Fearful Scene on the Hamilton Punt, MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 635, 15 June 1876, Page 2

Fearful Scene on the Hamilton Punt, MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.

A fearfully exciting and terrible scene occurred on Tuesday afternoon lust, on the Kamil ton Punt during 1 its passage between the two banks of tlio river, which might have been attended with serious loss of life and property. There was on Tuesday afternoon, as theio always is on every more than ordinary cause for traffic in the district, a complete crash to get passage of the river. The pioccss of crossing in the ordinary \v.\y by ferry is tedious and slow, but when a number of vehicles and hoi\->emen meet, all beat on crossing over, in addition to the ordinary pav-.oiigcr tr.ilHc, every effort is naturally made Lo cram the punt as full as it will hold to lessen the time that must otherwise be waited. On Tuesday, for instance, there were five or six punt loads of passengers waiting at a time, a serious loss and inconvenience to many. Uu the occasion referred to a one horse bug-g-y having 1 waited its turn took position on tie punt and was followed b) thioe hoi'hOini'U an.i sew % iul foot jussenyens, nun onl\ ab> it forum.U'jbj h ij>jh'iu;d

l\vo tot' tli,' horses diew up in line wllk tlie buggy, the tlnrd could only find roont by standing across the end of the pinit in lc.u of the buggy and other horses. Tlia |)is,«n.jr(>is stooj where they cjiilt?. In trout nini rear of the pu-nb a bar of wood, u simple piece of quartering, is passed arrows and through the side railing of the punt When about two-thirds of the distance over, the horse in the buggy lucked about « couple of feet, evidently the wheels had not been chocked, and the hiud wheels grazing the flank and neck of the bur*} in iear and pressing him against the outer rail, a panic a t once seizad up9ii the horse, a powerful and spirited ■animal, and though manfully held by its owner, it commenced plunging and kicking out in every direction. Fortnnately h is rider, who had dismounted held f.jst to the bridle, and with much difficulty preventod him irona rushing forward, either over the buggy and its occupants, or amongst the otker horses, men, and carriage cooped up in u small space of about 24ft by 12ft in the middle of a swift, deep and dangerous river. And this terrible scene of a maddened plunging animal striving to rush forward over all befoie him, to what must have seemed to him an escape from hid position, as the punt neared tho shore 4 went on until it reached the approach on the east side of the river. When the front rail was taken down, the other animals, the horse in tho trap and the two led saddle horsis, which were beginning to become innoculated with the tenor of tho still plunging horse behind, uo longer able to be held, shot rapidly off the punt and up the narrow wooden approach into the ro'ul beyond. Mime of the paseeugers on foot, when the danger tirst became imminent, had clambered over the side rails of the punt preferring tho ch.mce of drowning to that of being smashed to pieces by the horses, as would undoubtedly hnvc been tho case had tho terror of the one animal beepme general, or had tho bridle with which his owner, Mr (J (J Wood, gallantly held on to him broken. Fortunately there was but little room in the rear of tho punt behind the buggy and horses, or it is doubtful whether the horse could have been fceld. Pfe would have easily smashed the low seated bu^gy and it& two occupants with his fore feet and have scrambled over among the other three horses, when a feaiful scene would have «usue(i. As it was one of tho foot; passengers received a violent kick on the thigh, though not, we trust, a serious injury, aud another "cntjeruan hud one of Jiis spurs struck ofl his boot by the horses hoof. Tho hoise rcceive;l a slight injury o« the neck fioin tho wheel? of the buijgv, and smashed his saddle girths. The whole iUf'iir was witnessed by an exeiteJ crowd on cither side tho river, who weroofcourso powerless to rondor assistance.