A TOBOGGAN CRASH.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 September 1923, Page 1

A TOBOGGAN CRASH.

IN AUSTRALIAN ALPS. SYDNEY. Aug. 23. Mr Horace L. Chambers, a member of a well-known city business firm. Messrs Ulaxom and Chambers, will not quickly forget his holiday visit a day or two ago to Alt Kosciusko, in the southern highlands of New South Wales, and one of the most popular of the State’s tourist resorts, because of tile unique opportunities which, in the winter, it affords sun-baked Australians 1o get up among snow-dad alps more peculiar to other < limes. On the day t.luiL lie arrived at Kosciusko. along with a party from Sydney. Mr Chambers went tobogganing, under conditions which would have tested only skilled men at the gamin for although Kosciusko was under a great blanket of snow, it bad not bad a snowfall for a fortnight. The snow surface, as a result, was frozen into ire, and was more slippery than th< proverbial cel. On this Air Chamber: made a grand slide, width ended in shocking injuries. Three ladies ateepted Afr Chamber's invitation to a toboggan slide. It was a jovial party that started, amidst merry la lighter do" n a glazed surface of til) degrees, it wa- not long before the toboggan bulled. Two of the ladies were shot out athc- toboggan made its wild (light downbill. and were thrown clear, and unhurt. except tor a tew bruises. Ib( toboggan swept on, "ith its two remaining. helpless passengers, Alt' Chambers and one of the ladies. II was annihilating distance at the broiiknccK speed of (Ft miles an hour. when, ordinarily, it should have reached a level space which retards the speed of the toboggans before they make then final shoot down to the lake. 1 Itiluately, the bolting toboggan met an immovable mass when it crashed violently into the corner of the powerholism The lady, except lor a lew bruises, escaped injury. But Air ( c.amhers was less fortunate. AVlion he wax picked up the bone of bis right shin bad penetrated bis underwear, bis trousers. and bis puttee, and was protruding two or three inches. Several teeth were missing, bis upper jaw was fractured, and bis nasal bone was broken. He suffered from' internal injuries as well. In an impromptu ambulance, and with the thermometer lo degrees below freezing point, Air Chambers staitoi -lilt in "this c qjidition, attended l>v bis wife, for tile long journey to Cooma, esoeciallv trying for a man nearly 60. Fo; two miles lie had to bo (arried oil a snnw-slodge, being then transferred to a motor-car. For three hours the doctors operated on him. He is now progressing favourably, thanks in suin' measure to a fine stamina which enabled him to crack jokes with the doctor. It is the end of tobogganing on die “orand slam” until snoHv Kills, and until 'experts have proved .-it sale lor sport.