FATAL ACCIDENT NEAR PEMBROKE.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 177, 1 April 1873, Page 5

FATAL ACCIDENT NEAR PEMBROKE.

On Thursday evening a • bullock-waggon capsized over an embankment about four j miles from Pembroke, Lake Wanaka. The I owner and driver, James Parkins, was crushed beneath the loading, and died shortly afterwards ; whilst another man, named Hogg, a sawyer from Lake Havvea, was so much injured that he had to be sent to the Dunstan Hospital. Our reporter visited the locality of the accident on Friday, and ascertained the following particulars. The waggon, which was laden with sawn timber for Mr Mihchinson, Cardrona, crossed the ferry at Albertown on Thursday forenoon, and remained at Norman’s hotel for some hours before starting for its destination. Parkins was accompanied by Hogg and another man, and all three were considerably the worse for liquor. About five or six miles from Albertown, near the first crossing of the Cardrona stream, the road leaves the terrace and drops to a lower level by means of a side cutting. The gradient is not a steep one, and the width of the cutting is amply sufficient to enable two vehicles to pass each other safely. But no man in his senses would attempt to drive a team of twelve bullocks, drawing four tons of dead weight, down such a cutting without the aid of a powerful brake. When the waggon reached the place described, Hogg was driving, and Parkins and the other man were sitting on the top of the load. It is not certain whether the brake was put on at all, but if so it must have been out of order, for instead of keeping the centre of the road in going down the cutting, the team had evidently been forced by the pressure from behind to run down the sloping bank on the near side, and the result was that the waggon capsized. The accident occurred about five o’clock, and some three hours elapsed before Parkins could bo extricated. A waggoner named John Mace, coming down j the Cardrona road about eight o’clock, found Parkins with only his head and chest free, the lower part of his body being underneath the loading. Hogg was severely bruised on the left thigh, and the third man luckily escaped injury. After removing the waggon and timber, the unfortunate driver was ! rescued ; but his injuries were so serious that he only survived a short time afterwards. Mr Mace, the carrier above referred to, rode on to Cardrona—a distance of about thirteen miles -to report the accident : aut i

obtain assistance. The night was very dark, and rain fell incessantly,—rendering the journey over such a road anything but safe or pleasant. Mace lost the track several times, but at last reached the township in safety. Constable Comyn,. accompanied by Mr Joseph Ewing, Mr - W. Colclough, and the carrier, sot out for the'scene of the accident about 11p.m., in a spring cart belonging to Messrs M'Dougall and Smith. They found Pirkips dead, and; Hogg suffering severely. No time, .was lost in removing tire injured man to Albertown, whither the body of Parkins was also conveyed. ‘ A, rpossage was sent to Mr Stratford (at Arrowtp.wn) on Friday morning, and that .gentleman at once started for,Albertown ahd held a coronorts inquest the same night. The inquest began at 11 p.m., and ended at halfpast two. A verdict of accidental death was returned by the jury. The remains of the deceased wese interred at Albertown the following day. Eleven pounds were subscribed for the benefit of Hogg, who was despatched for the Dunstan Hospital on Saturday, in a springcart kindly lent for the occasion by Mr H. Campbell, who also provided a driver for the conveyance. Parkins was well-known in the Upper Clutha district, and particularly at Bendigo, where he resided some years ago. His only relative in this Province is a brother, whose present address is unknown. The deceased was between 30 and 40 years of age. °