BRACKS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 296, 2 October 1873, Page 6

BRACKS.

(Frc^m qwr- ovn\, OorresfimylenL) September 22. ■\^"e have had a fortnight of .very wet weather since I last wrote, and the riyer has been flooded dqring the most of the time, and was for a considerable time impassable. A serious accident happened in the Manuherikia Bivep on the 9th inst., at the 'upper ford. A carder named Crawford in attempting to cross with L^s team and waggon loaded, -with merchandise was overturned, and a yeisy valuable hapse was drowned, besides a large amount of property washed away and otherwise damaged. The waggon lay in the river for four days before it could he got out. Mr. Crawford estimates his loss at from £150 to £200. This ford has been in a very dangerous state far some considerable time past, and it is only a wonder that an accident has not happened before. I believe the Progress Committee has been in correspondence j with the G^overqpent upon this subject for some months, bu,t without any practical results. Perhaps now the mischief has been done, the Gj-overn-ment will see fit to turn their "attention in this direction ; and it is to be hoped s they will lose no time in doing so. The Progress Committee have had two men employed during the past week shifting the ford further, up the river, but as they have no funds in hand they are unable to maka* a permanent job of it. I think the Q-overnment should gjrant them a sum of money eqfßcient to put both crossings in a safe and passable condition. Unless something is done very shortly, I should not be surprised to - have another, and perhaps more s,erious, accident to record before long. A very su,dden death occurred on the 7th inst., at the Hough Bidge Hotel. The deceased was apparently a man about 40 years of age, name unknown,~an,d was a perfect stranger in the district. A Magisterial inquiry was held at Blacks on the 9th inst., before J. D. Niven, Esq., and a jury of twelve, but was postponed for medical evidence, Dr. Thompson, of Clyde f being unable to cross the river. The , inquest was resumed on the 10th, at j 2 o'clock, and adjourned till 4 p.m., I at which hour }t was again adjourned till 2 o^elock on the 11th, Dr. Thompson not having arrived. On the 11th, Dr. Thompson afterwards arrived, and held a. past mortem examination. The inquest was then resumed, when Dr. Thompson gave evidence to the effect that death was caused by heart disease. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence. It appears strange to me as we have a coroner for the district in the person of W, L, Simpson, Esq., that he did not come out and hold the inquest instead of delegating his powers to the only medical man in, the district, as it must have been patent to him that the jury would not arrive at a verdict in the case of such a sudden deatb without medical evidence ; and by appointing Dr Niven to hold the inquest, the country was put to very unnecessary expense^ as both the police and Dr. Thompson had to travel from Clyde to Blacks (a distance of twenty miles each way) twice, to Bay nothing of tffe great inconrenience and expense Hhe jury and witnesses were put to by having to attend on the inquest three days in precession., wheji the whole enquiry could have been made in an hour and a half at the furthest. We . have not received txur mails from the down country districts since the 9th inst.,, an^ no mail from Tuapeka since the s,th. I believe it is owing to the rising of the Shag Biver, but even with this, I think the contractors should take Borne steps to. deliver the mails. If the coach cannot get through, they should be conveyed by horse. A fortnight without any news is rather, inconvenient, especially to business people.