TRAMWAY ACCIDENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XII, Issue 3352, 25 April 1881, Page 2

TRAMWAY ACCIDENT.

[By Telegraph.-Pkess Association.]

TWELVE PERSONS INJURED.

DUNEDIN, Sunday. LAn nccidont of a most alarming character, resulting in the injury of twelve persons, one of whom is almost certain to die, occurred at half-past eloren last night on tho Roslyn tramway. B.oslynls a suburb situated on (the hills above Dunedin, and tho tramway was started about four months ago. It is worked by an endless wire ropo to which the carriages are attached by gripper carriages, which are provided with a brake supposed to be powertul enough to bring them to a standstill whenever applied. Last night the last car started up Rattraystreet for Roslyn, and had proceeded somo Bix hundred yards up tho hill—the gradient of which is about one in sixteen—when something went wrong with the gear. The general statement is that the man iv charge of the brake put it off instead of on, and before ho could rectify his mistake, the carriage commenced to run down the hill, attaiuing such a speed as it rushed down the inclino that all efforts to stop it by means of the brake were feeblo. Three men—Garrett, Spiers, and Stewart— jumped off, but tho rest were unable to get out of tbo car, which reached the terminus line at a feartul rato of speed, and broke through the heavy woodwork and threo foet of tho metal road, and turned over on its side. At one moment it appeared probable that it would dash across the footpath into tho Crown Hotel. Thero was plenty of assistance at hand. The carriage was righted, and the injured men removed to the Shamrock Hotel.

The following is the list of thoRO injured : —Andrew Thomson (Thomson, Strang and Co., drapers), cut and bruised ; John Strang, bruised and cut about the face; William Stewart or Steward, bruised about the legs ; Thos. Harvey, labouror, cut and bruised ; Rosamond Johnson, slightly bruised ; William Pearce, bruised and cut about the head ; Leckie, badly bruised and a long time insensible; Pearce and Clerk, bruised, cut, and severely shakou ; T. Mcintosh, bruised and shaken; P. Hanna, very little hurt; J. Conway, bruised; J.

Gairett, skull dreadfully fractured, case considered hopeless; Hislop, cut and bruised. The three men who jumped off fared the worst,'and were cut and greatly smashed about. The sufferers wero at once attended to by Drs. Brown, Fergusson, Dczouche, Burrows, and iMcUoUald. All but Giirre't are doing well.

This day,

All the sufferers by the train accident are progressing favourably. Garrett has partially recovered consciousness, and the doctors think there is a possibility of his recovery. It was reported over town last night he had died, and in one church a funeral sermon preached. Traffic was resumed to-day as usual.