GRUELLING TRIP

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 294, 6 August 1932, Page 4

GRUELLING TRIP

TWICE OVER BANK MR. D. M. FORD HAS SECOND ACCIDENT WHEN TAIvI IIITS BANK CAB CATCHES FIRE Twice in capsized cars, trapped, and knocked unconscious, and yet abla to sit up and smoke a l'eflective tig. arette with his friends, is the iuck of Inspector'Da-vklvFord, of Rotorua. Yesterday morning the "Moi'ning Post" puhlished bi'ief particulars of th'e fact that Mf. Ford had had a nasty accident near Tarawera xvhen his car left t£e road in the blinditig snow and rolled a hundred feet dotvri a precipitous hank, but the ful! details were not th'en known. Accompanied hy Mr. Hugh Gelbraith, of Waiotapu (who is already suffering from a scalded hand), Mr. Ford set out to return to Rotorua after carrying out som9 loading teafa ' on the outskirts of his district, and l on the way to Tarawera, was caught J in a hlindihg snowstorm. His wheels failed to grip the snow which was four to five inches deep, and. the car S slowly slid towards the bank and went over. . .. | Fortune was evidently on Mr. : Ford's side, for there are very few trees in that locality, and wheri his ' car came to rest it was wedged up ] against two of them, Mr. Ford was ; knocked unconscious, and Mr. Galbraith was pinned under the car by \ the arm, and unable to move. Mr. Ford, when he regained eonsciousness, had to extricate Mr. Galbraith, though' he himself was suf- ; fering from an injury to the back, including torn muscles and strained ligaments. Getting Mr. Galhraith out j took over an hour, by which time the car was covered with snow which j was still falling. Mr. Galhraith stayed by the car, and Mr. Ford managed to get a Iift in a lorry to Tarawera where a taa I driven by Mr. A. Pallister was summoned from Rotorua, and this picked up the two stranded men. Worse misfortun was to follot for the fate of the taxi was even more thrilling than that of the inspector's car. Rounding a corner, ifej wheels failed to grip the snow, andj cannoning into a bank, it capsized. Mr. Galhraith was able ! o get out, but Mr. Ford had to be i vgged Out. by his companions — and only just in time, for a bare second after he was clear, the cab burst int i Games and was completely destroyed. Stiff and shaken, as was Mr. Ford showed indomitable pluck, for he managed to get a lift to the Terraces Hotel. Here an attempt was made to-raise Taupo on th'e phom, but no answer could be obtained and despite his injuries and the bitter cold, Mr. Ford set out on foot to -look for help. It took him over two hours to cover the two miles into town but he got there. Most men would have been content, when reaching shelter, to rest a while and allow others to go to reseue of their companions, but Mr.B Ford accompanied the reseuingB lorry which brought help and broughtB in the other two. Both of tbese, byB the way were exhausted and couHB not make the journey back to Eoto-B rua. ■ Mr. Pallister will be a heavy loserB through the burning of his cab; B Yesterday, despite his gruelling ex-B periences Mr. Ford was malcing aK. good recovery. K