FEARFUL SCENE ON THE HAMILTON PUNT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 60, 30 June 1876, Page 2

FEARFUL SCENE ON THE HAMILTON PUNT.

A fearfully exceeding and terrible.scene occurred on Tuesday afternoon last, oil, the Hamilton Punt during its passage between the two banks of the river, which might have been attended with serious loss of life and property. On the occasion referred to, a one-horse buggy, having waited in its turn, took position on the punt, and was followed by three horsemen and several foot passengers, men only, as it fortunately happened. Two of the horses drew up in a line with the buggy, the third could only find room by standing across the end of the punt in .rear of. the buggy and other horses. gers stood where they could. Itt frpni and rear of the punt a bar of woodji simple piece of quartering, is passed across; and through the side railing of the punt] When about two-thirds of the distance? over, the horse in the buggy backed about a couple of feet, and the hi wheels grazing the flank and neck horse,in ; rear, and pressing him against the outer ; rail, a panic at once seized upon the horse —a powerful and spirited animal—and though mairf ully held by its owner, it commenced plunging and kicking out in, every direction. Fortunately Ms' ■s ider, ■who: had dismounted, held fas't %o the' bridfeis and with much difficulty prevented B||| from rushing forward, either 6ver: ; Q|| buggy and its occupants, or amongst im other horses, men, and carriage cooped up in a small space of about 24ft. by 12ft. in - the middle of a swift, deep, and;dangerous river. And tins terrible'TScene oil a; mad-; dened plunging animal striving forward over all before him, to have seemed to him an escape''from 'hiss position, as the punt neared the' shore, went on until it reached the approach on the east side of the river. When the front rail was taken down, the other animals, the horse in the trap and the two led saddle horses, which were beginning to become inoculated with the terror of tie still plunging horse behind, no longerahle to be held, shot rapidly off the., ; -punt and up the naiTow wooden approagjp£ilito the road beyond. Some of the on foot, when the danger first became imminent, had clambered over the side rails of the punt, preferring the chanoe of drowning to that of being smashed to pieces by the horses, as wottkl undoubtedly' have been the case- /had the terror of the one animal become'general, or had the bridle, with which the;" owner, Mr. C. 0. Wood, gallantly held on to him, broken. The whole affair was witnessed by an excited crowd on either side of the river, who were of course powerless to render assistance.— "Waikato Times."