ALARMING ACCIDENT.

Kumara Times, Issue 1449, 20 May 1881, Page 2

ALARMING ACCIDENT.

A most singular—we might say most miraculous—escape from instantaneous death occurred at about nine o'clock this morning, at O'Neill and party's sluicing claim, Dunedin Flat. Nicholas Rochford, one of the party, a strong robust-looking man, was trying to straighten the nozzle of a hose with which they were sluicing, when one of the pipes gave way, throwing Hochford into the tail-race. In an instant he was precipitated down the jump-up, a fall of 35 feet, and thence along the whole course of the tail-race, which is about 1300 feet, out to the front. In his course down the tail-race he passed one of his mates, who he thought should have seized hold of him, but as this niau had a shovel in one hand, and a lamp in the other, and moreover did not recognise at once what it was that was passing, he could not, even had he been prepared, attempt the rescue. Much to the astonishment of Neville, another of his mates, who ran to the end of the race, when he got there he found Rochford alive and standing on his feet among the boulders. He was much cut and bruised, blood flowing profusely from the back of the head, on to which he must have fallen down the jump-up. He was brought to the Hospital at 11 o'clock, by relays of ever-ready and willing hands, and is receiving due attention from Dr. Porter, the medical officer, who reports that until he recovers from the effects of the stimulants that were kindly administered to him on the Lead, he will not be able to pronounce the full extent of the injury his new patient has sustained. Itochford is very much bruised, the left eye and left hand showing unmistakable signs of the dreadful ordeal through which he had passed. At four o'clock this afternoon he woke up from a three hours' doze, and is as well as can be expected. Rochfort is a married man, whose wife and family of six or seven children reside at the Waimea. It is somewhat remarkable that he insured his life in the Australian Mutual Provident Society only three or four weeks ago, for £300; and he says that as he was being forced along the tail-race, he had some little consolation in the thought that if it came to the worst his family would be immediately provided for.