A HEAVY FOG

Hokitika Guardian, 26 May 1933, Page 6

A HEAVY FOG

AND .ENVELOPED. MOTORIST DRIVES INTO HARBOUR * AUCKLAND, May 2b A heavy blanket of log Settled over the harbour and low lying fivb--urbs last evening, and did not finally disperse until shortly before 8 o’clock this morning. Motorists, tram-diivciij, and masters ,of vessels had to exercise the. greatest caution, and horns, hells, ■and sirens were sounded at frequent intervale-

A remarkable escape, from liijuiy and drowning was experienced in the fog Try' a young Rcmuera resident, R, D.°,Horton, about 2 o’clock this morning, when he mistook the road and drove his saloon car over the wharf and plunged into the harbour on the western-waterfront. He was making f®i Customs street and took the route v ' a - Fnn.shiwe street and City Markets. After passing along the back of Turners and Growers’ building, and under the impression that the lights on the viaduct, which loomed through the fog were those of the. Customs street extension, he went straight ahead mstear of turning to the right. When his car left the concrete road and reached the roughly planked wharf in front of the Government Oyster Depot, he realised that he bad mistaken the route, but rot that danger was imminent. He was übopt to pull up when the car hit the low railing on the edge of the 'wharf, 'iuiid plunged ’into the harbour about ’ 12ft' bf low* Fortunately he was not injured, and wa s ab c to unwind, thq front window, out of the vehicle as the water rushed in And float to the surface. Constable Willson, who was on duty nearby, hear the car plunge into the harbour en in response -to t,ho. calk of the motor,st who was .clinging to, the piles, loweic< a rope and hauled him to the. wharf. Oil and. fuel bubbling on the surface this morning revealed the spo where the oar lay submerged,, and. attracted a lot of sightseers. The services of a, diver were, secured, an after be had placed ropes round the vehicle it was battled from the harbour by the -floating crane.