OLD KUMARA.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1926, Page 2

OLD KUMARA.

In the ’Bo’s when the Kumara Sludge Channel (the largest work of its kind and use in the world) was in full swing I several miners were swept through this roaring tailraee. In 1882 Jimmy Smart | was so unfortunate as to fall in and | to be carried out to the dump, while a large number of claims were at work and his dead body was discovered by Harry Langdridge, now residing near Barrytown. Johnny Love later on was - more fortunate and though very much knocked about lived for many years afterwards. The following vivid description is abridged from the “ Kumara Times ” of September 28tli, 1882. * 1 DOWN THE SLUDGE CHANNEL. EXTR AORD IN ARY ESCAPE. George Alansfield, of Nicholas and party (seven), whose tail-race connects with the sludge-channel, was proceeding from his work to dinner yesterday, and in doing so had occasion to step across the sludge-channel l)Q.x, in the tunnel between his own and .Morgan and party’s tunnel tail-races. The box is 3ft. 6in. wide. He missed his footing and was at once carried down the channel at a. tremendous pace, there being about 45 heads of water running in it at the time. In Ills course down the sludge-channel Alansfield was taken feet foremost, and, in a half-sitting and half recumbent posture. He grabbed at everything lie could see across the box by which he thought he could stop his threatened fate, having occasionally to lower his head to prevent contact with sleepers and tramways; but it was to no purpose, and in less time than it takes to write or read this, he was swept past the several tail-races, emptying to the end of the ■ boxes, a distance of about 50 chains, or 3300 feet. He called out several times to men he saw in his passage, but it would have been a matter of impossibility, we believe, even if anyone had been prepared, to have caught hold of him and stopped his further progress down the current, the velocity of which must have been from 16 to 20 miles an hour. He felt somewhat reconciled when lie had passed the last tail-race connecting with the channel, and when near the fall he called to Jemmy Morgan and Amos Nicholson, who very fortunately happened to lie lengthening the boxes. Aforgan observed something unusual floating down, and in an instant jumped to the rescue. The fall is about eight feet. Disabled as he was, with several cuts and bruises on his head, hands and legs. .Mansfield would probably have lain and been covered up but for the timely assistance of the succourers before mentioned ; and, although covered with blood almost from head to foot, he managed to walk nearly into town, and was then conveyed to the Hospital. The Resident Surgeon was away to Hokitika as a witness in a case at the District Court; but the Ward small, Air Ross, dressed Aransfield’s wounds, and, although he feels to-day very stiff and sore, it is thought no hones are broken, and his recovery is. we hope and believe, only a matter of a little time. There were two very fortunate circumstances that favoured this almost miraculous escape from death. It hap- M pened just at the time when the vari- fl ous claims working into the channel ' were changing their shifts,’ so that, as far as we can learn, only one claim had its tailings emptying into the channel. It was also very opportune that Aforgan. who is a very expert man, and Nicholson happened to he at work lengthening the boxes at the time. But for these two adventitious facts we should this day probably have had the painful duty to record the death of a very popluar man as well as’ a useful member of society.