THE COACH ACCIDENT.

Kumara Times, Issue 2318, 1 February 1884, Page 2

THE COACH ACCIDENT.

From a private source the Grey River Argus has gathered the following additional particulars concerning the coach accident at the Otira Creek, which are not without interest;— Amongst the passengers was one poor lady who lost her purse containing £4O, all the money she had in the world, she said ; and as she began to loudly bemoan her loss after being extricated, a young man happened to catch sight of the little bag containing the purse floating down the stream? He plunged in and managed soon to regain it for the owner, who was at once restored to a more cheerful frame of mind. When the driver rescued Miss Ecclesfield he placed her in temporary safety on a rock. After surveying the situation—her own dripping condition, and the state of wild confusion and danger in which passengers, horses, and coach seemed to be all intermixed ; the hoarse shouts of the men, the cries of fear from the women, and the noise of plunging horses in the roaring water—the rueful look left her countenance, and she burst out into a hearty langh ; and during all the time she sat perched on the rock she seemed to regard the episode with an amused countenance. One middle-aged lady vowed that it was most extraordinary she should have been journeying by sea for the greater part of the last nine months, and then to ‘‘ get wrecked on dry land.” She is a daughter ci’ the Emerald Isle of course. Father Mui-,

vihill had his wits about him, and rendered invaluable assistance in extricating the passengers inside the coach, who were placed in a most dangerous position by the capsizing of the vehicle. The water filled the submerged coach, so that those inside could barely keep their heads above water. One poor lady managed to get crowded under the water, but she was hauled out and put on dry land before any dangerous results ensued. The death of the two horses—valuable horses both was caused by the leaders being thrown on the top of them in the creek. Owing to that and the harness holding them, all tfaair struggles were vain • and the poor animals were drowned before assistance could reach them. Some delay was caused by the surveyors not being able to cross at once and render assistance when they saw the accident. The creek was so dangerously swollen that they did not deem it safe to attempt to cross on foot, and the delay of going for their horses was fatal to two of the team, which might otherwise have been saved. Before the Otira Gorge was reached the coach narrowly escaped being capsized at the Smooth Wainihinihi, while at the Rough Wainihinihi the water was over the horses tails. The passengers were afraid to face the ford in the coach, and crossed on the wire bridge.