A PERILOUS ADVENTURE.

Auckland Star, Issue LI, 24 May 1920, Page 9

A PERILOUS ADVENTURE.

COACH FABTT*S -_*_Pl_Rl__*ffG£. CAPSIZED IN i-T-OQD *ff__TEß, DRIVER'S GRAPHIO BIDET, 1 ' t (From Out Own Correspondent)

WHANGAREI, Saturday.

The recent experionco of the LyTiO Quartet in the flooded Whekl Valley will 1>« recalled hy the poreon*! narrative of Mr. Tom Griffin, the driver oi the convoyancc. Appearances when the party (which included two ladies) left Whangarei, left it in doubt M to whether the Wheki Valley would be passable, owing to previous heavy rain. \b tho Quartet were anxious to keep their date in Dargaville, it was decided to "give it a go." The three-horse team safely negotiated the Wheki Bill, although some of the sharp bends were troublesome. On arrival at the notorious Taylor's Plat, the whole area was found inundated. Leaving the vehicle, Mr. Griffin, with four of the gentlemen, went and Burreved the pyospect. It was seen that the whole of t'.ie flood water coming down from the Houto and Mangakahia Valleys was converging on a narrow "e*nd in the track, across which it was swsepjng with great velocity. This rarrow portion was the danger point, and the driver was for giving up and returning to Whangarei. The others pointed out that further on the fence posts weTe above water, and against his better judgment Mr. Griffin decided to make a dash for it. Knowing his leader, a fine big horse, was nervous of driftwood, he took the precaution to unyoke him to -follow on behind. As events turned out, this horse was. the. only one saved. Events followed very quickly. As soon as the horses struck tbe torrent flowing across the road at the spot previously mentioned, the force of the current swept them away. The coach, after bumping in several holes, was turned over, and carried with the waters till it :brought up against a wire fence. This fence was the salvation of the whole party, otherwise they would have been carried into the Wairoa River. As it was, their plight was serious enough. The driver' (Mr. Griffin) and Mr. Ryan were thrown out of their seats when the coach overturned. Sir. Griffin was washed into a barbwire fence (as his. nether garments bore testimony later),' and was hung up there until the arrival of Mr. Taylor in. the boat, but Mr. Ryan suffered worse before he became entangled in the wire fence. The other members of the party were imprisoned in the coach, with their heads and shoulders above water. The two horses, valuable animals, were drowned. Atthis juncture. Mr. Taylor; who had observed ' the mishap from his house, providentially came on the scene' with a boat, and everybody was soon rescued and conveyed to Mr. Taylor'B house, where every attention, which they certainly were urgently in need of, was rendered. Mr. Ryan. was swathed in blankets, and with the aid 'of hot restoratives recovered in a couple ot hours. '""

As a precaution a doctor was summoned, by telephone from Dargaville, in ..ladies?- trying experiences. the unfortunate ending of the trip,, the _cancert,party..werc able to take part in'an"improvised concert that evening '■ at Mr.'Taylor's, .Condoling with the driver before.taking leave;.they expressed every confidence in Mr. Griffin as a driver, and

stated their intention of again engaging his services for any "future trip. Tn furnishing the foregoing, Mr. Griffin said that, although he had traversed Taylor's Flat in deeper flood

on occasions during the past nine years, j ■he had never before seen such a swiftflbwing torrent: The removal ofthe old guiding marks, flax bushes and pungas, through the straightening of the road, had enhanced the difficulty of traversing the. flat while in flood. The leaver, after the coach went over and the other two horses were drowned, swam twice clean round the scene of the wreck, evidently looking for the other horses, before he struck out for the high land.

Mr. Griffin has driven over this road

practically every day for the laet nine years, both winter and summer, night *nd day, without having an accident ot any kind before.