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Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 614, 22 April 1878, Page 2

Swiftly recurving railway accidents point to the necessity for fencing in exposed portions of our lines. While yet poor M'lntyke is suffering acutely from the injuries received through the engine on which lie was working as stoker encountering a bullock, another accident of a similar nature occurs. On Saturday last the morning train from Oamaru to Moeraki met with a drove of cattle on the line about a mile north of Hampden station : and notwithstanding that great care was exercised by the driver, the engine came into collision with a bullock, which fell on to the track and was cut to pieces. Of course the jerk was great, and it is surprising that it did not throw the engine off the rails. Fortunately, the damage done was trilling compared to what it might have been. JNo men were injured, and the engine suifered less than did that which met with a similar accident the other day. A portion of its gearing only being bent, it was only necessary to remove the irons in order to enable the engine to proceed on its journey. We hear that several horses were wandering 011 the line near Hampden during the whole of last week. It is utterly impossible for farmers to keep their horses and cattle off unfenced portions of the line, and until exposed portions are fenced we shall always be liable to railway accidents of a more or less serious nature. Wo console ourselves i with the conviction that as accidents j occur through straying cattle, those p<T- < tions of the line upon which they occur 1 will be fenced ; and. if we arc not wrong, j judging from late experience, we will nr.t 1 have to wait long before all dangerous i portions of our lines are fenced in. It is. j however, a pity that the Government I should neglect to attend to barring out cattle until it has been rendered neees-

sary by the occurrence of numerous casualties it) which life aud limb have been jeopardised or worse.