COACH ACCIDENT IN THE MACKENZIE COUNTRY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2286, 15 July 1880, Page 2

COACH ACCIDENT IN THE MACKENZIE COUNTRY.

A somewhat alarming accident happened to the Mackenzie Country coach on its last trip on Friday last. Going down the hill at Coal Cully the brake refused to act, and the vclnclc winch contained eight passengers including a lady and a young girl besides the snail and other luggage, travelled at aheadlong pace. The driver, Frank .Kositor. acted with great coolness and pluck throughout. He navigated the coach carefully down the cutting till on reaching the turn something—probably the king bolt snapped, and the body of the coach was pitched on the wide of the bank several feet above the road. The horses and wheels pursued their headlong race till they reached the unemployed railway men, who bailed them up. As the result of the- concussion, itossiter, the driver,.Mr Marehant and Mr Taylor, schoolmaster, who occupied the box seat, were thrown in aheap. The driver who was underneath had his head and leftthigii anil arm badly bruised. The rest of the passengers escaped with slight injuries. Mr fSiblcy contractor was the first to escape from the body of the coach. His head had made an opening iu the roof, and lie crept out like a chicken leaving the shell. The ladies and the others inside were at once liberated, and a big coach was obtained shortly afterwards from Albury. The passengers were carried to their destination, having onty suffered a detention of two hours. The mail bags were delivered punctual to time, Mr Wcddrell, jun., carrying them to Burke’s Pass, and Mr J. T. Burgess conveying them on to Lake Tekapo.