FATAL ACCIDENT AT ASHBURTON

Temuka Leader, Issue 1647, 15 October 1887, Page 3

FATAL ACCIDENT AT ASHBURTON

A sid fatality occurred at the Ashburton river on Wednesday evening, resulting in tbe death by drowning of three bovs named Charles Frederick Jenkins, aged 8 years, Thomas Jeakins, aged 5 years ; William Robert Jenkins, aged 3 years j and Emily Mabel Jenkins, aged 18 months. The parents of the children, Mr Charles Jenkins and bis wife, narrowly escaped losing their lives as well, while tbe horse they were driving was drowned, Mr Jenkins and bis wife and four children were returning from the Ashburton Forks district to their home on this side of the river near the woollen factory. They were driving one horse and an old trap, and tethered behind the trap was a cow. The approach to the traffic bridge above the woollen factory being washed away, there was no coarse open bat to ford the river, which has several limes of lete been in flood, causing the ford to shift, and leaving the bottom very treacherous. Mr Jenkins attempted to ford the river, but as soon as be got into the stream the cart was upset, and all the occupants thrown out. The children were immediately swept away by the strong current. The horse was drowned, and Mr Jenkins and his wife managed in a miraculous manner to reach the shore in an exhausted state,. Mr John Corbitt rode into Ashburton with the sad news. The police, with a largo party of willing hands, lad by Mr W. B. Compton, were ont as soon as day broke ibis morning. Mr Compton is a man of rare pluck, and thoroughly at home in the rivers. He led his party down the stream from where the aecident occurred, and aeon found three of the dead bodies lying on a spit above the woollen factory, and the other body was found a little lower down. The remains of the unfortunate little victims were taken into the Central Hotel. Groat sympathy is felt for Mr and Mrs Jenkins, and the sad circumstances attending the accident oast a gloom over the town and district, Mr Jenkins was formerly a resident at Winslow, and afterwards kept a fish shop in Ashburton.—Press.