DEATHS FROM SUNSTROKE

DEATHS FROM SUNSTROKE.

SPOFFORTH.  At Spofforth, an old man named W illiam Bulmer, about 70 years of age, residing at Sicklinghall, a shoemaker by trade, was reduced tosuch a depth of poverty that he had tasted nothing for three days. He got work in a hayfield between Spofforth and Wetherby, belonging to Mr. Bewes, on Tuesday. When the other men went to dinner, he, feeling unwell, said he would remain in the field until they came back and brought his dinner. On their return it was found that the old man was dead, it is supposed from sunstroke. His body turned quite black.

MALTON. Three cases of sunstroke are reported from this district. On Tuesday as George Bridgeman was driving a mowing machine on the farm of Mr. Coulson, on Langton Wold, he suddenly fell from his seat. Mr. W.T. Colby, surgeon, of Malton, was quickly sent for, but on Wednesday the man still laid almost insensible and motionless. The two other cases occurred on Tuesday afternoon, both in the hafield in Ryedale. It is rumoured that one of the men is dead. The highest temperature in the shade has been: Sunday 85 deg., Monday 85 deg., Tuesday 90 deg. (at Slater's, Malton, 92 deg.), and Wednesday 84 deg.

MIDDLESBRO'. On Tuesday afternoon, a fatal case of sunstroke occurred at the Clarence Ironworks, owned by Messrs. Bell Brothers, at Port Clarence, near Middlesbro'. A man named Michael Downey was pursuing his usual occupation of filling ironstone from a keel upon the river Tees, when he fell down insensible, and was carried to his home. Medical attendance was procured, but the poor fellow remained insensible, and died in the course of the evening.

SKIPTON. Tuesday was one of the hottest days ever known in this district. The coroner had five deaths on his list from sunstroke.

SEDBERGH. On Tuesday morning, a labouring man named L. Greenbank engaged in a hayfield on the farm of Mr. C. Gosling, Dent, was smitten by sunstroke, and became unconscious immediately. Dr. Swain, of Sedbergh, was summoned at once, but arrived too late to be of any use; the poor fellow died almost directly he arrived--about three p.m. The unfortunate man was forty-one years of age, and leaves a mother who was dependent on him for support. On the same afternoon, a man named F. Veitch, belonging to Penrith, but engaged with Mr. Capstick, near Sedbergh, was struck, and, though not killed, Dr. Inman, who was called in, pronounced him in such great danger that his wife was summoned by wire.

WENSLEYDALE. In this neighbourhood the recent hot weather has caused no less than eight deaths. At Caldbergh, two miles from Middleham, two men were making pikes in a field, when one of them fell down in a fit, and in twenty minutes afterwards was a corpse. His name was William Stubbs, aged about forty years. In the same neighbourhood the wife of Francis Yeoman was taken from a field in which she was working in a helpless condition, and is not expected to recover. At Swineside, a servant girl, daughter of Mr. Milner, the schoolmaster at Horsehouse, whilst in the hay field was taken suddenly ill and died during the night. A man named Anthony Weighill, in the service of Mr. Charles Blenkinsop, farmer, constable Barten (Burton?), was mowing, and shortly after partaking of a pint of beer suddenly became ill and died, whilst another servant swooned. At Hawes a man from the west country died from sunstroke; at Gale a woman named Mary Metcalfe fell a victim to the same affliction; two men, one named Metcalfe or Blundell, in the employ of Mr. Hall, farmer, Marsett, and the other named Thomas Atkinson, in that of Mr. Scarr, farmer, Holmes, Askrigg, have met death under similar circumstances; and a navvy is also reported to have been overpowered by the sun, and died on the road in the neighbourhood of Hawes.

WETHERBY. The men and women engaged in haymaking at Wetherby House have suffered greatly from the effects of the heat, and many were obliged to leave and go home to bed. Mr. Geo. Precious, publican of Wetherby, who was overlooking the cutting of his hay, was overpowered, and is still in bed from the shock.

Further deaths from sunstroke are reported from Blackburn, Stalybridge, Liverpool, Shrewsbury, Fifeshire, &c.

York Herald, Saturday, 26 Jul 1873, page 7