COACH ADVENTURES.

North Otago Times, Volume II, Issue 34, 13 October 1864, Page 3

COACH ADVENTURES.

A heavy south-easter, with a deluge of rain, prevailed from Saturday lo Sunday last inclusive. The mail coach which left Dunedin on Monday morning, had reached Hampden about 2 o'clock p.m. and the Rookery River about 3, yvhen in consequence of the heavy fall of rain the river was much syyollen. Mr M'lutosh the driver, was however, desirous to push on and made an attempt to cross. When about midway, tho velocity off the current was so great that tho leaders were carried of their feet, and yvith them the polers, aud tho roach floated doyvu the current ; but by the trood engineering of the driver the team and coach were beached ju6fc in time to save the life of one of the horses. The passengers, Messrs. M'Coinbe, Arnot, aud Good, beyond a wetting got safely on shore, and through the combined efforts of these gentlemen and M'lutosh the horses aud coach got safelj beached and eventually returned to Hampden w here they put up for the night. Next morning (Tuesday) about 10 o'clock another start was made, and on reaching the t,eene of the former day's disaster it was found impossible to cross the ford, and after a survey o! the river, a little higher up, it was resolved to try to cross at a point wbuh seemed favorable for th it purpose , but when within about twenty yards of the oppos te shore, the lead rs plunged into n hole about ten feet deep, dragging with them tlu polers and the coach. Through the good generalship of M'lutosh, the leaders reached the bhore, ana the po'ers got soundings just at the moment that the milium, c of the tide had upset the coach. Messrs M'Conibe an 1 M'lutosh were pitched into the stream and swim to the shore; M'lutosh meantime clinging valiantly to the icins and encouraging the horses to sustain the immense burden which they yve-e unexpecti ll\ loinpelled to b ir The inside passengers had the good fortune to escape drowning by scrambling through the vwn lows, banging with them the mad bags an I luggage inside Mr. M'Combe being a good swimmer, plunge I into the stream ami secured and safely lan led two mail bags and other b w h'cli were lluit'iig down the current All hnids were then employed in securing the coa. h and nleismg the horse-, fiom tlu.ir pinions position, wliuta was eileetcd only a 'ivy seconds before the co ieh began to go with the stream The pole and fore wheels were held o i i to and brought on shore, but the body au I luu I v\ lice's were earned into mid ihamiil, but ttoppul by a sandspit about 100 yards from the scene ot the occurance. A person on the opposite side who witnessed the acci lent was despatched to Hampden for assistance, aud the drenched ji.issengers meantime got up a fire to dry their clothing, Ac. After three or four hours assistance arrived, aud yyith great exertion the body of the coach vyas pulled oat of the stream. The pole and lore wheels yvere then sent across and the coach set up again, and cveutuallj M'lutosh succeeded m crossing at a point 100 jai.ls higher than the place where the accident o< ( arc I After a circuit ot about three miles th" road was reached and the journey cemp'eted Alter some considerable tiouble the coat h ieat bed Oamaru on Tuesday afternoon Several at euknts oeeured at the llookcrv ,—one man was tamed down the nvcr aud supposed to be drowned, but M'lutosh picked him up, in a forlorn state, half dead Several otlur piinous wore carried down the stream, hut with the e_teption of a dienchmg came ofl scatheless