ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 15, 11 February 1909, Page 3

ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES.

A SENSATIONAL BOLT. I ' A sensational bolt occurred at Tiritea 1 ' on Sunday, when a two-horse wagonette, containing 10 occupants, went over the side of the hill. Mrs i owler, woo keeps a boardinghouse on the corner of the Foxton Line and Botanical road, was taking the party, including two neices from Dannevirke, out to the Tiritea, for a picnic. While going down the hill mentioned (says the Dominion's Palmerston North correspondent), the wagonette apparently got slightly out of control and ran forward so that one of the horses got its head under the pole. The driver | ' it is alleged was so busy in putting on the brake that lie did not notice where the horses were go'tig, and they ran straight on over the side. The whole party were capsized, and most of them injured more or less. Under the circum- j stances the wonder was that someone was not killed. Mrs Fowler received a broken collar-bone and a nasty cut oil the head, while Mrs Chittenden and Miss Chittenden, who were of the party, sustained a fractured thumb and broken cottar-Bone respectively, besides a number of severe bruises. Another of the party (Miss Gascoigne) was badly bruised about the face. Only Hie two nieces alluded to escaped unhurt, all the others lieing more or less bruised. Mrs Fowler and Mrs and Miss Chittenden were removed to the hospital.

A MAORr njywixE

' The participiKtfs in a fishing excursion at Otaki orr Sunday last had a very exciting termination to their day's sport. There were four young men—Percy SimcoX, William Wilson, Thomas Zaeiiariah, """■v. and a Maori. The boat capsized in the breakers as they were lauding. Wilson ' and the native clung to the overtimed boat, and were eventually rescued much exhausted. Siineox swam to the shore and succeeded in getting there after a struggle. Zachariaih, who also endeavoured to swim to land, was seized by cramp and was in a perilous plight. Two plucky married Maori women Mrs A. J. Knocks and Mrs Hadfield Knocks —seeing his predicament commenced to swim out to him, but were confronted with a large shark. ~*ehariah by this time was verv exhausted, anil calling out, "Quick, Ani, save me ; I in drowning," disappeared in the surf. Disregarding the presence of the shark the women heroically swam on, and, diving •down, got hold of Zawariah and brought . him, with the help of Simeox, safely to the shore.