TRAGEDY AT OHAKUNE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9163, 5 June 1908, Page 4

TRAGEDY AT OHAKUNE.

TREE FALLS ON A TENT. THREE PERSONS KILLED. Press Association. Taihape, June 5. A terrible fatality is reported from Oliakune, whereby three people were killed. A mau named Brown, keeper of the refreshment room on Oliakune Station platform, was living with his wife and child in a tent. Early this morning he and his wife and child were found all killed by a tree ■which had fallen and was lying across the tent. A tree fell across the mother and child crushing their heads to pulp, and struck the father across the groin, and a spike eight inches by four passed right through his body. All were killed outright. The furniture was smashed to pieces. A neighbour 15 yards away heard nothing but the screaming of the gale. It took a relief party tsvo hours to saw up the tree and release the bodies. Quite a gloom was cast over the township, where the deceased were well and favourably known. A gang of seven men working on a mill tramline had a narrow escape, trees falling all round. A tree fell on another whare while the occupant was in bed and smashed the place, tub he escaped.