Three Children Killed. Ten Others Seriously Injured.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 293, 25 August 1888, Page 3

Three Children Killed. Ten Others Seriously Injured.

A dreadful accident has happened at Bui ke. A children's picnic was being held, and the day was sefc apart as a ; public holiday. Ab 9 o'clock in the morning nearly" every chi d in the town had assembled and marched to Billobong Bridge, where conveyances were to convey them to the picnic ground, about three miles down the river. After a short delay the children were all .stowed away in lorries, carts, vans, waggonettes, buggies, etc., and the pioces&ion set out, but was b ought to a sad termination after it had gone half a mile. The timber frame round one of the largest lorries carrying the girls broke, precipitating a large number of the occupants from the vehicle, killing three immediately, injuiing more or lest about ten or twelve children, and some of them very seriously. It was an infcen&ely saddening sight to see the lorry returning with the killed and injured occupants, which a short tune befoie had passed down filled with joyous girls in white dre&ses, singing and laughing. The following children were killed : — Payne (boy), Power (giil), M'Carthy (girl). The lolloping weie injured :— F. Short, girl, fractured arm ; Clancy, girl, fractured thigh ; Barlow, giil, badly bruised ; Dowling, gill, badly bruised ; Groves boy, fractured collar-bone. The accident seems to have been caused by the horse swerving from a banner in front. All the children wei^ thrown to one side of the lorry, and broke the piotectuig rail. They t' en rolled out in a heap, the fiont wheel killing twu and badly injuring another, the hind wheel killing one. The dead children and the sufl'eicr-s were conveyed to the hospital. In the evening a public meeting was held, the Mayor being in the chair. Tbeobject of the meeting was to express sympathy with the bereaved parents and injured children. It was resolved to raise a subscription, a portion of the fund to be devoted to the erection of a monument to commemorate the s-ad result, of the picnic of 1888. Lists were then opened} and about £90 was subscribed in the room;