THE AVONDALE TRAP ACCIDENT

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 14, 17 January 1908, Page 8

THE AVONDALE TRAP ACCIDENT

[ 1 _ J The Xew Zealand "ITei aid gives the following .account of the accident at I Avondale, by which Mr. ' Horton, of Pahiatua, Mr. Shepherd, of New South Wales, and the, driver wero seriously injured : — ' , The waggonette was just starting out on the journey to Kingsland, and ' on the box-seat were tho driver (Henry, Farrar) and the only t\v6 passengers/ namely, Thomas Horton, a nurseryman, residing at Pahiatua, and William Sh'-o-herd, a schoolmaster, of Rydall, Xew South Wales. Messrs. Horton and Shephard had been paying a visit together to Avondale, and had boarded iho waggonette on the return journey to town. When the vehicle was crossing the railway line a goods train, 1 .bound for Kaipara, ran into' the rear end. smashing the waggonette to pieces. Tho horses were just over the line at tho time, and they escaped unhurt, but the driver and passengers were less fortunate, all being severely injured. Dr. Carolan, who resides closo by, was quickly in attendance, and he found the three men lying beside the line. Dr. Carolan found tho driver had sustained a badly disolcated shoulder joint, and was suffering from severe shock. Mr. Horton received a bad scalp wound, and was also suffering from shock. Mr. Shepherd had a large and severely lacerated wound nfc the bottom of the spine, and he lott a io< of blood. He was also severely injured internally, and early this morniag he was reported to bo in a critical condition. Eye-witnesses of the occurrence state that the waggonette seemed to stop when just on the centre of tho ';iosm. ,?, and this was apparently Jue to tbe action of one of the passei^c-s vho, Incoming excited, pulled one' of the reins, thus checking the horses. The driver of the train, Frank Ski! leji, states that owing to tho curve m the line he did not see the waggonette until it was in tho centre of the crossing, and the vehicle seemed then to stop. He had previously sounded the whistle for tho crossing, and immediately he saw the vehicle ho applied the brakes, but it was then too late to avoid the accident.

Mr. Scandrett, Mayor of Invercargill, got himself into trouble with his council for letting the Municipal Theatie for Mr. Keir Hardies address on Sunday evening (says the Otago Daily Times). The hall was originally let for Saturday evening, and when the promoters wished to change to Sunday evening Mr. Scandrett omitted to "emember that there existed a resolution of the council forbidding the letting of the building ou Sunday without a i evolution to that effect. A special meeting to discuss the Mayor's action i>as held on Saturday afternoon. The council was evenly divided, five voting for letting the anangement stand and live for an amendment expressing regret. As all had not voted a second show of hands was taken, this resulting in six against and five for the Mayor. Then a division -nab called for, ivhen six voted for the amendment and five for the motion. Then Mr. Scandrett rather neatly autgeneralled the enemy by intimating that he would-exer-i cias his deliberative and casting vote in favour of the motion, which he then declared carried by 7 votes to 6. Efforts are being made to recover for Brunnftf -'"Be of the glory which it had in otn iUy S when coal-mining was a yerj l-mrishing industry there A Wellington atizen who visited that town recentlj ;;iys that men are speaking of raisinj inney for re-opening the Wallsend mine- *nd they aro confident that the sum .quired would not excoed £,17,000 Mr: * ' '? ..'lvortuet JUuicv tlres»ee for Mi*