1874.
We understand that Mr Paisley, C.E., who arrived a few days ago from London by the ship Salisbury, has received from Messrs Brogden and Sons the appointment of Superintending Engineer of the Clutha Railway, in the room of Mr Adam Johnston, whose death by accident — through a fall from his horse — was reported a few days ago. Mr Paisley proceeds to-day, by the p.s. Paterson, to the scene of his future labours. -Wellington Independent, 27/1/1874.
Adam Johnston's widow died more than 60 years after him. As far as I know, Margaret Johnston's gravestone is the only memorial preserving the memory of her husband.
No comments:
Post a Comment