ACCIDENT TO ELTHAM-OPUNAKE COACH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXV, Issue 182, 15 August 1903, Page 2

ACCIDENT TO ELTHAM-OPUNAKE COACH.

OVERTURNED HILH ORO3SING A STREAM. KB ARK 0 DRIVER DROWNED, SOME OF THE MAILS LOST. Eltham, August 14, A report has reached Eitham that tho mail coacL this morning from Opunake was capsized in tha MacgHwhero river.

The river was running bank high at the time, and the coach was washed down the stream.

It is r« ported that Mr Kidd, the coach driver, is drowned, but we have, at present, no confirmation of the sad report The special reporter of the Argils, who proceeded direct to the scene of the accident, wired as follows : Kapoxga, August 14. Messrs Lawson and Davidson saw the accident.

Thtra was only one passenger. Mr Kidd told him to get out, Ho did so, and Mr Kidd tried to cross.

After getting near the centre a ourrent caught thi coach and the horses swerved, capsizing the coach. Kidd jumpad, throwing Ihe reins away. The o )ach fl. mfced to a bank, where Kidd was holding on (hi bick wheel, when the wheel snapped off. Kidd then caught a horse's tail, and held on for about three chains. He than disappeared. Kidd was never se*n again. The parties mentioned here saved one horse.

Kidd floated with the current quicker thin the men c-uld ma on the bank. The coach is a perfect wreck. Some of th® ma : ls were saved. Kidd tried hard to keep the ho's"B nnder control before the coach oipsiz id. The coach ohtn crossed when the river was higher. The horses were swept off their feat. , Kidd never called ont, he seamed perfectly cool. Kidd was a single man. He had a mother alive in the S.uth Island. The accident occurred at the Mangawhero river, at Riverlei, near the Hall. Am proceeding to the scene of the acci • dent. Lirge parties are searching for the body. PASSBNGER INTERVIEWED,. Mr Christopher Hansen, who was a passenger by the coach, gives us the fallowing particulars: —He g>t on the coaoh at Te Kiri, and all went we l un'il tho Mongawhero river was reched, when Sir Kidd, the driver, no icing t.ha'; the river w.-s vary high, proposed to Mr Hansen, who was tho only piFsengar, that ha shoull go ov, r the stream by the bridge. Mr Hansen offered to remain in the coach if he could ba of aiiy assistance, but Mr Kidl dedinid the offer. Mr Hans n went about half way across the bridge and watched the coach. Mr Hansen, seeing how furiously tho river was running shouted eut " Yom won't do it Tom; turn back and I will take your leaders." But he only gave a look at Hansen and then drove into the rive.\ The coich was only a short distance in the river when the current took tha horsed and Kidd fought hard to control them. Tee current then capsized the ooach and is went floating down the river. The horses were clear of the coach but tangled up in the harness. Mr Hinsen then saw Mr Kidd hanging on to a horse and being washed down the river. Mr Hansen and t.vo men, who had arrived on tho scanp, then ran down the river hoping to intercept the horse at a bend in the stream. But, unfortunately, it kept in the midd'e of the stream and could not ba reached. By this time Mr Kidd had los h . his hold of the horse and disippaared. Mr Hansen and others searched the banks for soma time but o'iuld see no signs of Mr Kidd. Argus.

The Mangawhero is one of the most dangfrous pkcrs on thq road, and it is thought that; the h<r»vy, warm rain' list ni jht, bssides itse'f addiDg to the volume of the stream, any have brought down a laiga quan'iiy if suow water, causiag a fljcd. j For sonn years pa*t eft rts have, been mide to gat the s'ream bridgoJ. Only las'; Wednesday thamitterwaa before the Waiinato Roid Board, Mr M. 0, ImvsiD, secretary of the Riverlea branch of tbe Fa mars' Union,' having forwarded a letrer from the Chief Engineer for Roads (Mr 0. W. Tlurathousa) to the • A cfc thet (he Minister of Publ : c Works ii cf the opinion thifc there should be no difli- J cul'y in the losal bodies concerned pro-! v ding tho £350 (half grant), if the bridge is of mail an urgent na'ure as that indicxted in the paiHiou for tha'£7oo gran?'. The Cork's r*ply !o Mr; Lawson siid that tbe Bjard had al-!' r,?ady forwards J a schedule of works ' f.r which grants wou'd be r-quired, |' and tha Manguvhoro b.idge ii oa the ' schedule.—(Star.) | l !; i < i ] ] i