ACCIDENT IN THE DUNSTAN GORGE.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 136, 18 June 1872, Page 5

ACCIDENT IN THE DUNSTAN GORGE.

H EMMY'S MAIL-COACH CAPSIZED i INrO THE MOLYNEOX. I. . « A dire disaster happened to the mail-coach ' en, route from Cromwell to Clyde on Thursday I evening. In consequence of the heavy snow i storm which prevailed in the Lakes district i ou Wednesday night, the coach was delayed ■on its journey from Queenstown, and did I not reach Cromwell until nearly seven in the j evening. On arrival here Mr Henry, the I mail contractor, who was driving, rested the horses for about an hour, and started for ' Clyde about eight o'clock. The only passenj ger was Mr Wm. Barlow, lately storeman to |Mr W. Shanly. The moon, though past the | zenith, was yet high above the western horizon, and the coach proceeded steadily on its way, at a slow rate of speed, until it had reached about half-a-mile beyond Elliot's Half-way House. At this point the road takes a sharp ! turn to the left, crosses a small gully, and then turns to the right—thus : jf\. The upper side is walled in by a high bank, and on the lower side is an almost precipitous i descent of over a hundred feet into the river. While the conveyance was traversing thi3 dangerous part of the road, which is barely wide enough to allow of the passage of a single vehicle, one of the horses shied, and the coach was immediately overturned. Mr Henry, being on the off-side (nearest the (river), was thrown down the declivity, and quickly found himself struggling in the river : below. Fortunately, however, he was carried I inshore by an eddy, and regained a footing on tana Jinn i. The coach was still hanging on the verge of the declivity, and Mr Henry I called out to Mr Barlow to hold on to the horses. It would appear that Mr Barlow | was unable to do this, for Mr Henry had 'just time enough to plant himself under a rock near the water s edge, when the coach aid horses came tumbling down the bank aid over his head into the river. Hearing one of the animals snorting in the water, Mr Henry surmised it had freed itself from the ; conveyance and was swimming with the current. This surmise proved to be correct, for on the following morning the bay horse was seen standing on the opposite side of the I river, about a couple of hundred yards below tie scene of the catastrophe, with the collar and traces still attached. Mr Henry saw nothing more of his passenger that night, and ! making his way buck to Elliot's, he gave the j alarm, and Mr Elliot despatched a messenger to Clyde for the police. Sub-Inspector 'Moore and Sergeant Slimy at once started from Clyde in search of .Mr Barlow, for whose safety grave apprehension was felt. They I were out all night, and succeeded in recovering some of the mail-bags, but saw nothing |of Mr Barlow. However, on arriving at Champagne Bill's on their way back to Clyde, they learned that the object of their search had arrived there, and though very much | bruised, had escaped any serious injury. \ He had not, as was at first supposed, gone I down the bank with the coach, but had contrived to get clear of the vehicle in time to save himself from almost certain death. Mr ; Henry was also much hurt, and we believe I still suffer j considerably from the effects of bis terrible fall and subsequent inmiersi m in the icy cold waters of the Molyneux. It is just possible that the other horse (a grey) | may have also effected a landing, but up to the time of our going to press nothing had been beard of his recovery. The mail from Cromwell for Dunedin was not lost, as was supposed : it reached its destination in duo time. The Queenstown and Frankton mails for Dunedin were found caught on a dredge rope ; opposite the Beiigerburn on Saturday. Four l other mail-bae;s are still missing. Before leaving the subject of the unfortunate occurrence above related, we take the opportunity of urging upon the Government the neeessitv of immediately erecting a substantial post-and-rail fence, or dry stone I dyke, along the narrow and dangerous parts lof the road through the Dunstan Gorge. Some such protection is imperatively required, and if not soon provided, it is very probable we may have to record the occurrence of other and perhaps more serious :v> | cidents. An important cure by the use of n.illoicaifa Pill*.~ -Extract of a letter from a gen lenian resi lini,'at St.. Ihdier's, addressed to the Editor of the Mi.'r.irtlt'J,;-* //, dated .tune ISfh. ISi7 : "Sir, for sfime tmi'J I hwe suTere 1 from a severe nvilad'-, for which I sought the advice of the most eminent of tiie facultv, hut to no purpose, i resolved therefore land in sheer despair. 1 to give llolinvay's Til's a trial; by the use of I one box I form I myself bettor, and by a short | continuance of this inappnciable medicine, 1 was i perfectly cured, to the great astonishment of my noighbouis, who suppose! that I could not pos- : aihly have reeoveru 1."