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Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 89, 14 September 1868, Page 221

Roeotonga.— Captain Heymet, of the Kate Grant, informs us that-tlie missionarj located at Rarotonga is teachingtbe natives there to ; use various kinds of warlike weapons, and drilling them as soldiers.!—New Zealand Herald, 20fch- : August. (■ > - '■ -

Sch AT?EB, THE Tbatbixtsk —Mr Schafer, the' German traveller, who is making a tour’through New Zealand on foot; arrived here last evening by tfie- p.s. Royal Alfred, from Shortland; Mr Schafer will/we understand, shortly return to the Thames, and continue his travels into the interior.—-New Zealand Herald,'2oth August.- - The Society Islands.— By the arrival of the schooner Kate Grant, after a long cruise amongst the islands, we learn that a very valuable discovery of gold has been made at Rapa, one of the Society Islands. A large number of Europeans are already on the diggings, and it is said are doing well;; One pevsonhad found a miggefc of solid gold which weighed nearly one pound. Captain Hey met informs us that coal -has also been found at the Society group.—New Zealand Herald, 20th August. • - Sad' Accident.— A most melancholy accident, and' one showing remarkable heroism on' the part of a little girl, occurred on ; Sunday at the Leamside Station of the North-Eastern Railway. Leamside is the station for the Durham- city and the Auckland Valley. About noon on Sunday anr engine arid tepder - entered the station from/Yo k. Ori ’ rounding the r curve at the south end of thb platform the fireman observed four children on the line nearly at the: other end of the platform. ’ They at' onoe put on : the breaks/shut off the steam,, reversed the engine, and sounded both thistles loudly; The noise of the whistle appears to have been the first intimation the - children had of the J approach . of the engine. One little fellow of four years old was seen take to. liia heels - and make towards the end of the platform where he could escape from danger. : He ; was folio wedby 'an 'elder girl- of nine years,.-who'also: appeared to have a fair prbspririt- (of -escaping. 7 -Two little' ones,, howeyer—a boy'arid: a girl—were’, between themetals, ‘ahcTriiakirig/witk feeble 'steps rails/and the -- platform, which was r too high: at'that place for them to, mount. $-8 the elder girl neared the rind of the platform she '-looted' back and' saw the ‘danger of. the two’ little ones' behind, and with a sudden.impulse she turned backarid ran to them. She got toi them and hud* died them in between Herself .and thri platform when the engine-reached -the group, the connecting rod. striking her arid throwr ing; the three children bn to the ground. Meanwhile the little fellow, whb had dashed off, at the. .first .alarm, had almost reached the endrof that portion of the plat^orin 1 sloped- 'low; enough for - him ,to strip' up.' 'Before' He' could rriacH' it, how®TOJN the engine overtook: him, the connecting,rod struct him a fearful blow on the head and "knocked him on his back. The erigine was brought up a few feet from the. bridge. : It immediately returned to the spot, where a. most: sickening sight was presented to those who ran down from the: bridge; First,the body of the boy Hia- head which brought hiria backwards over—-a deep gash, as if-the head had been completely cut in two, showing where the r< ?d had struck the poor child.’ 'He. was quite dead, having been apparently killed on the spot. About -ten yards further along th® platform lay .the other three children. The elder, child, a little girl, had received ’a' blrw ’on the ' head similar to that of the little boy, the blood gushing from the wound r inflicted,, and: the brain being exposed She had also received a" wound on. the arm:: Notwithstanding tlie fearful.irijuries' she had received,-she.still lived when- taken up.' On . being picked up it was was found that the two other chiildren.for whom the girl so nobly risked her own life ■ were not only alive, but almost briini]tired, one -having- sustained: a slight injury to tlie:: foot; while the other had a small : bruiseon; the hand. The little boy who ,was,killed_and the elder'girl wqre recognised 'as r John . Wilson, aged four years, arid' • Margaret Wilson, aged nine years, brother and sister, the children ?f * mirier nained Wdsorij-sresidirig : at Raintdri Gate: soia only. survived . two hours,-after..-the accident. /.'An inquest ,was lield at Leam--B.id©,]riii. Tuesday,.on thebodies of Magatet and John Wilson; aged respectively ;riihe arid v five (years/ who;-were: killed v ori the. Station. After hearing /the e viderice;’the death, clearing^(the/ [blarittie in ''(thev^att'er't'-'Lbut^exp'resriirig. ! an the taii- : fi:equerited by;childreri;:arid others?on' the Sundays/there ought;to ;be I : i srived7iwrire-ll^beUrifi:<jGilrby, :^bg6 4' 4tdur year^aid ; »dticettsedv children; as to how; they camri- on the liue trarispired. . Daily Telegraphj Sth Jurie. ; 7.7; .