[Per Tainui.] Dense Fog and Loss of Life.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 130, 26 February 1887, Page 3

[Per Tainui.] Dense Fog and Loss of Life.

The dense fog which had enveloped Mantdieater and the district for Borne miles round for the previouje 24 hours cleared sway on the forenoon of the 3lst. During the whole of that time traffic of every description wa^ conducted under the frreatesfc difficulties, and a uumber of fatalities are reported. The body of a man was taken out of the canal at Barton. The deceased was coming along the canal side in the dense fog, and when near Barton bridge met a boatsman. In a few minutes afterwards a splash was heard, and the boatman found th.B stranger struggling in the water, The man sank to the bottom, and was taken ■cut quite dead. It is supposed that he was lighting his pipe at the time, and was not looking where he was going. Two little girlß, aged 10 and 7 years, fell into the canal afc Stalybridce, and were drowned. The children . were daughters of a cotton operative namod Tonge. They were sent to a coal-wharf on the canal bank for coalB,and after returning with them they had to take the barrow back, and it was while they were doing this they were lost. Their bodies were not recovered until several houra after the accident -happcne'A. At Hey wood two steam, trams T&n into each other at the top of the orchard The drivers could not see their way owing to the fog. The passengers were somewhat severely knocked about in the collision, one gentleman named Stott bowg cut on the head. The engines were damaged considerably, the ci6tern of j ccc being torn open, and the water escaped j A gallant rescue from drowning was wifcueaeed at Middle ton Junction. An old man named John Ridings and a girl named Mary June Marton, two factory operativoa, while returning from work mistook thoir way through th^ fog and walked into the oanal. A ?elf-actor minder named Jo°eph Dyeon at once jumped in, and at great peril to himself rescued both. The girl bad wunk for the last time, and Ridings was greatly exhausted, as also was Dyeon. A lad ■was drowned at Clifton The fog was very dense, and the lad whilst engaged in driving a boat horse along the towingpath of the canal, baiug unable to see where he was going, unfortunately fell into the water. The ptunge was heard by the persons in charge of the boat, anddiigent 3earch was immediately m*de Light", however, were of little or no use, the fog being so thick, but the deceased was eventually recovered from the water, Lite had been extinct some ■=tit! 39 The fog which prevailed in and around Liverpool on Dec. 30 was one of the densest experienced within living memory. Many extraordinary experiences were reported. In the afternoon the prizes were distributed on board the Reformatory ship Akbar, lying in tbe Mersey off Rock Ferry. There were present a nunaber of visitor* from the Cheshire side, and it was found after the prizes had been distributed that a dense fog enveloped the ship. One of the Akbar'e boats ~at tempted to reach the Rock Ferry slip. It was pulled by the boys of the slip, and so impenetrable became the fog that the officer in charge lost his reckoning. Tbe boat was principally filled with ladies and children, all of whom are said to have behaved in the most praiseworthy mauner, notwithstanding the perilous position. After narrowly escaping the stern of a steamer lying at anchor, the boat reached the lightship Orion, off Tranmere, and the occupants had to remain on board all night. Two lives were reported lost, one of the unfortunate people being a working mw who ■walked into one of thfl North-end docks. Vehicular traffic in many ca°es wa? suspended, whilst the horses in the tramcara 4a.-ud cab- had. Jo be led by the drivers or conductors. There were many narrow -e*cap p by pedestrians. "taring tho dense fog which hung over Bolfon and district, the ten minutes to four j.>*-sanger cram from Bolton to Manchester, o'* th*> Londoa and North- Western system, i\»Siided with a coal waggou near Eccles, tie waggon not b^ing properly shunted irmn the main line to the siding. ThB front of the engine was damaged and the wagyon wma-*hed. Th 3 passengers sustained a shaking, but none were seriously hurt, and the train proceeded on its way after an ex arainitioo by the officials. Amongst tho p .£-engera were two detectives, who were taking prisoners to Strang'nvays Gaol. Thomas Farr, the driver of the mail cart from Shirehampton, loft his way in the fog on Tiursdfiy night in Kingsweston Park. Police Superintendent Matthews and others vent in search, and found the mail cart and letter bagd overturned Rear the river, but iUf driver and hort-e were missing Farr waa dißcovtred much exhausted, having tv at d-red into a pond, from which he had much difficulty in extricating himself.