Accident at the Pohangina River

Manawatu Standard, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 6712, 2 June 1900, Page 3

Accident at the Pohangina River

ftews was received in Palmerston this morning that an accident had happened at the Pohangina River last ni«ht, which may be attended with fatal results. At present the information obtainable is rather vague, but, so far as we can ascertain, it appears that Mr T. -F"-n"^ b Aling' who is emPWed by the U -11.0.A.I1 .0.A. on one of the country delivery carts, started for Pohangina'yesterday morning with a load of scores. ' When it is intended to make a Komako trip, as on this occasion, it is customary to leave part of the load at Raumai, and to return for it in the evening for the purpose of delivering it next day. This Mr Fabling did. He crossed the river safely in the morning with the first portion of his load, and about seven o'clock in the evening Mr P. Hanlon, who was also coming from Pohangina, saw the lights of his waggon coming towards the river. After Mr Hanlon crossed the river, which he did with some difficulty, lie saw nothing more of the lights, but it appears that Mr J. Lynch, who lives near the ford, saw Fabling enter the river and before he got very 'far into the stream it was evident that ho was in difficulties. Mr Lynch then sang out to Fabling to jump off the waggon into the stream, a course which ho seemed disinclined to take, and Mr Lynch then ran back to his house to get a rope, which he intended to throw to Fabliug, but when he returned to the river bank nothing was to be seen ef either horses, wa^onS or man. OQ

This morning the waggon was discovered standing upright in the stream about half a mile below the scene of the accident, and it is reported that the horses have been seen wandering about, but minus their harness.

What has become of Mr Fabling is at present unknown, but Constable Franklin and a number of settlers are out searching for him, and it is just possible he may have managed to get ashore. Mr Fabling was a single man, although wo arc informed that he was about to be married. He arrived in Palmerston from the South only a few months ago, and was for a time engaged on Mr E. Collins' farm, on the Rangitikei Line. Since January last lie has been employed by the U.F.C.A., where his gentle, unassuming manners caused him to be a great favourite with his fellow employees.

It is reported that before Mr Fablin-** left Pohangina he told Mr Bolton that he did not intend to cross the river, as the night was very dark and stormy ; but, as the sky afterwards cleared, this may have caused him to alter his mind, and push on to his camp at Ruamai. He was considered to be a very careful driver and knew the river fairly well, and how the accident happened can only be a matter of conjecture. One of the horses in the team was a young animal, and possibly it became restive and caused the trouble.

! Strange to say, Mr Kidd, tbe storeman who despatches all the country carts, kept a list of the goods on this particular load, a thing, that is not usually done. LATER. This afternoon Mr Dempsy received a wire from Mr Gilchrist, who went out to the scene of the accident this morning, to the effect that there could be no doubt that Fabling was drowned, but the horses were safe and the river was still rising.

Mr Fabling was a well educated man and frequently took part in the debates at the Literary Society, of which he was a member.

Mr Daniel Fabling, of Palmerston, is a brother of the unfortunate man.