THE FATAL COACH ACCIDENT AT OAMARU.

Kumara Times, Issue 520, 28 May 1878, Page 2

THE FATAL COACH ACCIDENT AT OAMARU.

[North Otago Times, May 22.] Gre-it excitement was caused in town last evening by the receipt of telegrams announcing that the coaeh had capsized at the Horse Range, with fatal results. We received a telegram despatched from Hampden by one of the passengers, announcing that Mr Nichols had been killed, and that several others had be-w seriously injured, and were subsequently informed that two of the sufferers had died of their injuries, viz., the driver and Mr Maifeland. A telegram despatched by Mr Kerr, of the National Bank, who had gone down to Palmerston by the morning train, warned the Hospital Committee that the wounded passengers, to the number of eight, were coming up by special tr*in, and every preparation was at on l *' made to receive them, all the spare (>eds, including those in the fever ward, being got in readinesss, tires lighted, &c, while expresses, matrasses, and cabs were in attendance 1 at the railway stition. Sub-Inspector ( Smith, who had also been communicated ; with, was also in waiting with Sergeant I Beattie and two constables, while Dr j Garland was likewise present, ready to ij give any medical aid required. The : platform was erowded with people long j before the train ar ived, and bad as the details of the accident afterwards proved to be, yet the trutli w-is less terrible than it was painted by rumour, which grew darker as the suspeiv-e : lengthened. At leng'h (at about 9.15 , p.m.) the train arrived, and the. work of . disembarkin'_r the. injured ! was at once proceeded with. It w.-.sthen ! found that the reported fatal nature of the accident was onlv too true as. regarded one of the coach passengers, t.hat one being Mr Charles Nichols, of Messrs D.il-ety, Nichols, and Co, Dunediu, whose body was removed to the Northern Hotel to await the inquest. Me seems to have been killed on the spot, hi* head b«ing apparently fearfully smashed, and covered with blood. Another passenger was carried out and laid on a mattress in an express, which carried him to the residence of Mr Kerr, National Bank. This wis Master Maitland, a son of Mr Maitland, Chief Commissioner of Crown Lands. He is, we learn, seriously injured. Goddard, ; the driver of the coach, was also carried I from the train to an express, and driven I to his own residence. He too is badly I hurt, but, it is hoped, not dangerously. j Another passenger,, whose name, we did I not learn, and who appeared to be suf- ' fering considerably, was carried to a j cab and taken to the Hospital, and two j other passengers, Mr M'Nicol (late of | the « bminercial Hotel; and Mr Maudesj 1 ; T, carpenter, were somewhat severely cut and bruised. The rest of the nasseagers were able to walk to their hotels or other destinations. Mr W. Moodv, ; who was in the coach at the time of [ the accident, had a very narrow escape, | being inside when it rolled over the emi bankmeut, but sustained only slight injuries ; ,t young woman, who was an- : other inside passenger, also escaping almost unhurt. From the particulars wo were able to gather last night, it wonld seem that the accident happened somewhat as folio vs : -While coming down tho Hors.i on the Hampden side, one of the traces came unhitched, and flapping about the horse's legs, caused it to ben.me restive, and Maitland, whose foot was on the brake, was shaken off, falling among the horses' feet, and in his fall dragging the reins out of Goddard's hands. The horses thus released galloped at full speed I down the hill, as it would appear drag- | gi:ig Maitland with them, when, after I going a few yards, they capsized the I coach at the tui n below the cave, the ! vehicle falling over the embank nent a i distance ot 40ft., turning over and over | in its descent. News was sent to j Hampden as soon ns possible, and assistI ance telegraphed for,'and. as we have . before said, the unfortunate | w.-e brought on to Oaniaru by special [ train, despatched for the purpose bv Mr Back, Acting Railway Manager, who, in common with the rest of the officials, ; did everything possible to meet the! emergency. j Sine; writing the above the follow-1 ing further particulars have been sup- ' | p'ied to us—Mr Frank Fulton was ■ 1 on the box-seat, having Mr Maitland's | son on his knee, and when the coach ' * went over he (Mr Fulton) was one of

a fortunate few who were able "to spring clear of the vehicle, but still sustained some injuries, the others escaping with but slight bruises. Mr A. Cher Imm Strode, of Dunedin, had two sons on the coach, who were a good deal contused, but fortunately escaped with their lives, though we are sorry to hear that one of thorn had his arm fractured. Goddard—-whose name is familiar to all travellers between Oswnarn and Dunedin—has also suffered severely, a circumstance which will be regretted by the many frills he has made on his thousands of safe and pleasant jonneys, who all know him for the steadiest and most eyeful of drivers, he bavins; driven over the Range for some seven or eight years, and having never met with any accident—CH'tainly not a fatal one—even on this dangerous piece of r>ad until, strnng-ly enough, this, the last day of the running of the coach on this stage. Mr Back, the Acting-Manager of the Cmtarbury Railways, happened to be at Palmerston on a special journey, wbcii a telegram from Hampden by Mr Bell, jnnr., who was driving northwards in a buggy, came through to that place telling of the accident, and he. at once despatched a special train to the scene of the occurence ; and we cannot. Imt acccord him a high meed of pra ; se f»r the promptitude which ho displayed under the trving circumstances. The train stopped opposite Kartigi, t) the hotel at which place the sufferers had been tikan, and where they were attended to by Dr. Brown, who administered such relief as was in his power. Messrs Shrimiski, Alison, Smith, and Kerr were in the special, and they, together with others, did their dutv in assisting in looking after the sufferers, and having them conveyed to the train, which arrivedin Oamaru at a quarter past nine, the acc : dent having taken place ahout 4" o clock at a lonely spot some five miles away from any railway station. It appears that there were some fourteen passengers in the coach at the time of the accident, amongst those who were more or less injured, in addition t<> those mentioned already, being Mr Hunter, of Wellington ; "Mr liCho.., of the &n n newspaper, Ohristchnch j Mr CnlHs Hill, of Melbourne; My J. ''■'lU'Ton, Tim-ini ; and Mr Valpy, of Dunedin. Master Maitland, who,''we. understand, was on his way to school at Christchnrch. is reported to have !>een terribly injured, having sustained concussion of the brain, anl having had one of his sides dreadfully lacerated,; [Our telegram on Thursday last announced that he died on the previous morni"g.]